The Story of Us (Book 1 of "The Story of Us" Series) [Completed]

Chapter 22 - Relentless

[Nick]

"I told you so."

You have no idea how many times I heard that in July of 2004. I heard it from everybody. I've heard it a thousands times since then. Sometimes I still hear that to this day about my relationship with Paris Hilton. I've heard it so many times that I'm just fucking tired of hearing it. I told the guys I had to take a break from recording. I just needed to get the hell away. To say the least, July 2004 wasn't a good month for me.

I stayed with Brian for about a week in the Atlanta area but the more I stayed there, the more I thought of stuff I'd done with Harley there. I went shopping at the Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta and all I could think about was the time I went shopping with Harley around Christmas and she made me get in a photo on Santa's knee with her to send out as a Christmas card.

So I few days later, I went to Hartford-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and got the first international flight I could find. That was going to Paris, France and the name turned me off immediately so I got the next flight which was to Rome. When I got there, guess what I found out? Harley was performing there that night, so I was able to get a ticket from a scalper and saw the show.

The show was unbelievable. It wasn't like some of her earlier shows of her career where she did a little dancing and only played her guitar for half of the time. She was on her guitar for all of the songs but two and she was in on a separate stage in the middle of the crowd with just a piano. My seats were far enough away so that she couldn't see me. It was nice to just watch her perform without her knowing I was there.

At one point, before she performed "Last Kiss," she talked about the guy she wrote the song about and mentioned that everybody pretty much knew who it was about. I definitely knew who it was about. But something about watching her show made me feel better in a weird way. Because I dumped her, she wrote an album of songs that made her career that much bigger.

So, I became one of those girls that follow the Backstreet Boys around... except I followed my ex-girlfriend around on tour.

I went from Rome to Prague, from Prague to Berlin, from Berlin to Brussels, from Brussels to Paris and from Paris to Madrid. She performed in Dublin two days after Madrid but I went ahead and traveled to London, skipping that show.

I did some shopping in London, went and saw a movie and visited with a producer friend of mine. I just spent some time doing things that I wanted to do and just stayed incognito the entire time.

But the night of Harley's London show, I went to the show and had third row seats. The entire time I saw her other shows, I never tried to say anything to her, but that night, I knew I had to go see her. I knew what hotel she was staying at - the same one as me, but I made sure I had a different floor.

Thinking back, it sounds very stalkerish but I swear I didn't do any stalking. I just went to the shows. We just always stayed in the same hotel the majority of the time.

But after that last show, I had to talk to her.

[/Nick]

[July 2004]

Nick stepped off the elevator on the 10th floor and looked down the hall, smiling. He saw Larry, Harley's security guard when she was touring. He had been with her since her first headlining tour. He was a huge, Hispanic man with a goatee and looked like a bulldog. He was sure Larry would take a bite out of him like a bulldog if he had been instructed to.

"Sir, you need to turn around and leave," Larry said, walking up to Nick. Nick took his baseball hat off and Larry smiled. "Nick, man, what are you doing here?" he asked as he walked up to Nick, bumping fist with him.

"Was in town and saw Harley's show tonight," Nick said, crossing his arms against his chest. "How have you been? Damn, your wife's had the baby, hasn't she?"

"A little girl," Larry said, taking his wallet out of his pocket. He took out a picture, showing it to Nick. "She'll be one in September."

"What's her name?" Nick asked. "She's beautiful, man."

"Josie," Larry smiled. "I heard about what happened with you, man. That's complete bullshit. I know that shit ain't true."

"Thanks," Nick smiled. "Yeah, I had to get away for a while and just came over here where shit's not as crazy." Nick put his hands in his pockets, nodding his head towards the door that Larry had been standing beside. "She back from the show yet?"

"Yeah man, she's here. Does she know you're coming?" Larry asked as Nick shook his head. Larry gave him a stern look and Nick pouted. "That might work on those girls that lust after you..."

"How long is she gonna be here? She leaving tomorrow?" Nick asked as Larry glared at him. "Come on, Big L, you know you love me."

"She's gonna be here for another week," Larry whispered. "She's got some interviews or something and is filming a music video day after tomorrow."

"Can I go knock?" Nick asked as Larry sighed. "Dude, I dated her for years. I'm not going to kidnap her or anything." Larry sighed, moving out of the way and leaned against the wall. He watched Nick as he walked up to Harley's door, knocking on it.

Who is it?

"It's me," Nick said, hearing commotion in the room. He smiled, shaking his head.

Harley's not here!

"Scarlett, Larry told me she was," Nick said, recognizing Scarlett's accent. "Harley, I just want to talk. I know you're in there... I saw your show."