Brian leaned on the railing and watched as Lis walked along the stretch of beach beyond the backyard. He saw her look over so he waved and went to join her.
Lis saw Brian wave so she walked along the beach till she found the rocks and sat down in the warm sand. She'd made up her mind, when she went home she'd make her flight plans.
Brian jogged up to her. "You're out here early." he said, sitting himself down next to her.
"Didn't want to wake everyone up in the house."
Bri nodded. "Me too, I sat on the deck for an hour till I saw you."
Lis smiled. "Knowing those two they'll sleep very very late."
"Probably." He looked her over. "So what's on your mind?"
She turned to him. "You know me too well."
Brian smiled. "And that's a bad thing? Spill, what's up?"
"New York City." Lis said simply, as though it explained it all.
"New York?" he asked, a smile on his face.
"I thought I'd check out the art school. Why are you grinning like that?"
"Like what?" he asked, laying back on the sand.
"Like you just beat AJ out for People's Sexiest Man of The Year."
Brian laughed. "I'm in a good mood. You want some company?"
"Where?"
"New York."
Lis propped herself up on her elbow. "I can handle myself Rok."
"I know you can, but I just thought we could have a little fun. Maybe hit some clubs." he did a little shimmy move.
Lis laughed. "And we wonder why the great Brian Littrell is single." He made a face. "Sorry B, You sure? I don't want to drag you."
"Positive. It would be, like ya know, cool." He said in a valley boy way.
"Okay if you're sure, I'll call and make the reservations when we get back."
Brian shook his head. "Let me do that, I know a really good hotel."
"All righty." Lis smiled and laid back on the sand.
Nick woke up to an unusually silent house. He slid his sweats on and went downstairs to get some juice and maybe catch a swim before it got too late in the day. He was surprised how long he had slept, it was nearly noon. He took his juice from the fridge and went outside to get some air. The sound of laughing coming from the gate made him look over.
Lis walked through the gate, B right behind her. "So like I said, we'll check the place out Monday, and spend the rest of the week..." B stopped seeing Nick standing on the deck. "Hey Nick!"
"Hey guys." Nick smiled, happy to see Brian with Lis.
"Whatcha guys doing up so early?"
"Early? What are you doing up so late?" Lis asked, coming up the stairs.
"Yeah man, what time did you get that lazy butt of yours out of bed?" Brian asked.
"Almost noon." Nick answered sheepishly. He looked at Lis who went inside.
"What's up with you two?"
"Me and Lis? Oh we're going to New York for a week."
A smile crept onto Nick's face, he liked the way Rok had said 'we'. "A week huh?"
"Yeah, check on the art school then we get the rest of our times to ourselves." He smiled in thought of all the places they could visit.
Nick leaned on the railing, a small feeling of jealousy filling him. Come on Nick, this is what you wanted, he told himself. "Have fun. When you guys leaving?"
"Don't know yet, I have to call and make the arrangements later. You ok if me and Lis go away?"
Nick turned around. "Trust me, I'll be fine. I've got Han here with me."
Lis smiled as Han stumbled into the kitchen. "Hey sis." Lis said, leaning against the counter as Han opened the cupboards.
"Hi." Han said, getting a box of cereal out. She looked at her sister as she sat down, much to her surprise she looked genuinely happy. "What's up?"
Nick walked in then, "Hey you two, me and Brian are going to make lunch." he said taking the box of cereal out of Han's hands.
"Hey! I was eating that." she protested.
"C'mon Han, we can talk outside while they attempt whatever it is they think they can cook."
Brian walked in. "I'm taking exception to that Lis."
"I'm sorry B, but really you guys and cooking, all I've got to say it's a good thing you guys can sing." she said and ran outside before he could come after her.
Han laughed and followed her sister outside. "Good one Lis." she said, shutting the patio door.
"Thanks. I gotta tell you something."
"OK, something wrong?" Han asked, standing next to her sister.
Lis shook her head, "No, just the opposite really. I'm going to New York."
"What?"
"I never told you before, but I got accepted into art school in New York and I'm going to go check it out. Brian's going with me."
Han turned to her sister. "You're moving to New York with B?"
Lis laughed. "Heck no! I'm just going to take a look around and see if I like it there and if I do, come fall I'll be a New Yorker. And B won't be going with me."
"Wow, you in New York, and Nick here...that would have been a strange arrangement." Han said out loud then looked at Lis. "Oh shit! Lis I'm sorry."
Lis nodded and went to sit on the deck stairs. "It's ok Han...the funny thing is that's what we were arguing about that night. He wanted to come with me, get us an apartment somewhere near the school, I told him he didn't need to, his life is out of Orlando not New York, but he said his life was where I was."
Nick stood in the doorway, tray of drinks in hand, eavesdropping on the conversation. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Quickly he turned and went inside before anyone knew he had heard.
"You ok Nick?" Rok asked, seeing him set the drinks on the table.
"Yeah I uh I'm going to change be down in a few." Nick said quickly going up to his room. Suddenly his mind was filled with images...
~Flashback~
"That's great Lissy, New York! Although there's snow but I mean we can deal with snow." Nick said, rereading her acceptance letter again.
"You don't have to come Nick." Lis said, sitting beside him on the couch.
"I'm gonna let you go there alone? All those art guys hitting on you, 24/7 without me around? Nope sorry, I go where you go." he said with a smile, handing her back her letter.
"Nick you can't move to New York, you know it better than I do." She said, getting off the couch.
"And I say I can." He said, watching her walk into the kitchen. "Lissy, my life is with you, you move I move."
"Nick, c'mon get real. It's 10 months, I think we can do ten months away from each other."
Nick leaned against he doorway. "Do you not want me to go? Is that it?"
"Why wouldn't I want you there?"
"That's what I'm wondering, something going on Lis?"
"Nothing! It's just you guys are going into the studio soon and then probably a tour and it's not going to matter if I'm here or in New York because you'll be on the road."
He shook his head. "It does matter where you are. Look I'm coming to New York with you, we'll get a nice apartment near the school. In the day you go to school, I can do something and at night we'll think of things to do together." he said wrapping his arms around her waist.
Lis shook her head. "See, there's nothing for you to do there in the day. Please, just do this my way. It's only a year Nick, we can deal. You can come visit."
"Visit but not live." Nick said walking away from her.
She watched him go upstairs to their room. "I'm trying to think of what's best Nick." she said, following him.
He turned around. "What's best? For who Lis, you, or us? Because I don't know if we can make it through this."
Lis felt her heart stop. "What do you mean Nick?"
He stopped and faced her. "I mean Lis, everything you're saying is telling me you don't want me there. And I wanna know why."
"Why wouldn't I want you there?"
"That's what I want to know!" he yelled. "When you figure this out for both of us, let me know." he said, grabbing his jacket.
"Nick, I don't have to go."
He shook his head. "And then you'd resent me for the rest of our lives."
"I wouldn't."
"You would. Don't you resent the fact I spend half my time in the studio or on tour or doing promotional work?"
"No! That's what you do, I knew that when we got together."
"Not one piece of you wishes I was just another college student?" He asked, his eyes staring at her.
He watched as she looked away. "See! I knew it, maybe we're taking this too fast...maybe we're not as right for each other as we think." he said, running down the stairs.
"What are you saying?" Lis yelled.
"Maybe this, us isn't working anymore."
Lis' eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, maybe we don't really love each other, we just think we do." he yelled.
~~End Flashback~~
Nick laid on his bed, trying to figure out the reason behind the fight. Something else had to be wrong, he thought, he was probably right when he said they weren't really in love. He rolled over and sighed, wishing his first memory hadn't been that one.
