Okay, so here's the next chapter! I've been a little indecisive about posting it so i hope you like it! Let me know what you think!
The next two days had flown by, much to Harvey's dismay, and the morning of their weekend away, he found himself in the shower conjuring up a shit load of excuses he could use to stay at home instead. Did his mum, or Marcus, suddenly call and need him to go to Boston? Could he say he was feeling unwell? As the water rolled down over his face, settling ever so slightly on his five o'clock shadow, Harvey sighed. He knew Mike wouldn't believe him, and ultimately, he knew Mike would be disappointed and the last thing he needed was to push away another best friend. He stepped out of the shower, toned arm searching for a towel to wrap around his waist. He stood in the mirror, his own brown eyes staring back at him, and he couldn't help but feel like he was staring at a stranger.
"Pull yourself together, man" he whispered to his own reflection. Until very recently, Harvey had convinced himself that he was fine. Sure, he wasn't speaking to Donna but he had felt like himself. Sort of. Donna had been selfish, he could justify the way he acted towards her, but he would be lying if he said it wasn't getting harder each day. Every morning he was more tempted to stop by her office, make amends, say he forgives her, but at the back of his mind, he couldn't shake that disappointment. He was still angry, and at the end of the day, he had Paula to come home to, so in the evenings he could forget about anything else. That was until last night when he told her his plans for the weekend.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
"Paula, it's just a weekend away with my friends. I'll be back o-"
"Oh you know, just an engaged couple, yourself and Donna, the woman you can't seem to detach yourself from" she interrupted, voice laced with anger and jealousy.
"Did you not hear me before?! Mike is leaving. In less than a week. To go to Seattle. He's my best friend, Paula. I need this, it's the best way for us to say goodbye" It was Harvey's turn to snap back. He was furious that she didn't understand.
"So you needed a goodbye weekend? And you had to be the only 4 going?" She was not letting this go.
"Paula, I'm going whether you like it or not". He was stunned at his own words. The night before he was trying his hardest to avoid agreeing to this, and now he was certain there was no way he would be missing out?
"Well I don't bloody like it!" She snapped. "Look, Harvey, I can't do this. I can't spend a weekend at home alone wondering whether or not my boyfriend has his eyes on another woman"
"It's f-" Harvey was growing more and more frustrated each time she interrupted him.
"It's for Mike, I know, but I don't like it. If you go, then we're over, Harvey. I'm not being second best to your work friends" She was patronising him and had continuously interrupted him. He was pissed off now.
"My work friends?!" he repeated with a humourless laugh. "You have no idea at all, do you? They're more likely family to me Paula, always have been, always will be. If you can't even try to understand that, then of course I'm going to choose them." And with that he walked away and headed for a shower, leaving her standing in his kitchen in shock.
He doesn't know how long he's been in the shower since he walked away from her. He was still angry, yet upset at the same time. He had really wanted to give things a go with Paula, but truthfully, he knew in his heart that she wasn't the one. She didn't understand him, didn't have the patience, didn't drive him to be a better version of himself, and knowing that helped Harvey to come to terms with their break-up. When he finally exited the shower and changed into some loungewear, he saw that she had left, the finality of it hitting home when he noticed she had taken all of her things too. Harvey ran both hands through his hair before placing both palms over his face and sighing. Now he really was dreading tomorrow.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Donna paced anxiously in her bedroom, looking intently into the built-in wardrobes that graced the length of the entire room. She didn't know if she had packed accordingly. It was a relaxing weekend away, with friends, why was she overthinking in the clothes department? Harvey. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the thought of him away, and for some reason, she wanted to make sure she looked presentable to him. She shook her head at her own thoughts, why did she care so much all of a sudden? Her mind drifted to the night Rachel asked her to do this and how it took a lot of persuasion, so she couldn't help but wonder how Mike had gotten Harvey to agree to this, and even more so, how Paula had not stopped him from coming too. Donna couldn't quite decide if she was happy that he was coming, or if she was hoping he'd drop out. Either way, she was definitely nervous and ready for a drink. Suddenly, she was pulled from her own thoughts at the sound of her phone vibrating over her duvet. She smiled at the name on display and the picture of her best friend on her home screen. She sat down on the edge of the bed and slid the marker across the screen to answer the call.
"Hello Michelle Ross, could you please tell me why I agreed to this mysterious weekend away with the happiest couple in the world and the guy who cannot stand to look me in the eyes? Am I missing something? Was there a reason I wanted to torture myself?"
"Well hello to you too. Look, I'm not having you wallowing in self-pity, Donna. You can't bring up this shit with Harvey unless you're gonna tell me the real story" Rachel joked, anticipating how Donna would respond, secretly hoping for her to spill some details.
Donna smiled. She had always appreciated how up-front Rachel could be with her. Very little people would dare to challenge Donna, and deep down she respected her for it. "Now, now Miss Zane, we agreed we wouldn't be discussing the ins and the outs"
"I know, I know" Rachel replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "But" Rachel added, "that doesn't mean I won't try again when you're drunk this weekend Mrs".
Donna laughed and rolled her eyes. She knew she was in trouble. Rachel knew her almost as much as, well, as much as Harvey did, and that worried her. Rachel knew that after a few drinks, Donna was hers for the taking, and she'd be able extract all the information she needed.
"We'll pick you up in around 40 minutes, Don. Mike said Harvey is driving up by himself and meeting us there because he needs to call to see a client before he leaves. Don't forget your bikini! There's a hot tub! See you soon!"
And with that she hung up. Donna stood in her place; feet rooted to the spot, phone still at her ear. A BIKINI? Okay, now she was panicking. After another 30 minutes of wardrobe madness, Donna had decided to just stick with the comfy clothes she had packed at the very beginning. She wasn't there to impress Harvey, the ways things were going, he wouldn't even be looking in her direction, never mind at the clothes she was wearing. Saying that, she had still decided on a red bikini that was classy enough to wear in front of friends, but was sexy enough to catch attention. You know, just in case Harvey decided he did want to look in her direction...
As the car horn beeped outside, Donna finished her coffee, vanilla included, and grabbed her bags. Dressed down in a pair of black skinny jeans, an oversized cream roll-neck knitted jumper and sunglasses at the top of the head that she was wearing more for accessory reasons, she headed for her door. One last deep breath and she was locking it behind herself. This was it. Try to enjoy it, Donna. It'll be fine. It'll be fun.
"Hey, you ready?" Mike greeted her, taking her bags with a big smile on his face. A smile that eased her anxiety. A cocky grin she was going to miss, not that she would admit it to him. Mike had spent way too much time with Harvey, Donna thought, he's definitely adopted some of Harvey's cocky and arrogant characteristics, there was no way she was making him any more smug.
"You know what? I'm looking forward to it". And she wasn't lying. She was going to make sure she enjoyed this weekend away with Mike and Rachel, even if it meant she would need to be drunk 99% of the time just to ease the tension around Harvey. They were her best friends and she was going to miss them like hell.
"Let's go then!" Mike beamed.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Donna, Mike and Rachel had been on the road for a few hours, but to them, it felt like it had only been 10 minutes. They had passed the time with a few travelling games, and the trio haven't stopped laughing at Donna having to choose to have sex with Harold in a game of sex, marry, avoid. As they listened to some classics on the radio, a calm and comforting silence filled the car. Donna put her sunglasses on and allowed the sun to warm her face through the car window as she looked out to the rolling hills. She had no idea where they were going, Mike and Rachel had made sure to not tell her in order to maintain some element of surprise. But she had to admit, the area they were in looked beautiful and she was excited to see the cabin. The sound of Mike's ringtone filled the car, Donna glanced to the built-in screen to see his name, and suddenly, she wasn't so calm and comfortable.
"Harvey, what's up?" Mike answered through the handsfree device.
"How far out are you Mike? My meeting was cut short and I'm already at the place". Donna's heart beats faster at the sound of his voice, a voice she feels like she hadn't heard for ages. He sounds tired, she thinks.
Mike glanced to the navigation beside him. "Says we're 7 minutes away old man, are you missing me already?".
"You're a dick. See you soon". The radio station again filled the car following the quick call.
Donna smiled. She loved how close Mike and Harvey were. She loved to listen to them banter, she loved to see them work together and she loved being around them. She was happy Harvey had found himself a mini-me, someone else he could count on. She couldn't help but think about how he must be feeling about Mike's move to Seattle and how much she wished she could speak to him about it. Before they knew it, they were driving up the pebbled driveway to an isolated and old-fashioned looking cabin. Surrounded by a wide stretch of open fields and under the glow of the sun, it truly looked special.
"Oh my god, it's even better than the pictures!" Rachel beamed ecstatically as she hopped out of the car. "What do you think, Donna?" A pause followed as Rachel looked for approval from her friend. "Donna?" Rachel sung. She noticed she was daydreaming.
"Looks... great, Rach. Really great" she said a little quieter, and she thanks the Lord that she's wearing her sunglasses because she isn't looking at the cabin. The only thing she's looking at is a casual Harvey, dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and a plain white t-shirt.
Mike left the girls at the car as he started to unload the bags inside. "Wow, Harvey, a weekend off work and you decide to grow out the beard?" Mike teased his friend as he approached him.
Harvey shrugged with a smirk as he pushed himself away from his car to offer help with the bags, "I think I'm actually more handsome, if that's even possible?" They both laughed. Harvey took a bag from Mike's hands and that's when he saw her, heart instantly skipping a beat. He seems to always forget how amazing Donna looks out of her designer dresses, and each time she surprises him with her natural beauty. His heart ached to make a comment, longing to make a joke about her height minus the high heels. But he doesn't. Instead he clears his throat, shouts a quick 'hey' in their direction, seemingly more for Rachel, and then heads inside with Mike. Donna's heart sinks and it's then she vows to speak to him, to try and make things right, maybe not this weekend, but soon. They weren't supposed to be like this, but if this was to be their new normal, she needed some closure. Rachel seemed to be able to hear Donna's thoughts.
"Come on. It's going to be fine. I don't know what's happened but you guys will be fine. You always are", the brunette said, a softness to her voice that Donna appreciated.
A sad smile spread across Donna's face. "I don't know, Rach. I think I really messed it up this time".
She had unintentionally let slip that she felt she was to blame. This was more than she had said before and although curiosity had now definitely piqued her interest, Rachel decided it was best to not push her friend any further. Rachel nudged her shoulder into Donna's and was met with those hazel eyes. "Drink?" She asked, eyebrows raised and a glint in her eye.
"Oh, definitely" Donna chuckled as they headed for the cabin.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
After a short tour around the inside, they each grabbed a drink and headed outside in the sun. At the bottom of the garden was a wooden decking area, complete with a small seating area that surrounded a fire-pit, and across from it, a glorious looking wood-heated hot tub. The guys had tasked themselves with the job of heating the tub water, and had carried down the bags of logs and fire-starters left by the owners of the cabin. Well, Harvey had carried down the heavy equipment and Mike had followed behind with a crate of beers, which, when sarcastically thanked by Harvey for the help, he had joked were essential. Harvey hadn't disagreed. He needed the alcohol more than he dared to admit. Together they got the burner going and started unloading the first bag of logs.
"Grab that" Harvey said, nodding his head in the direction of a wooden stick-like tool. Mike grabbed it and began to stir the water.
"Still cold" he shrugged, hand swirling in the tub.
"No shit" Harvey laughed. "It'll take at least another bag of logs and a couple of hours to heat completely"
"Beer?" Mike laughed as he sat on the seated area, grabbing two beers from beside the fire-pit.
"Go on then" Harvey replied. He took the beer from Mike's hand and sat beside him. "So far so good".
"Only because you haven't even dared to look at her" Mike knew he was testing the waters but he couldn't help it.
"I've looked at her!" Harvey defended, trying hard not to be too loud. They were only sat at the top of the garden; he didn't want Donna to overhear them talking about her.
"When?" MIke said, an arch to his eyebrow.
"When we first arrived" Harvey answered, a little sheepishly.
"Jeez Harv, what happened? You guys could barely keep your eyes off of each other not too long ago" he dared, of course he was met with a glare from Harvey, "and now you can't even look her in the eyes" the younger man finished.
"What can I say Mike? Shit happens. People grow apart"
"I'm not falling for that bullshit excuse. Donna used the same one with Rachel"
Harvey shot Mike a surprised look. He didn't know she'd used the same excuse, it wasn't part of a plan. This made Mike smile a little. Those two, he thought. They're made for each other.
"Looks like you two are in sync even when you're trying not to be", Mike responds smugly. A response he was admittedly pleased with. He knew it would rile Harvey up a little.
"We're not trying to be anything, Mike. It's just how things are now".
"But why? It doesn't make any sense!" Mike retorted with slight agitation. Sure, he was desperate to find out what happened, the tension was almost unbearable and it must have been something major for those two to fall out. But above all, he wanted Harvey to trust him, to confide in him. He softened his expression then, "I just want to help you, man".
Harvey relaxed his shoulders and with a thousand thoughts running through his mind, he glanced over to Mike, took a drink and blurted out, "Donna kissed me".
Mike choked on his drink, "SHE WHAT?!" he spluttered loudly, wiping excess beer from his chin.
Harvey glanced to the girls to check if they were listening, relief quickly washing through him when he saw they seemed oblivious, and then he glared towards Mike. "Lower your fucking voice, Mike".
"Shit, sorry. You did sort of spring that on me though. What happened?"
Harvey sighed and took a long drink from his beer to finish it off before motioning to Mike for another one. If he was telling this story, he needed another drink.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
"You heard and saw that, right?" Donna said to Rachel under her breath, trying to seem as normal as possible.
"I did" Rachel confirmed, mouth hiding behind the rim of her wine glass. "What did Mike say? And why did Harvey just look at us in panic?"
"I'm not sure, but they're definitely talking about us" Donna answered, peering over her glass at the two men who were now suspiciously talking much quieter.
Rachel glanced at her best friend, "well, I think it's safe to say that they're discussing you", she emphasised.
The girls were outside enjoying the sun, rocking back and forth on a garden sofa swing at the top of the garden, just outside the main cabin doors. They had found joy in watching the men work whilst they sipped on wine and spoke about anything and everything they could think of.
"Yeah" Donna sighed, "you're probably right".
Rachel reached her hand in between herself and Donna and grabbed the bottle of wine that was safely nestled between the pair. She gave Donna a knowing look before topping up their almost empty glasses.
"Right. Come on, Donna. It's time. Spill it" Rachel spoke confidently.
Donna knew she was right. By the looks of things, Harvey was telling Mike everything and she wasn't going to let Rachel hear the news from Mike, especially when it would be Harvey's version of events. She tucked her feet beneath her body and took a much-needed gulp of wine.
"I kissed Harvey" she spoke a little sadly and Rachel's heart broke for her best friend. She tried to mask the shock, but her eyes had widened and her mouth was slightly agape. Donna chuckled lightly at the sight of her friend. "I know" she said with a small laugh. "It's fine, Rachel. You can speak, you can react. It's big news". Another gulp of wine followed as she awaited her friend's response.
"I.. Ah, not what I was expecting" she finally said after a minute. "When? Where? Why?" She added. Everything was finally making more sense. The way Harvey had been reacting towards Donna, the blame Donna was issuing herself. Rachel wasn't going to hold back now; this was huge and she needed to know everything. Donna started to explain the ordeal, from the conversation she'd had with Mike, to the conversation she'd had with Louis. She paused before continuing, taking a moment to herself to mentally prepare herself to relive the moment again, but for once, she was about to relive it outside of her own head.
"Then he walked into the room, I kissed him, told him I had to know, left him stood there in my office, and that was that" she finished, wine glass already at her lips.
Rachel couldn't hold back a laugh. "And that was that" she repeated, sarcastically.
Donna smiled. She knew she was downplaying the whole thing, but the truth was, it was too painful to think about. She still thinks about the way his lips felt against her own, and how she's almost certain she felt him lean into the kiss, and talking about it in detail only stirred the thoughts in her mind.
"Honestly Rach, I'm a mess. I just had to know". Donna knew that Rachel would understand. Harvey may have claimed he didn't, but she was certain her friend would. Rachel nodded, urging Donna to continue. "Then the next day, I went to see him and he didn't want to speak to me. He made me promise to never do it again, which I did, and that was it for a while."
"Then what?" Rachel asked empathetically.
"Then" Donna took a breath, "then we had a huge argument out in the lobby. Basically, he told me I was selfish, that he didn't want more and that I had practically made him a cheater. Oh, and he doesn't trust my judgement" she said, "can't forget that part" she finishes, a little quieter.
Rachel looked at her best friend wide-eyed. She knew Harvey was being harsh with Donna but she had no idea he had spoken to her like that. "So what did you say?"
"I told him that I didn't want more either and that I didn't feel anything for him, so he could relax".
Rachel was quiet for a moment, deciding carefully what to say next. She opted to be bold, Donna was her best friend and she was already being honest, so why the hell not push for a little more?
"Soooo, you lied then? Told him what you thought he wanted to hear?" she dared.
Donna stared into the eyes of her best friend. She knew Rachel meant well, but it didn't make the question any less of a surprise. It made her laugh a little actually. A dry, humourless laugh because, well, the situation wasn't remotely funny but she was on her 3rd large glass of wine and Rachel was being a bit of a bad-ass. "Yeah, Rachel" Donna starts, "I lied" she answers, truthfully.
Rachel reaches for her best friend's hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. They let a comfortable silence settle between them, and Donna is grateful for it. She needs a moment to gather her thoughts and feelings. She's happy she told Rachel and feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. They both glance over to the men again, who were still chatting on the opposite seated area, Mike appearing to be heavily engrossed in what Harvey was saying. He must be going into a lot more detail than me, Donna thought. It was then she saw Mike's eyes widen again, he looked almost in disbelief. She looked at Rachel, who confirmed with a look that she had seen the same thing. What on earth were those two talking about?
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
"So let me get this straight" Mike began. "Donna kisses you out of the blue, leaves you standing there without saying anything-"
"Except, she had to know" Harvey interjects with a nod.
"Right. And then you guys have a massive row the next day because you're with Paula and she was out of line?"
"Basically. And we haven't spoken since. Every time I look at her, I'm reminded of that kiss" Harvey admits.
"Was the kiss that bad?" Mike jokes, but Harvey wasn't laughing. He's just staring at Mike. "Okay, too soon. So what? She just left again after the row and didn't say anything?"
"Not exactly. She told me to relax because she didn't feel anything when she kissed me. She said whatever she thought might be there, wasn't" He answered, remembering clearly how that conversation had gone not too long ago. Mike was sure he could detect a hint of disappointment in Harvey's voice, but decided not to act on it. His friend was being open and honest, he didn't want to shut him back down.
"Jeeez Harvey. Did you tell Paula?" Mike asks inquisitively.
Harvey shakes his head to answer, before adding "we broke up, last night actually".
Mike's eyes widen in shock. "Why? If you didn't tell her about the kiss, what happened?"
Harvey let out a long sigh. "She wasn't the one, Mike. I mean, we broke up mainly because she didn't want me to come away this weekend with just the three of you, can you believe that? I told her that you guys are my family and I wasn't about to let someone come between that. But at the end of the day, she just didn't get me, didn't understand me". There's some sadness in the way he speaks but Harvey doesn't feel too beaten up about it. He's still happy with his decision to come away this weekend, and as time goes on, he's becoming more and more certain that he and Paula would have ended things soon anyway.
"Shit" Mikes says as he shakes his head. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah" Harvey smiles softly. "I'm good. I'm sure the right one is out there somewhere", he doesn't even realise that in that moment he's looking directly at Donna, watching her red hair fall over her face as she laughs at something Rachel says.
"Yeah, they're probably even closer than you think" Mike says as he watches Harvey stare at Donna. The sound of Mike's voice pulls him from his trance, earning Harvey an eye-roll that he doesn't even notice.
"Anyway, I think that's enough girly gossip for today" Harvey announces, placing another empty bottle on the floor as he stands from his seat and heads towards the hot tub. "Should we get the rest of the logs on and get this baby up to temperature? I'd quite like the chance to get in it today" he joked.
"Right behind you. Rachel said she's bought a new bikini for this weekend and I'm quite looking forward to seeing it". Mike knew what he was doing. He was testing Harvey, reminding him that he would in fact being seeing a certain redhead also in swimwear this evening. Harvey gulps at the statement from his friend. He blushes slightly at the thought of Donna and chooses to avoid looking at Mike. Mike notices the shyness, of course, it was his intention to generate a reaction. He smirks behind his friend's back,this weekend is going to be fun, he thinks.
I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts! I have some ideas for the next chapter... Hoping to bring in a little humour when the four of them have to actually spend some time together in a group! :)
