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

Chapter 5 - I Wanna Be With You

Chapter 5 – I Wanna Be With You

[Harley]

The summer of 1999 was the biggest summer of my life.

I went on tour as an opening act for none other than Shania Twain on her North American leg of her tour. It was basically my dream come true. I could have died happy at that moment and my life would have been complete. I also ended up doing a few shows with a new group named Rascal Flatts and recorded a duet with them for their debut album.

I had my own band at that point. I had an awesome backup singer named Scarlett who was eighteen and had an awesome voice. I even had a freakin' fan club, something I never dreamed of.

Then a month into the Shania tour, a rush was put on my sophomore album. I was still writing songs for it. I was only halfway done recording so the label brought a bus out on the tour with me that had a recording studio in it. Every spare moment I had, I was recording. Sometimes when I was asleep, I dreamed that I was recording.

I couldn't complain because it was my dream. I was doing what I had always dreamed of doing.

The label put a rush on the first single from my second album, "Girl Next Door." The album was named the same as the first single and the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and did just as well on the country chart. I was getting to do everything that I wanted to do. I was becoming like my idol.

The only thing that was missing from that summer was Nick. He was busy in Europe, touring in different cities every night. I heard rumors about him and some of the backup dancers on the tour but he warned me of that type of stuff before he ever left.

Hell, at that point, Nick was already back in the states but was busy in Orlando filming the video for "Larger Than Life." I was busy promoting my album that was coming out the day of the 1999 VMA Awards. That's where I was going to see Nick again... the same place I had met him the year before.

Only this time, things were so much different.

[/Harley]

[September 1999]

Nick sat next to Harley in the limo on the way to the VMA Awards. They had just seen each other five minutes before at the hotel before getting into the limo and they were already going to be shoved into the spotlight. The guys' limo was ahead of theirs but he wanted to ride with Harley since they were going to walk down the red carpet together.

But they had been quiet since seeing one another, hugging and a quick kiss. To Nick, Harley seemed a little different. She didn't seem like the same girl he had left three months ago at that very hotel in New York City. She had experienced real fame and that's something that changed a person. Nick didn't want it to ruin Harley because he knew who she really was.

As the limo pulled up, Nick saw the other guys get out of their limo and look back at the limo that he and Harley were in.

"You ready?" Nick asked as Harley looked at him and smiled. She was gorgeous and he couldn't stop looking at her. She had on a long, flowing white skirt that hugged her hips and a sparkly, white halter top. Her hair was in curls on top of her head but he knew she was going to let it down when she performed.

As they stepped out of the limo and walked up to AJ, Brian, Kevin and Howie, cameras began flashing as if fireworks were going off on the Forth of July.

"And people wonder why I wear sunglasses all the time," AJ muttered, causing Nick to smile. He reached down, holding Harley's hand as they stood for the photographs, posing. Suddenly a few photographers told Nick to step away from her so that they could take photos of her alone.

He took a step away, walking over to pose with photos of the guys but out of the corner of his eye, he watched Harley. There was something very different about her and he couldn't put his finger on it. He watched her as she walked up to someone from Entertainment Tonight and began talking to them. Suddenly several other camera crews came over until Nick realized more people wanted to talk to Harley than they did the Backstreet Boys.

"Looks like your girl has really blown up," Kevin whispered. Nick nodded, not taking his eyes off of her. "Before you know it, you're going to be the one dating Harley Harper and not the other way around."

"Does she seem different?" Nick asked, looking at Kevin.

"Fame changes people," Kevin said as Nick shrugged, watching Harley as she walked back up to him. "You look great Harley."

"Thanks," she grinned, reaching down to hold Nick's hand. "Nick, they wanted to interview us together but I told them we'd rather just keep that under wraps right now."

"Good," he smiled, holding her hand tighter. "Just think, it's been a year since we met. Look how much you've changed."

"I know," she smiled, almost wanting to giggle. "Can you believe it? This time last year I didn't have one album out and now, I have two out. I'm also nominated for a VMA Award. How crazy is that?"

"Not crazy at all," Nick smiled as they began walking down the red carpet together.