Angus was coming back! Or, more like I was going back to him! Either way! It was early February when Malcolm got the call.

"Hannah, you'd better start packing again," Malcolm told me with a smile.

"They worked it out?"

"Better go see then, huh?" I packed my stuff calming down a little. When did I get so excited about him? I hadn't even been away for that long, and the houses weren't that far apart. Heck, I could have sneaked out!

I was ecstatic that they made up. I prefer not to know how, but it happened all the same. And the tour was coming up. Next month, we were flying to South America. Then eventually Asia and back to Europe, where it all started for me.

And even better! That feeling I got on Christmas Eve? I never got it again for a long while! It was a close call countless times, but I never left. The one thing I was nervous about was telling Angus about it. I still hadn't told him and he needed to know. Not on the first day though, we were just getting reunited. I didn't want us stressing over something again, we needed a break. The tour would be stressful enough.

I guess I was also worried about Ellen. I needed to reconcile with her. She and Angus made up, but what about me? And it took them months, it could take us a whole year!

It then dawned on me how long I'd been gone. Not just away from Angus but from 2024. I know time-my time-stopped when I left but for me I'd been away since October. And with the way I'd been feeling, I wasn't leaving anytime soon. Maybe I'd stay forever. Then Ellen and I would have plenty of time to become friends again.

But would I want to stay forever? I feel-I felt if Angus weren't married, if we still had our strong friendship and our feelings weren't so frowned upon, I probably wouldn't mind. Then again, my family, friends, I'd never see them again. Lord knows how their lives would turn out. And I strongly think, that no matter the circumstances here, I'll find my way home.

I was still packing completely unaware of my surroundings when a pair of arms hugged my waist from behind. I was held tight and couldn't turn around. But I looked down and saw Angus' shoes on what I assumed were his feet. "Hi," he whispered in my ear.

"What are you doing here?"

"We're picking you up."

"We're?"

"Malcolm and me."

"Oh, I thought-"

"Nah, she stayed at home."

"Oh." Guess she didn't want to see me just yet.

"She said she's willing to talk to you, but a small headache kept her home," Angus explained. So I felt a little better. "I missed you," he whispered tightening his hold.

"Can I please turn around?"

"What, don't like a little mystery?" I could hear his smirk.

"I know it's you already."

"Ah, but you can't see me, you can only hear." He nuzzled his nose on my cheek. "And feel."

"Still, I like being able to see you, I haven't in forever." He turned me around pulling me in just as close.

"Now you know how I feel when you go home."

"I feel the same way every time that happens. But this time I felt, different. Like I was here, I was near you, but I still couldn't be with you."

"I should have snuck over here one night to see you. Ain't that far."

"But that's what got us in trouble in the first place. You guys made up right?"

"Yeah, yeah a few days ago. Had a few days to ourselves, decided you'd been away quite a bit, and we both wanted you back to be right honest."

"You did?"

"Yeah, Ellen misses you. Or she misses picking on me with you. Either way."

"Not as much fun by yourself." Angus smiled at me gently. He rubbed my back a bit and cocked his head. His eyes slowly closed and before our lips connected I stopped him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Just kidding," he smiled. I gave a suspicious smile in return.

That smile knew something. That was just a cover up, an excuse. Angus was not kidding. He had meant to kiss her again. It wasn't like he forgot he wasn't supposed to, he just- He knew he wasn't supposed to, he knew it was the cause of all this, he knew she wouldn't let him. So why did he bother trying? Maybe he still had some sort of hope. Hope that the past was behind them. Hope that she wouldn't cut him short. But Hannah wasn't so easily fooled.
That smile knew everything.