Brian was practically running through the airport to catch his flight. After Noelle had left his hotel room that morning, he hadn't wanted to move. The woman that he loved was so completely unobtainable that he literally felt like death. The fact that he was about to break the heart of the woman that loved him, well, that didn't feel any better.

When his alarm began to go off telling him that it was time to leave, he kept hitting snooze over and again. It wasn't like he was asleep. There was no way he would have been able to fall asleep alone after Noelle had been sleeping in his arms just moments before. He knew that he sounded like a complete wuss, but he didn't care. Besides, the only one he'd actually expressed these things to were himself and God and at this point, he didn't think that he could do much more to piss God off.

When he had finally arrived at the airport, the smell of alcohol was still seeping through his pores. To add torture to torment, he'd had to take a field sobriety test to prove that he was okay to be on a plane, which was more than just slightly embarrassing. He didn't even get why it mattered. They served alcohol on the flights, right? And it wasn't like he was actually flying the plane, but whatever.

He arrived to the gate just in time to catch his flight. The flight attendants had just made their last call and were about to close the airplane door. Luckily, the airline representatives checked him in quickly and still let him board. As he sat down in his plush, first-class seat, he didn't even know why he'd cared so much to catch that particular flight. It's not like he was in a rush to get home or anything. In fact, when he did get home, he was staying in a hotel for a night so that he could be well-rested and clear-minded before meeting with Leighanne the next day to give her the bad news. When Brian was tired, he could be talked into just about anything and he knew it.

From five rows back, Noelle felt like she was going to throw up... again. She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Did Brian Littrell really just get on the same plane that she was on? She knew that she had a layover in Atlanta, but seriously? Now, she was sure that the man upstairs was playing tricks on her. It just wasn't fair.

For the entire eight-hour flight, Noelle watched as Brian sighed and shifted. She watched as he tried to get comfortable and as he tried to fall asleep. When he got up to use the bathroom, she hid behind a newspaper like a child. She was surprised that the move even worked and figured that he had to have been distracted by what was coming when he got home. She wanted to get up and sit in the empty seat next to him, but every time she decided that she was doing it, she chickened out. What else was there to say? He poured his heart out to her and she hadn't said anything.

Brian, on the other hand, knew that Noelle was behind him. He wasn't stupid. Maybe he hadn't seen her when he first got on the plane, but Brian knew when someone was staring at him—he dealt with it every day of his life—and hiding behind a newspaper just didn't cut it. She obviously didn't want him to know that she was there, so hell, he for sure wasn't going to go over there and embarrass himself more than he already had. He kept hoping that she would come to him, but he knew better than that. No matter how much she wanted to be closer to him, she was going to sit back there and torture herself through the entire flight. He wasn't going to be the one to take the chance—not this time. He'd already told her how he felt. It was her turn to jump, even if--like Noelle always said--it didn't matter.

When the plane landed, Brian remained seated hoping that Noelle would walk by, which he would assume meant that she wanted him to notice that she was there. When the line to the door cleared and Noelle wasn't at the end of it, he sighed and stood up. Apparently, they'd both said all that they needed to say. Brian grabbed his carry-on out of the storage compartment above his seat. He shook his head when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Noelle was still hiding behind that damned newspaper.

As Noelle watched Brian walk off of the plane ahead of her, part of her panicked. He was going home now to go on with his life without her. She had just missed her chance to tell him how she felt. When it was already too late, a revelation hit her. Maybe it wasn't fair to Brian or to his wife or, hell, to herself, but if she didn't tell him that she loved him how would she ever stand a chance? If he didn't know how she felt, what was going to keep him from trying to make things work with Leighanne even if he knew that he'd be unhappy? Maybe Noelle wouldn't have anything to do with that situation either way, but she finally decided that he needed to know. As she quickly exited the plane and ran through the terminal, hoping to catch a glimpse of the back of his dark-blond head or of the bright blue t-shirt that he was wearing, she kicked herself for not being able to say what she needed to say eight hours earlier. At least then, they could have had a little bit more time.

When she finally saw Brian up ahead, her heart soared inside of her chest. Without thinking, she called out to him, “Brian! Brian, wait!”

Relief washed through Brian when he finally heard Noelle's familiar voice calling his name. He turned around slowly and saw Noelle just as she jumped into his arms. She buried her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“What are you doing here?” Brian questioned. Though he knew that she had been on the flight, it was still a legitimate question; she was supposed to be heading toward the other side of the airport right about now.

“I love you,” Noelle blurted. “I do, I love you so much and I needed you to know that.”

Brian smirked. “So you followed me all the way to Atlanta to tell me that?”

Noelle's cheeks turned pink. She didn't want to have to admit that she'd been afraid of talking to him for the whole flight back from London, but how else could she possibly explain this?

“Well, see,” she started slowly. “I was kind of on that flight that you just got off of, a few rows back from you.”

Brian nodded and then couldn't help it, he started to laugh.

“What are you laughing...?” Noelle asked, then trailed off as the realization hit her. “You knew that I was there the whole time.” She shook her head and then punched him in his shoulder. “I thought that you said that you loved me? Why the hell didn't you come and talk to me?”

Brian continued to laugh as he rubbed his shoulder. “I do, but if you remember correctly, you didn't tell me that you loved me until about 30 seconds ago. You were hiding from me the entire time. Did you really think that I needed to go to the bathroom about 13 times during an eight-hour flight?”

Noelle shrugged. “I don't know. You were kind of drinking a lot of water.”

“You're unbelievable.” He wrapped his arms back around her and kissed her softly, not caring who was around to see it. “By the way, I love you, too.”

Noelle smiled when he said the words. She knew that they were both going their separate ways, but maybe they could work something out, maybe it did actually matter. “So, what does all of this mean? Do we still walk away from it all?”

“I never wanted to walk away from you,” Brian replied. “I know that it's going to be tough being with me. There's going to be criticism and everything else to go along with it, but I want to try. I want to be with you, only you.”

“Well, that's a little bit impossible now, isn't it?” Noelle replied as she grabbed Brian's hand and pulled him toward a small sitting area behind them so that they could get out of the heavy flow of people making their way through the terminal.

“It doesn't have to be,” Brian replied.

“What do you mean?” Noelle asked. “How?”

Brian shrugged. He'd been thinking of ways that they could make it work, but Noelle had been so adamant about it not working out, that he'd kept it all to himself. “I'm going home tomorrow to talk to Leighanne.”

“Tomorrow?” Noelle interrupted. “You live here, don't you?”

Brian laughed to himself softly. “I don't have it in me tonight. If you didn't notice, I didn't sleep a wink on the plane and I'm still trying to work off this hangover.”

Noelle shrugged. “Understandable, go on.”

“Once I have this talk with Leighanne it's over and done, right? You’re looking to get back into school, which you can do from anywhere. Come back on tour with us. You're a part of the family. The guys would love to have you, especially AJ, and we can start fresh.” Brian stopped and let Noelle process what he had just suggested.

“I do want to be with you, Brian,” Noelle replied softly, “but I don't know if I'm ready to be scrutinized by the world. Shouldn't we wait until you're actually divorced?”

Brian took his hand into hers, wanting to get the words right without freaking her out. “Sweetheart, there's going to always be scrutiny when you're dating someone like me to begin with, but we don't have to run around on display. I just want you around in whatever capacity that you're comfortable being around. I don't want to hide the fact that I love you from AJ, or Nick, or Howie. I want you there with me, by my side, on the bus, in the air, in every state that we go to. I can't imagine doing this without you.”

“Brian-” Noelle started as she shook her head. She wasn't saying no, she was just processing everything that he'd suggested. It sounded good in theory.

Brian broke into her thoughts with a smirk. “Do I need to break out the song references?”

“What?” Noelle asked, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

“You know, 'without you I'd be Incomplete.' 'You're One in a Million' and 'everytime you leave I'm Inconsolable.'?” Brian laughed to himself as Noelle rolled her eyes.

“Even after I've had to come 'Crawling Back to You' you still wouldn't want it 'Any Other Way'?” Noelle played along.

Brian laughed again and shook his head, “Baby, you were just telling me 'Something that I Already Know.'”

“Okay, stop it,” Noelle laughed along with Brian and swatted his leg playfully. She looked down and linked her fingers with Brian’s shyly. “So, you're staying in another cold, lonely hotel room tonight?”

Brian gave her hand a squeeze. He grinned and nodded his head. “Dark, cold, and lonely included free of charge.”

“So, what if I were to say, 'I need you tonight,’” Noelle continued Brian's game, smiling flirtatiously.

Brian chuckled softly and shrugged. “I think that I'd say that the 'Trouble Is' that 'Love Will Keep You Up All Night.'”

“That's a risk that I'm willing to take,” Noelle replied as she leaned in and kissed his lips softly. “That is, if you'll have me.”

“I'll have you all right,” Brian replied, wiggling his eyebrows playfully.

Noelle groaned. “Nevermind.”

Brian laughed to himself and stood up. He reached out for her hand and pulled her up with him. “Nothing would make me happier than to have you with me tonight.”

Noelle smiled and shrugged one shoulder casually. “In that case, okay.”

“You do know that your bag is going to be on its way to Florida, right?” Brian chuckled as he wrapped his arm around Noelle's shoulder and guided her toward the airport hotel.

“That's okay. I don't plan on being in these clothes for that long. I'm sure they'll be okay to wear tomorrow.” Noelle joked as she playfully patted Brian's butt.

“Then what the hell are we waiting for? Let's go.”

----

The next morning, Brian and Noelle reluctantly left the hotel airport just in time for Noelle to catch her new flight to Gainesville by way of Tampa. Hand-in-hand, Brian walked Noelle to the security gate and waited with her for as long as he could without causing Noelle to miss her flight. When it was beyond time for Noelle to start making her way to her gate, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. They were only going to be apart for a little over a week, but after the night they'd had the night before and after the amount of time that they'd wasted, Noelle didn't want to have to spend any time away from him. She knew that it was crazy and that she probably couldn't expect this thing with Brian to last forever. How many guys meet the love of their lives the same week that they decide to divorce their wives?

“You're kind of playing with fire, holding me here like this in the middle of the airport, aren't you?” Noelle quipped softly. It wasn't like it was the first time that they'd had such a public display of affection, even though they’d already discussed avoiding such things.

Brian shrugged. “Maybe. And maybe it isn't fair to Leighanne, but I doubt that she'll hear about it before I get home anyway. If she had heard about us, I'd know about it already. Maybe I'm just using you to make my job easier while I'm here.”

Noelle laughed and punched Brian in the shoulder playfully. “You're a jerk.”

“I'm going to have a huge bruise on my arm if you keep punching me in the same spot.” Brian chuckled softly and then kissed Noelle on her lips. “As much as I don't want to say it, you really need to get going.”

Noelle nodded. “I know.”

“I'll see you right here in two weeks? We'll fly to Canada together as planned?” Brian asked and Noelle nodded again.

“I'll be right here,” Noelle replied. She then pulled him closer and kissed him one last time before letting him go and rushing off to catch her plane.

Brian watched Noelle leave until she was out of sight. Then, he turned around slowly. He wasn't exactly ready for what was about to come, especially so soon. When he lifted his head, standing no less than 20 feet from where he and Noelle had just kissed goodbye was Leighanne with a devastated look etched onto her face.

Brian froze. His heart dropped to his knees. He had known that he was about to break her heart, but he didn't mean for it to happen like this. He walked slowly over to her and then stopped. The tears glistening in her eyes broke his heart. When he opened his mouth to speak, Leighanne raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Then, she turned and ran toward the exit.