Nirvana

Harley sat up, turned her back to James and fumbled on the floor for her bra. He laid on his back and watched her as she clasped it on and threw his t-shirt on before she looked over her shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow at him. He challenged her back by mimicking her actions, and finally she said, "You're staring."

"You're beautiful." James told her truthfully, and Harley looked away as her cheeks flushed. James smiled and sat up, sliding over to her side before asking, "Are you blushing?"

"Think what you want."

James shrugged and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into him before saying, "I didn't know I had that effect on you Callahan."

"I turned the heat up last night. Don't flatter yourself Neal." Harley couldn't help but laugh when he nipped her shoulder and she said to him, "You need to quit branding me, people are starting to ask questions."

"So what if they do?" James asked seriously, and when Harley sighed and pulled away from him James asked, "Does it really matter what people think?"

"Yes. Do you really think that I want to be known as the slut that goes from one NHL player to another?"

James let out a sigh this time and asked, "Is that what you think? Harley I don't care if you ever tell me what happened with you and Rich, that's your past. But I think you know there's something here, between us, and I think it's crazy of you to give a damn what anyone else thinks."

"It's easy for you to say. You're used to it James. I'm not. I wasn't then and I won't be now, and it'll be ten times worse now." Harley stated, allowing James to turn her to face him. He didn't ask, he only looked at her and waited for more. Harley looked at her hands and explained, "Rich was never a super popular player. You are, and I've read some of the things that were said about me back then. So yeah, I'm a little gun-shy around you."

"I can't change that Harley. My career is part of who I am, and the media and fans come with it." James told her, taking her hand in his. Harley was surprised, he wasn't angry like she expected him to be. If she had this conversation with Rich 7 months ago he would have flown of the handle. Maybe Emma was right. James isn't Rich, and with every serious conversation they had that fact was becoming more and more clear.

"I know that. I just want to be with you, without the labels, and see where it goes for a while. Is that too much to ask for?" Harley looked up at him, and he shook his head gently.

"No it's not. I guess we both have things we need to get used to with this." James said, and when she raised his eyebrow he explained, "I guess I'm not so used to girls that don't enjoy the spot light that comes with my lifestyle. I need to get used to having a girl in my life that isn't that impressed by my career or my bank account."

Harley smiled at him, "For your information, I am very impressed by your career. But you have to remember that my mom was a teacher and my dad was a contractor. It's not what I'm used to James."

"Was?" James asked curiously and when Harley raised an eyebrow he said, "You never talk about your parents and you used past tense."

"Oh…yeah. They died my freshman year of college. Car accident." Harley told him, and watched as his expression softened and he gave her hands a squeeze.

"I'm sorry."

Nodding Harley said, "Thanks."

"You never told me you went to school." James said, changing the subject.

Harley smiled gratefully at him, a silent thank you, and nodded, "For a whole semester. Which was honestly a lot longer than most people expected."

James couldn't help but let out a laugh and asked, "You were so a delinquent."

"I was a good girl thank you very much."

James smirked, "So you say."

Harley put her palms flat on his chest and pushed him onto his back, but he was quicker than her and he pulled her down on top of him. James slipped his hands up her shirt and rested his hands on the small of her back as Harley laid one hand on his shoulder and she ran her index finger along the stubble on his jawline and told him, "You should keep this."

James raised his eyebrow, "You're a fan?"

She nodded, "Definitely."

"Good, then so am I."

Harley rolled her eyes and stated, "You're such a loser."

"Takes one to know one." She couldn't help but laugh at his come back before she leaned down and kissed him hard. When he pulled back a few seconds later he asked, "If you're trying to get me naked you should remember you're the one that put your clothes on in the first place."

"I need a break. Women do not operate like men." Harley told him before getting off of him and leaving the bedroom.

James looked up at the ceiling and sighed before saying, "You're going to be the death of me."

He could hear her laugh from the kitchen and the thought of food made his stomach growl. So he got up and threw his jeans back on before heading into the kitchen to find Harley digging through the fridge. She turned over her shoulder and sent him a smile before asking, "You good with pasta? It's all I have."

Before James could shut himself up he said, "Go to the charity dinner with me this weekend."

"What? Where did that come from?" Harley asked, turning around and slowly putting the Alfredo sauce jar down on the counter.

James back pedalled, "I know its short notice and that's not your scene at all and especially given our last conversation I probably shouldn't have asked but I wanted to."

"I can't." Harley told him, and when he nodded slowly she added, "It's not that I don't want to. I do. It's just that Rich asked me to go with him months ago...and I told him I would."

"Oh." Was the only thing James could get out and Harley instantly felt bad.

"I'll just tell him I can't go." She said quickly, and was surprised to find him shaking his head.

"No don't. You said you'd go, so you should go." James told her, reaching over his side of the island to turn the stove top on. Harley stared at him as he walked around and got a pot, filling it with water before putting it on the stove top. When he saw her staring he asked, "What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's not fair to him for you to back out this close. It's fine."

- - -

Harley dropped onto the couch opposite of Rich and changed the channel on the TV to something other than sports highlights. He glanced at her but didn't make a sarcastic comment as she thought he might. Harley looked at her phone, James hadn't texted her since she dropped him off at practice that morning, not that she blamed him. She wouldn't want to talk to herself either. It might be different if she was going to this event with a friend, strictly a friend, and not her ex-boyfriend. Especially given the fact that said ex-boyfriend didn’t even know about her and James, and whatever it was they were calling it. Her stomach was already in knots over this, and she knew it would only get worse as the weekend got closer.

Rich watched her for a few minutes before asking, "You ready for this weekend?"

Harley turned to him and nodded, "Yup. You?"

"Yeah and listen I was thinking after we could come back here and hang out like we used to. I have something I want to talk to you about." Rich said, watching as Harley looked up at him a bit like a deer in headlights. He let out a laugh and told her, "Or not, it's fine."

"I just… I have plans." Harley told him, purposely not telling him that she and James had made plans to meet up at her apartment after the dinner, she wanted to at the very least spend some time with him after since she likely wouldn't get to be with him much during the event.

"Guess I can't press my luck too much huh?" Rich asked in a joking manner. Harley smiled and nodded and he tried to make conversation by asking, "So what are you wearing?"

"Uh…some white and black dress Emma was kind enough to loan me." She said, making Rich let out a laugh.

"Only you would need to borrow a dress for an event." He told her, ducking when she threw a pillow at him. When he picked it up off the floor he set it in his lap and glanced around, "It's definitely been lonely around here."

Harley instantly felt bad for not being around as much and asked, "Isn't it nice to have your own space back though?"

"I'm not gonna be around here much longer anyway so it doesn't really make a difference." Rich stated, catching Harley's attention again.

"What does that mean?" She asked him, eyes burning holes into him as he sat in silence, staring at his feet on the coffee table. When she was frustrated with his lack of response she kicked one of his feet off the coffee table and said, "Rich."

"Means I'm gonna be down in the minors for a while and I leave the day after the event." Rich told Harley, looking up at her. He sent her a soft smile and told her, "Ah come on, you'll hardly notice I'm gone."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harley asked him, trying not to show how surprised she was. He didn't need to see that.

"Figured what's the point, nothing is gonna change." Rich stated with a shrug of his shoulders, dismissing it as if it was no big deal.

Harley sighed and told him, "I'll cancel my plans."

"No don't. I don't plan on being down there long." Rich joked, and when Harley didn't laugh he said, "Harley you can't change it, I can't change it. We'll just pick up where we left off when I get back."

"Promise?"

Rich smiled and nodded, "Promise."