Flight To Paradise
Flight To Paradise
Sequel to Special Delivery
©1999-2000
By Sarah
Chapter 22

    "I don't want you to leave."
    Sarah managed a small smile and shook her head.  "I don't want to leave either."
    Brian reached up and wiped away her tears, and Sarah touched his face lightly as a few tears started falling slowly.  She wiped them away gently and reached back up as he felt them start to fall faster.
    "Don't," he said quietly, taking her hand.  He squeezed it and kissed it lightly.  "Let them fall, they will once you're gone anyway."
    "Don't cry while I'm gone, just try to stay as happy as possible.  You deserve that much.  We'll talk a lot, we'll be together again some day, and we'll never loose touch, deal?"
    Brian nodded.  "Deal.  I love you."
    "I love you too, and I always will," Sarah replied, kissing him.
    Brian didn't break the kiss, trying to make it last as long as possible.  There was no way that he wanted to let her go, she was practically everything to him, she was so important.  He loved her more than he thought he could
ever love anyone.
    "Please don't make me lose you," Brian whispered as she broke away from him.
    "Don't make this harder than it already is.  I love you so much, I don't want to leave you, but I have to, I shouldn't have had you come, this is so hard," Sarah said, breaking down into tears again.
    Brian held her close as she cried, burying his face in her hair and crying also.  He barely realized people were around them; she had suggested that they say goodbye at home or outside so he wouldn't be recognized, but he
refused.  He said that if he couldn't make it all public, it was useless to love her.  He did what she asked and wore a hat and sunglasses, but already it proved to be useless.  He'd been asked twice for an autograph, but they both promised to not say anything.  Hopefully, they would remember their promises.
    "Flight 1624 to Newark International Airport now boarding at gate 7, first class to board first, thank you."
    "Sarah, come on, honey, that's our flight," Debbie said.
    Brian looked up at Sarah's mother and saw her sympathetic look.  When they'd met the day before, she was a very nice, funny woman.  She was slightly protective of her daughter, but said she wasn't going to stand in their way.  She just wanted her daughter to be happy.  Sarah had told him later that her mother had said that she liked Brian a lot because he was so funny and sweet, and she wouldn't mind if he came to visit.  Brian would love that, if he only could.
    "Sarah, honey, come on," Debbie said again, resting her hand on Sarah's shoulder.
    Sarah nodded and pulled her head away from Brian's chest and he lifted her chin, looking in her eyes.
    "Don't you ever forget me, don't you ever stop loving me," he whispered.
    Sarah shook her head.  "I never could, you have my heart, you have my love, you have me.  There's no way I could ever forget about the one that has me, not now, not ever."
    Brian somehow smiled and kissed her again, putting all his love in the last kiss that they would share for a long time.  He broke away from her and kissed her forehead and pushed her away, watching as her mother practically
had to drag her to the platform and through the hall.  He waited until she disappeared, then watched as her plane took off.  When it was out of his sight, he turned away from the window, tears still streaming down his face.  He started to leave and bumped into someone.
    "Oh, sorry," Brian said, wiping away his tears and trying to keep his head low.
    "That's ok, my fault... wait a second, Brian?"
    Brian glanced up.  "Uh, hi Leighanne," he said.
    "What are you doing here?  What's wrong?"  She asked, raising her hand to his face to wipe away a tear.
    Brian jerked his face away from her hand and wiped it away himself.  "I was saying goodbye to someone, nothing's wrong.  What are you doing here?"  He asked.
    "I just got in from California, for a screen test.  My gate was somewhere over there, but you know me, I get lost in airports," Leighanne said, smiling and tossing her honey blonde hair over her shoulder.
    "Oh.  Well, I'll see you later," Brian said, starting to walk away from her, lowering his head again as more tears started to fall.
    "Wait," Leighanne said, grabbing his arm.  Brian turned his head and looked at Leighanne's smiling face, trying hard to hold back his tears.  "Walk me out?"  She asked, smiling.
    Brian nodded and turned back around, waiting.  He started walking and saw Leighanne walking next to him out of the corner of his eye.
    "So who were you saying goodbye to?"  Leighanne asked as they walked.  Brian never looked up from the ground, not only to keep from being recognized, but also to keep from having to look at Leighanne or anyone while he cried.
    "A good friend of mine," Brian said after hesitating a few moments.  He wasn't too sure if he wanted to tell Leighanne that he had a girlfriend.  He didn't want to tell anyone really, not unless she was always with him.
    "A girl?"  Leighanne asked, trying to act disinterested.
    "Yeah."
    "Have I ever met her?"
    "No, only the guys and my mom have, no one else really knows her."
    Brian caught a surprised look on Leighanne's face, but it disappeared quickly and she just nodded.  They reached the entrance of the airport and Brian started walking to his car, leaving Leighanne.
    "Hey, Bri, do you mind if I hitch a ride?  It'll save on cab fare," Leighanne said, hurrying over to him and stopping him.
    Brian thought for a second, then looked at his watch.  It was already nearly twelve-thirty, it was technically morning already.  "Depends, where do you have to go?"  He asked, finally looking up at her.
    "The Hilton in Orlando.  Do you mind?"  Leighanne asked again.
    Brian sighed, he wasn't tired anyway, so he might as well.  "Sure, come on," he said, turning back around and walking.  He led Leighanne to his car and drove in silence to the hotel, half-listening while Leighanne chattered
on about practically nothing.  He pulled up to the front of the hotel and hit the unlock button for the doors, waiting.
    "Thanks, Brian, saved me a bundle," Leighanne said, but she didn't make any move to leave.  She reached over and gently touched Brian's cheek, drying the lone tear.  "You know, Brian, its not like I'm going to yell at you for anything anymore, you can talk to me.  You know the number, call at any time," she said.
    Brian simply looked away, looking out the window and feeling the tears come back.  He heard Leighanne finally get out and he drove away, going to the beach rather than his house.  He sat on a sand dune and looked out in the ocean.
    "She's gone," he said to himself.  He let the tears he was holding back the entire ride home go, barely acknowledging them as they streamed down his face.
    "She's gone."

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