Nick woke up to the sound of the phone ringing, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before he rolled over and picked it up. He knew exactly who it would be, only one person had the number. "What is it AC?" he asked tiredly.
"Sorry Nick you asleep?" Aaron asked, sitting on his bed.
Nick felt his heart stop. "Is she okay?" He knew she was staying in LA for awhile. She didn't want to deal with everyone back in Tampa either.
Aaron glanced across the hall where Lis was talking on her cell phone.
"She's fine...baby's great. She's starting to show so her and BJ and Shan went out and bought her a whole new wardrobe."
Nick sighed. "That's great AC. She happy?"
"Lis is well...Lis is doing okay that way." Aaron started fiddling with the blanket on his bed.
"She's unhappy..." Nick stated, knowing she was probably as miserable as he was. "AC, I want you to do something, call Brian and tell him where she is. Get him to take her back to Florida, but let him tell her he found her on his own."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"No, she should be with her family and friends."
"Nick, she can't stand being around your things she breaks out crying. Every night she cries herself to sleep..."
Nick groaned. "She's staying in our room isn't she?" He knew how hard it would be for her there. They had each left things there so they wouldn't have to haul them back and forth between Tampa and LA. His favorite jersey was in that closet and instinctively he knew she'd be sleeping in it.
"Yeah..." he watched as Lis walked across the hallway.
"Hey Aaron, did you want to go out with me later? I'm getting an ice cream craving." she smiled at him.
Nick heard her voice through the phone, wishing he was the one she was telling that to. "Go with her AC." he said softly.
Aaron nodded. "Give me ten? I gotta change and finish up with my pal."
"Sure, I have to change too." she walked back into the guest room and shut the door behind her.
"I all ready know what your going to say Nick." Aaron said quietly.
"Good, then just do it. Call Brian today."
~~ 2 Days Later ~~
Lis walked out onto the patio and stared in shock at Brian who was sitting there. "What..." she trailed off.
He stood up. "I figured maybe you'd be here." he walked over and gave her a hug. "We all want you to come back to Florida." he said, leading her over to the chairs.
"No B, I'm happy here."
"Without Han and your parents around you? And your friends?"
Lis sighed. "Brian, everything in Florida reminds me what I've done."
"What did you do that was so wrong?" he asked, sitting down next to her. "You protected him, that's all you ever did. Jane protected him at the start."
Lis looked out at the yard and watched one of the dogs run around. "I should have told him B, at least about the baby. When he gets his memory back he'll think I betrayed him." Tears ran down her face and Bri reached over and wiped them away.
"When Nick left he left us all something, and I think you should read it."
"I don't want to read anything." She turned and looked at him. "How'd you find me?"
He took a deep breath, "Did a little checking, not that hard to find you when you used your credit cards to buy the plane tickets."
"Bri, I don't think I can go back there." she said softly.
"No one's angry at you honey. Me yes, you no."
She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "Why can't Nick come home B? Why can't everything go back to the way it was?" she asked.
Brian sighed. "I don't know, but I wish he could come home too." he replied, glancing at Aaron who was watching from the doorway.
Shan sat in the restaurant and waited for Lis to show up. It had been almost a week since she had moved out of her apartment to stay at the Carter house, Shan couldn't understand why Lis did that if she was trying
to avoid things but she had given up trying to understand her friend years ago. She waved as she saw Lis walk in.
"Hi Shan, sorry I'm late." Lis said, sitting down.
"It's okay, I've only been here a few minutes. So why are we out for dinner all of a sudden."
Lis picked up her menu and opened it. "Brian showed up today."
Shan smiled. "Bri's here? Is he going to join us for lunch?"
"No, he's back at his hotel." Lis explained. "He came to bring me back to Florida."
Shan sighed. "And you don't want to go?"
"I don't, how stupid is that?" Lis laughed softly. "My entire life is in Florida and I don't care anymore."
"Lis you know exactly why you don't want to go back there, the last time you were there Nick was under the same roof with you...you thought you two had a chance still."
"That's a blunt way of putting it."
"Sorry but it's the truth." Shan said honestly.
Lis sat there.. "Brian said Nick left some sort of a letter for all of us. He didn't bring it though."
"Then at least go there to read it, you can always fly back here. You're over 18 Lis, they can't hold you against your will." Shan said trying to lighten the mood.
"You're right."
"Wait, say that again and please speak clearly into the microphone."
"Ha ha ha."
"Listen, I'll even go with you how's that sound? School's over, and honestly Cali isn't what I thought it would be when I moved here three years ago."
"Shan, you don't have to do that...but if you came with, that would be really nice of you." Lis looked at her friend.
"Yay so we're going to Florida!" Shan said smiling. "Now let's order, because I'm starving."
"When aren't you?" Lis teased, feeling a bit like her old self. They ordered and spent the rest of the evening talking about themselves in high school and their old friends.
