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Then and Now Chapter 51 Everyone stood crowded into the lounge at the airport. Han set her carryon down and walked a few feet away from everyone so she could have some last moments alone with Brian. "I'll call when I get home. If you want me to that is." She said anxiously. "Of course I want you to call, your still my girlfriend you know." He said with his usual grin. "Your girlfriend whose a thousand miles away." "Who says that we'll always be that far apart?" he asked wrapping his arms around her. "I don't know." "Something tells me you might see us sooner then you expect."Nick sat down on the empty chair in the corner and watched as Lis said goodbye to AJ and Krys. He saw her look around for him and quickly made her way over. "Ditching me all ready?" "Nope, just thought you wouldn't want me crowding you." Lis sat down beside him.. "Crowd away." she sighed. "Half hour till we have to board." "You know I hate goodbyes." he said, his eyes on the window. "Me too." she said holding his hand. "Last boarding call..." the announcement came over the speakers and the girls reluctantly stood up. "So uhm I'll call you as soon as we land." Han promised as she hugged Brian. He smiled into her hair, "I'll be counting the minutes." "Didn't know you could count that high." she teased, trying to lighten the mood. It was all she could do not to burst out crying. Brian pulled back and wiped away her tears with her thumbs, "Hey you can't go on the plane like that..." Nick hooked his fingers in Lis' belt loops, "There's a present in your backpack." he said, biting his lip to keep from crying. "Nicky..." "Shhh, I wanted to give you something else so I did." "Okay I'll open it when I get...when I'm home." Nick nodded his eyes on the gate, "You better go or you'll miss the flight." "Yeah..." she gave him a quick kiss... "I love you." "Love you too, now go!" he said releasing her from his grasp. Han waited for Lis and they both headed inside, turning back once to look at the guys before disappearing. ~Hour later~ Han looked over where Lis was sitting blankly staring out the airplane window. "Hey." Lis looked over, "Hey Han..." she sighed and started playing with the ring Nick had given her the night before. "Maybe you should open what Nick gave you." "I don't want to." "Might cheer you up, make you miss him less." Nick sat in the backyard watching the guys shoot hoops on the driveway while the girlfriends were swimming in the pool. Aimee walked over and sat down beside him. "Okay what's wrong Mr Long face." "I miss her all ready." "And she misses you too, but what are you going to do Nick? She lives in New York and you live here." He shrugged. "I don't know." Lis opened her backpack and took out the giftwrapped box Nick had put in there. She set it on her lap and looked at it for a minute, unsure what it could be. Finally she tore the paper off and opened the box, nearly laughing as she saw the first picture inside. It was everyone when they had all come home to Tampa after the Kentucky trip. She realized there was a piece of paper taped to the back of the picture. Quickly she turned it over and smiled reading the words "Same time next summer, minus the gang and the exes, what do you say?" Nick heard his cell start ringing so he tossed AJ the basketball and ran over to where he set it on the table. "Hey." he said, breathlessly. "Hey." Lis said slowly. "Lis? What are you doing calling, you aren't home yet are you?" "No we're still about two hours from landing...Nick I opened the box." He smiled. "And?" "And same time next year, but maybe sooner?" "What do you mean?" Lis looked down at the envelope her parents had handed her moments before. The application for University of Central Florida looked up at her. "Just a feeling." "Then I'd say I like that feeling." Han looked over at Lis. "Hey Nick, is B around, Han wants to say a quick hi." "Sure." Nick called B over and passed him his phone. "B here." "Hi." Han said sweetly. "Han! How's the flight?" "Good, remember what you said before?" He laughed. "I said a lot of stuff." "Funny Mr Littrell." "Thought so." "It was us not being that far apart for that long." "Right, I mean with the new tour we'll be up in good old New York in like a couple months and we can hang out and..." "And you were right, what do you think about a very temporary separation?" Brian grinned, elbowing Nick who was still standing beside him. "I'd say that sounds perfect." Nick watched as Brian clicked the phone off, "Well? What was that all about?" Brian smiled, "The girls are coming home!!" Nick shot him a confused look, "Yeah their heading to New York today." "Yeah but their coming back here in a few weeks to go to UCF." "They are?? Lissy's coming back?" Nick asked excitedly. He gave Brian a big hug. "Whoa, Nick I like the ground under my feet. Yes they are coming back..." Brian answered, "Now come on, lets tell the others." |