Safe and Sound (Book 4 of "The Story of Us" series) [Completed]

Chapter 14 - Decisions, Decisions

[Nick]

"You're thinking about what?" Jon Harper asked as I stood in his living room the next day. I hadn't slept a wink since getting home late the night before, thinking about everything Harley had said and what Ella had went through.

"We're thinking about leaving Nashville, just leaving the industry for good," I said as he looked away. "Ella's never going to have a normal life if we don't. Even if she wants to be a singer, she can later, but right now..."

"Harley wants this?" Jon asked as I nodded. "And you?"

"Honestly, I owe it to both of them," I said as I sat down across from him. "I still feel guilty that... if I wasn't such an ass when Harley was pregnant, maybe this would have never happened."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do," I sighed. "Harley wouldn't have went into labor early, I would have been with her, everything would have been normal. We would have brought Ella home, gotten back together, everything would have been fine."

"Nick, you don't know that," Jon said as I looked away. "Things could have happened just the same if they wanted Ella because of who she was. Running away isn't the answer."

"Then what is the answer?" I asked.

[/Nick]

[Harley]

Harley!

I jumped hearing my father yell my name as I sat in the living room at the piano, listening to Ella play, horribly, I might add.

"Harley! What the hell is Nick talking about you might leave?" he asked as I sighed, looking at Ella who looked up, looking scared.

"Daddy, kitchen," I said, as I stood up and rushed out of the room, only having him follow me. "Don't yell like that with her around, are you crazy?"

"Nick said you're thinking about just packing up and leaving?" my father asked as I stared back at him. "Are you really thinking about this? Leaving everything you two worked for?"

"She's never going to have a normal life if we don't," I whispered. "You saw how the media was with us at the courthouse. How they were when I was over in Europe. We can barely make it around town without someone taking a picture."

"But giving up your careers?" he asked as I shrugged. "Are you sure?"

"I don't think we have much of a choice," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "I think it's what we need to do. Not just for Ella but for Sadie and Noah, too. They'll find out one day what happened to her."

"But just pack up and leave?"

"I'm just we can sell this place or if you want it, you and Nadine can move into the main house here," I said as he shook his head. "What?"

"Wherever you're going.... I'm going, we're going," he said as I stared back at him. "Daisy is almost done with school and she'll be moving to New York and you know that."

"Daddy, Nadine's not going to just pack up and leave... you have to stop following me," I whispered. "You have a life here now. You moved on. I think you need to let us move on."

"She's been talking about retiring," he said as I sat down at the kitchen table. "Like I said, Daisy will be moving. We don't need this big house by ourselves and I don't want to miss seeing the kids grow up. I missed too much with you growing up."

"Daddy..."

"Don't Daddy me, Harley," he said as I sighed. "Wherever you two go, I'm going, too."

I sighed, watching him as he walked out of the door, heading towards the pool house. I knew he was going to be like this. I knew he would want to go with us. Honestly, I wanted him to, but I would never ask him to uproot his new life and move with us.

"Mom," I heard Ella say as I looked back to see her standing in the kitchen doorway. "What did he mean wherever we go?" She walked further into the kitchen to look at me. "Are we moving?"

"I think so," I said as she stared at me.

"Because of me?" she asked as I shook my head. "It is, isn't it? It's because of all of those people with the cameras and stuff, isn't it? Me in the magazine? I like it here."

"Baby, there's a lot more to it than that," I said as she shook her head. "It's a lot of things. We want to protect you and Sadie and Noah. We want you to be safe."

"I feel safe here," Ella whispered as I smiled slightly.

"I'm glad you do," I said as she walked up and hugged me. "Nick and I just think this might be the best thing to do for you... and for us."

"Where would we go?" she asked, backing away from the hug.

"We could live by the beach," I said as she smiled slightly. "You like that idea?"

"I've never been to the beach," she said as I stared at her. "I've always wanted to go. I saw the water when we flew over it, but I've never been to the actual beach."

"You'll see the beach soon," I said, hugging her again and kissing her on top of the head. "Trust me, you'll love it.

[/Harley]