Months past and Nick was finally on his way back home. He could see the city lights below him as the plane few over Tampa.
"You excited to get home, Carter?" Brian asked as he took the seat next to Nick.
Nick turned from the window and smiled, "Yeah, 'course. I miss Lee. I'm sure you're excited to get home to your own Leigh."
Brian nodded vigorously, "Uh huh. Unfortunately, in a month she flies out to LA for the filming of a movie."
"Ooh, that sucks," Nick sympathized. "I'm sorry, man."
"We're used to it."
They sat there in silence as the plane began to make its descent and Nick began to think about what Brian had said. He didn't think he could "get used to"being away from Leah so often. When Leah had still been living in Seattle, the two of them had never gotten used to being away from each other. It had always been hard, even before his feelings had begun to increase for her.
As Nick drove home, glad to have his Durango back, he wondered what would happen if Freddy were to be traded. Would Leah move too? He knew he wouldn't be able to stand it if she were to leave his house, let alone the state.
Nick pulled into his driveway and cut the engine, happy to see Leah's car in the driveway and no sign of Freddy's. He whistled as he stepped into his house and dropped his two bags in the entryway.
"Lee?" he called, putting his keys on the key rack, but there was no answer.
Nick walked into the living room, seeing the TV on, but muted, and found Leah asleep, curled up on the couch. He watched her for a few minutes before grabbing a blanket off of a nearby chair and covering her up. Exhausted, he went upstairs to sleep in his bed.
Leah awoke the next morning completely cramped and uncomfortable, laying on the couch. With a groan she pulled herself up and stretched, before heading outside to get the mail. The first thing she saw in the driveway was Nick's Durango, sending an immediate shriek from her lungs. Forgetting the mail that she had been on her way to retrieve, she ran full-speed back into the house and up the staircase, straight to Nick's bedroom. Seeing a big, sleeping lump on his bed her eyes lit up even more. She had totally forgotten that he was coming home. With an animalistic howl, she jumped on his bed and began to shake him.
"Oomph," Nick groaned, waking from his sleep not too pleasantly. "Okay, okay," he mumbled, his eyes still closed, "I was up when you first jumped on the bed. You're gonna give me a concussion!"
Leah giggled and finally Nick opened his eyes, happy to be greeted with the sight of his best friend, no matter how slightly disheveled she appeared to be.
"Oh!" Nick shouted happily, throwing his arms around her, "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, Nicky!"
The remainder of the day was spent catching up and hanging out together and though the thought continued to float through Nick's head he refrained from asking where Freddy was. In fact, as the entire week droned on Freddy never came over or called even once. Nick wanted to ask what had happened, but Leah seemed happy enough and Nick didn't want to upset her if something had in fact happened. So Nick said nothing and the two of them spent so much time together that if felt as though Freddy had never really gotten in the middle of anything at all. But after three weeks of Freddy not being there, it was frighteningly apparent that something bad really had happened. And Leah's happy facade was slowly dwindling.
