Mr. and Mrs. Carter: Anywhere for You

Chapter 21

April 21, 1999 Key West, Florida
LILI'S POV
I had called Kevin to tell him that I was alive. I chuckled remembering the conversation. I had quickly checked in to a hotel in Key West and took a shower and changed my clothes before meeting Nick.

My flight had landed an hour early, so I went into the hotel that was close to beach house Nick had booked. After my hair had dried, I put it into a loose pretty fishtail. I pulled some curls out.

Satisfied, I checked out of the hotel and went to the beach house. I looked at it. It was so pretty. It was two story and had lovely views of the ocean that was right behind me. I wonder if the house had to be rebuilt due to hurricanes, which were a huge problem here in Florida.

They didn't affect Orlando or Tampa too much, but here in Key West, I'm sure they did. I walked up to the door. There was a little box with numbers to punch in a code. Nick didn't tell me the code, since he would be here before me. I took a deep breath, and I knocked on the door. My heart was beating so fast. I wonder what the house looks like inside. It's already gorgeous from the outside. And the ocean smell is really-

The door opens to reveal a nineteen year old Nick Carter.

Woah.

I gazed at his face, and he did the same to me.

For a moment, we quietly stood looking at each other. I was wearing the outfit Devon put together for me. Nick was wearing black skinny jeans, and belt, and his blue shirt matched his eyes so well and was tucked in. His hair was swept back with a little bit of gel, but it still looked like it was parted in the middle somehow.

But his face.

Nick had always been handsome, but he just seemed to get better with age.

The last time I saw Nick, he was seventeen. He had also grown taller. Now, at nineteen and six foot three, Nick's face had matured a lot. He didn't look like a child anymore. He had the face of an angel.

"Lili." he said, smiling. I broke into a smile and we hugged each other so tightly, I could barely breathe. But that was fine. Nick was more important than air.

When we parted, he lowered his mouth to mine, and we kissed for a long time. I pulled back. He smiled at me and pushed away a stand of hair.

"I missed you." he said. His blue eyes were bright.

"Me too Nick." I put a hand on his cheek. We kissed again and we strolled along the beach, filling each other on the past events of the past year and a half, before sitting down on a blanket on the sand, in front of the ocean.

"Kevin nearly got arrested?" I chuckled. I could not imagine that. But Nick nodded.

"Yeah, we were at this club in Germany and he went to the bathroom and this guy kept calling him AJ and he got pissed and started choking him."

Damn.

"I didn't know Kevin had a temper."

Nick tiled his head. "Well, only if he's really mad. Usually he's calm. But I guess that really pissed him off."

"Yeah." For a moment, we're silent. I want to tell Nick so badly about what happened with Steve. But I couldn't. Nick would insist going to the police. He wouldn't understand that someone was always there. He hadn't grown up in the world of mafia like I had. And I didn't want to put him in danger. So I wisely kept my mouth shut. I was on Nick's lap, and he kissed my head. The beach was calm and pretty.

He showed me his tattoos, which made him even sexier. My favorite was the tribal band he had around his arm.

"So how was it, filming in Japan?" he asked, looking down at me. Even at five nine, Nick made me feel petite.