Perfectly Imperfect

Harley let out a relieved sigh when she closed the door to the room where Brian was still sleeping. She had her shoes in her hand and she started making her way down the stairs. Val was sitting in the living room, with Matt's arm wrapped around her. An automatic feeling of guilt rushed over her when she saw Val. Michelle was her sister and she just did something that was so unholy.

"Where did you pass out?" Matt asked, staring from the t.v., to Harley.

"Bathroom." Harley lied. She couldn't let him know that she had just slept with Brian, let alone the same room.

Matt let out a small laugh. "Was is comfortable?" He joked.

"Bathtubs usually are." She counteracted. "Have you seen Jimmy or Gabby?" Harley asked.

"I saw them upstairs last night, so I don't know if you want to walk in on them." Matt warned with a small chuckle.

"Right." Harley said, tying on her shoes at the bottom of the stairs. Harley panicked when she heard a door upstairs open. Don't be Brian. Don't be Brian, she thought to herself, getting more worried by the second. "I'll see you guys later." She said quickly.

"You can stay here and eat before you head out." Val offered. Harley almost took the offer but decided against it.

"Hangover. Not hungry." She lied again. She didn't have a hangover. She listened to her father the night before and drank water with every drink she had. And that prevented her from getting a hangover.

"Alright. We'll see you later Harley." Matt said with a warm smile. She smiled back at him and headed for the door.

Harley nearly ran up to her room when she got home. She quickly changed out of her clothes that she was in because they reeked of alcohol. After getting changed into some shorts and a tank top, she went downstairs to get something to eat.

Meanwhile, back at Matt's house, Brian came down the stairs with just his pants on. He scratched his head, yawning off his sleepless night. Jimmy and Gabby sitting on the floor, eating their breakfast and watching t.v. Brian sat on the couch and let out a sigh.

"Where's Harley?" Brian asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "She left earlier." Gabby said, stealing a piece of food off of Jimmy's plate.

"Hey, hey, my food." He said, holding his plate away from her. They both chuckled before pecking each others lips. Brian rolled his eyes, standing off the couch. He went back upstairs, grabbing the rest of his stuff. He turned back on his phone, feeling a wave of guilt rush over him when he saw he had eight missed calls from Michelle.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" Michelle asked angrily over the phone.

"I was passed out. You know how I am when I drink." He said, trying to keep her calm.

"I told you to come home with me last night."

"I just wanted to spend some time with the guys." He mumbled, feeling more and more guilt wash over him.

"Well, when can I see you?" She asked, slightly pouting.

"I'll be over a little later. We need to talk anyways." Brian said, frowning a bit. He liked Michelle, no he loved her. But he loved her like a sister, how he loved Val. He just didn't know how he was going to tell Michelle that he had fallen out of love with her. She wasn't his main priority anymore. Harley was.

"You disappeared last night. Where did you go?" Jimmy questioned Harley as he got comfortable on the couch. Gabby sat in his lap and traced a few of his tattoos on his arm.

Harley looked at him then back down at her cup of water. "I was so hammered I don't even remember." She lied. Harley had a very good memory when she was drunk. A lot better then most people. She remembered everything from last night, from her and Zacky dancing to Brian and her making out in the hall. She also remembered her sexual encounter with Brian a little more then she would have liked to remember.

"What was with you and Zacky last night?" Gabby asked, looking towards Harley with a wiggle to her eyebrows.

Harley slightly recalled Zacky flirting with her and running his hands up and down her body. Harley hardly remembered it because she was imagining Brian's hands, not Zacky's. "Nothing, just having a good time." She reassured Gabby.

"Well, I'm hungry." Jimmy said, standing up off the couch, leaving Gabby sitting on the couch alone.

Harley started thinking seriously about what she had done, feeling absolutely disgusted with herself. Harley took the opportunity of Jimmy being in the kitchen to talk to Gabby. "Can I tell you something? Something that can't be repeated to Jimmy." Harley asked Gabby in a hushed tone.

Gabby sat up straight on the couch, leaning towards Harley. "Yeah. What's up?" Gabby asked, genuinely concerned.

"Last night, I kind of, might have, slept with Brian." She said quietly.

"You what?!" Gabby said loudly.

"Shh!" She said, looking towards the kitchen door.

"Why did you sleep with Brian?" Gabby asked, being quiet again but still shocked.

"Alcohol. I don't know. I did and I feel horrible." Harley admitted.

"Why? I'm sure Michelle won't care. She might hate you."

"Yeah, but he's still her girlfriend."

"Yeah, but knowing Brian, he doesn't even give a shit."

Harley looked down at the floor when Jimmy came back in with some chips. "What are you girls talking about?" Jimmy asked, looking between the two.

"Nothing. Girl stuff." Gabby said, giving Harley a smile.

"Gross. Like tampons and crap?" Jimmy said, disgusted.

Harley chuckled a bit. "Sure, Jimmy."

________________________

Harley was on her back, fixing up her new found project that was under restoration, a 1970 Dodge Challenger. All that could be heard was the sound of a wrench doing it's job. "Harley, can we talk?" Harley heard from the one and only Brian. She let out a sigh, before sliding out from under the car.

"Yeah." She said, sliding back under the car.

"I didn't mean for things to go as far as they did," Brian started. Harley really wasn't worried about what he had to say. She just wanted the awkwardness to be over. "I don't regret it though." Harley stopped working the moment she heard him say that. "Do you?" Her heart sunk when she heard those words.

Sliding back out from under the car and looking at him. "Yes. And no." She said, standing up off the floor. "Yes, because you have a girlfriend and I don't believe in cheating."

"I broke up with Michelle before I came here."

"You were still with her when you cheated." Harley pointed out, making Brian feel guilty again.

"I feel bad for cheating on her, but I don't regret it. I just want to know if I made a mistake or not."

Harley thought about his words for a few seconds. "Maybe you did." She murmured to him. Brian rolled his eyes when he heard that. She didn't mean it, that was for sure. She also didn't want to admit that he was fucking amazing in bed. "Just tell me why." She demanded in a quiet voice.

"'Why', what?" He asked.

"Why did you take in interest in me?" Harley asked, leaning against the old car.

"Because," Brian replied. Harley continued to look at him, waiting for a better explanation. "Because, you're different. You're not like all the other girls." Harley continued to stay quiet. She knew she wasn't like the other girls, so that wasn't an explanation either. "Okay, I like you. A lot. I can actually get along with and have a real conversation. And you're not trying to get in my pants like most girls are."

"No, I've already been there." Harley mumbled with a roll to her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brian just stared at her. She wasn't budging like most girls would have. He was expecting her to be in his arms already but she was still standing her own ground. "Listen, Brian, I've had my fair share of bad relationships and I'll admit that I like you too but I don't think this is good grounds for starting a relationship." Harley explained, feeling a bad that she just totally denied a guy that was actually worth her time.

Brian looked at her in disbelief at first. Did I really just get rejected, he thought to himself. His ego was way to cocky to even comprehend rejection. "I understand." He said quietly, still trying to wrap his brain on what she just said.

"I still want to be friends." Harley said with a small smile. She felt like a complete moron when she said that. The friends card. She knew what it was like to have the friend card pulled on her. It's like saying, 'I don't want to be with you but I still want to torture you by my presence.'

"Friends." Brian breathed, he bite down on his bottom lip lightly. "I'll, uh, see you later then." He said, walking back down the driveway. He was definitely butt hurt about her rejecting him.

Harley closed her eyes when she saw him walking away. She wanted so bad to say something. But something told her not to. Brian just cheated on his girlfriend. Harley didn't want to start a relationship with a cheater, even if she was the reason that he cheated.