Chapter 40

I smiled as I saw Nick leaning on his car crossing his arms. He had the biggest smile I have ever seen.

"Hi!" I said excitedly and slid into his arms.

"Happy Birthday." He gave me a kiss and opened the passenger seat door. "Let's go a lot of stuff to do today." I got in the car and saw a CD case sitting on the seat, I picked it up and smiled at Nick.

"What's this?" I opened it.

"I made it a couple days ago, put it in."

"Oh I love this song!" I turned up Paper Gangster by Lady Gaga and began to sing.

"Yeah, I know you never stop singing this song." I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So where we going Romeo?" He placed his hand in mine.

"I spent all this time making this day a surprise, you think I'm going to tell you now?" He handed me a blindfold.

"Yeah right Nick!" I looked at him.

"It will be more fun if you put it on." He pushed the blindfold towards me.

"Fine." I tied it around my eyes. "I must say though this is a little creepy."

"Don't worry I'm only driving you to a creepy town where no one lives and no one will ever know where you are." He grabbed my leg. "Just don't panic!"

"Stop!" I laughed and smacked his hand. "You're so weird."
We drove for about 20 more minutes when the car came to a stop. Nick opened my door and helped me walk since I still had to keep the blindfold on.

"Alright!" He untied the blindfold and we were standing in a public ice rink, no one else was there. "Here is your first gift." He handed me a box and I immediately opened it.

"Ice skates with pink laces, how cute!" I took them out of the box. "You don't expect me to skate do you, you know how bad my balance is."

"Sit." He pushed my hips down on the bench and helped me put the skates on, after he finished he quickly put his on, grabbed my hand and helped me up. "Ready?"

"Not really." I wobbled a little bit then balanced myself using Nick's arms. "I'm embarrassed." I smiled.

"Why?" He walked me towards the ice.

"Because the last time I ice skated was when I was 12 and Johnny knocked me down by accident and I broke my nose, so I haven't skated since." He stepped on the ice and turned to grab my hands.

"You will be fine, I'm here." He winked.

"Okay." I slowly put one skate on the ice then the other. "Oh this isn't so bad." I spoke too soon as my ass landed right on the ice. "Dammit!"

"Give me your hands." Nick said while cracking up. "Just try not to fall this time."

"Don't jinx me, I just wasn't ready." I skated a little more and finally got my balance. "See I don't need your help!" He skated in a circle around me.

"Oh yeah?" He gave me a little push and I fell like he was knocking over a little kids building blocks. "Shit! I didn't know you would fall so easily."

"What you expect, Tanya Harding?!" I got up and he covered his shins with his hands.

"Just don't hit me, I need these!" I laughed and skated towards him.

"I wouldn't never think of it! you are too cute mister." I squeezed his cheeks together with my hands.

"Alright, alright." He pulled my hands off. "What are you grandma?"

"No you just so cute! A girl can't help herself!"

"Fine, Grandma." He grabbed my hands and pulled me along. He skated backwards ready to catch me if I were to fall. We skated around for a half hour barely saying anything but it was so much fun. He shook me ever once in a while almost making me fall. Once he did make me fall I took him down with me.

"The captain goes down with it's ship bitch!" I grabbed his shirt still laying on the ice.

"Yeah okay! what ever happen to save yourself." He grabbed the bottom of my skates and started dragging me around.

"Nick! I'm getting all wet!" I turned to lay on my stomach.

"Get up then." He laughed and kept skating.

"I can't!" I tried to get up but I was afraid I might accidentally kick him. "AHHH!!!"

"Okay baby." He picked me up and I smacked his chest. "Hey now!"

"Asshole." I smiled and pushed him.

"Fine, lets go to the next place." He helped me skate off the ice.

"What's next?" I sat on the bench and put my skate between his legs as he untied them for me.

"Stop trying to ruin the surprise!" He laughed and I switched out my skates.

"Sorry, I'm curious." He pushed my foot down and began to untie his.

"Let's go." He smiled and grabbed my hand and once again I had to put the blindfold on. This time it was a longer drive, I would say it took about 45 minutes. "Alright ready?"

"As ready as I can be." I heard him put the car in park and get out. He opened my door grabbed my hands and walked me into another building. "Are there dogs in here?" I asked hearing a bunch of barking.

"Take the blindfold off." I quickly took it off and saw Nick standing with a small German Shepard puppy. I loved German Shepard's and wanted one my whole life.

"Oh my god Nick! Is he mine?!" I walked over and petted his fluffy head.

"I was thinking ours, like our first dog together." He smiled and handed the puppy to me.

"He is so friggen cute! are you sure? I thought you didn't want a dog and he is defiantly going to get big." I lifted him up and looked at his belly. "Yeah he is going to get huge because he is a boy."

"So, this will be fun and you love German Shepard's so much it's worth it."

"Aww, Nick your so great!" I walked over and gave him a kiss, still holding the dog. "When can we take him home?"

"Today, I already got everything we need, it's at Ovie's house so you wouldn't see it." I could tell he was proud of himself. "But he also needs a name." I held him up again looking at his face. I looked at him for about a minute and looked at Nick.

"Rex?" I tucked him under my arm.

"I think it fits him." Nick walked over to the desk to get a packed and some tips. We headed to the car and I held Rex the whole time. I was so excited, but realized it was bitter sweet when I thought about school. I shook the thought out of my mind so I could enjoy this day.

"Nick, thank you so much." I leaned over and gave him a kiss. "This is better then anything you could of got me, most girls want jewelry, I want a puppy."

"Well, this is gonna be tough but I thought we could do this together, it will be a great experience, I mean...." I cut Nick off

"Nick, Nick pull over he is pissing all over my lap!!" Nick swerved to the side and I hopped out and of course when I put Rex on the ground he was already done. "Ewww."

"This is great." Nick said in mid laughter. "Welcome to the family!"

"Shut up Nick!" I couldn't help but laugh even though I felt so gross. "Can we stop home so I can change?"

"No I'm going to make you walk around in those pants the rest of the day." He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever!" I picked up Rex and put him back in the car. "Petal to the floor kid, this is nasty."

"I'm going." He grabbed my hand and kissed it. "This is just the beginning of the day though, I hope you know that."

Chapter 39

"Alright." I slowly lifted myself off the couch. "I'm gonna head over to Nick's." Josh looked over at me.
"With what car?" He smiled.

"Oh shoot, I really need to get a car." I sat back down. "I will just wait until his game is over than, can you put it on? I want to see the score."

"Way ahead of you." He already had the remote flipping through the channels. "Maybe we shouldn't put it on."

"Why?" I glanced at the screen, noticing the Caps were losing. "Oh that's not good."

"Eh it's the third period, I'm sure we can't do much harm." I didn't say anything, I just looked at Josh and laughed. The final seconds ticked down and the Caps left the ice after the defeat. We watched for a little longer. Nick all of a sudden appeared on the TV ready to give an interview. I sat up a little bit excited to listen. I was usually at the games so I had never seen him give an interview.

"So Nicklas." The interviewers started their questions. "You guys looked a little slow out there tonight, anything you could of changed?"

"Um yeah, we were tired, um, we gave up in the third and we can't do that, um and yeah I think we just need to be stronger in the third." I looked at Josh and laughed.

"I think hockey players favorite words to use in a interview are um and yeah." he smiled.

"Um, yeah I think your right." He laughed.
The interview continued for about 5 minutes, Nick said um and yeah about 20 more times. I grabbed something to drink and waited for him to call.

"So." Josh looked at me. "Are you living there now? you never sleep here anymore."

"I think, I don't know, he asked me to move in with him but I didn't give him a straight answer."

"Why is that?"

"This whole thing with coming to DC. and staying out here was temporary, I was never planning on staying here." I looked at my phone, no call.

"So you do want to go back home?"

"I want to go to CSU, badly."

"Then go." Josh said bluntly and firmly.

"It's not that easy, what about Nick?" I shot back.

"What about him, I know you love him but you need to put yourself first right now." My phone started to ring which to my delight cut off the conversation I hated.

"Hey babe, nice game."

"Don't lie." he sounded a little down.

"You will get em' next time!" I tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah I hope, where are you?"

"I'm at Josh's now, will it be to much to ask for you to pick me up?"

"Of course not, I will be there in like a half an hour, and also we don't have to leave till Thursday so I can spend tomorrow with you for your birthday."

"Okay sounds good."

"Alright see you soon."

"Bye." I hung up and walked up stairs to grab some more clothes to take over Nick's. I looked at Josh and he seemed a little aggravated. "Are you mad at me?"

"A little bit." He said under his breath.

"Why?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Because I can't make a decision?"

"No Kat!" He stood up. "You worked so hard for all of this, gone through so much and you going to throw it away for a guy again, you let men run your life."

"What happened to you being understanding and letting me make my own decisions."

"Yeah well if you stay here I think you are making the wrong decision."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"You think this is a joke?" I looked at him and wish he would just stop talking. "What are you going to do if you and Nick break up, you are going to have to live with yourself knowing you didn't take advantage of this."

"Josh!" I yelled. "Just stop! I can't choose right now it's too hard, honestly I don't know what to do. I have only known 3 days that I got accepted I need at least a week to decide what I'm going to do, seriously can you guys let me breath!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry." He hung his head. "We all just want what's best for you."

"I know." I gave him a hug. "But all this added pressure is not helping me decide." I turned my head as a horn beeped. "That's Nick."

"Alright, I will see you friday." I gave him another hug.

"Probably before that, I'm going to the hospital tomorrow."

"Okay, see you then." I grabbed my clothes and headed to the door.

"Bye Josh."

"C-ya."
I walked to Nick's car and got in. I threw my clothes in the back and leaned over to give Nick a kiss. His hair was all wet, which I loved.

"Did you want to do anything tonight?" He rubbed the back of my neck.

"It's up to you, you are the one that just had a hockey game."

"Mind if we just go home, I might fall asleep, I'm really tired."

"Yeah that's fine." I smiled as he headed down the street to his place. Once we got into the apartment Nick and I quickly put on some pj's and laid in bed. I was laying on my stomach, holding myself up by my elbows gently running my fingers through his hair. He quickly fell asleep, as I laid wide awake thinking of what I should do. It took me about three hours to fall asleep. Once I did I was out.

"Oh my god." I said to myself, waking up to the loudest alarm I have ever heard. I never set the alarm so it had to be Nick. I focused my eyes and realized it said 7:00. "Too early Nick!" I moved my arm on the other half of the bed to push Nick but he wasn't there. I rolled around smushing my face on a piece of paper. I sat up and saw lilies laying on the pillow, I picked up the note and read it.

"Good morning sunshine, I set the alarm early because I have a ton of stuff planned for today, call me when your ready, happy birthday, I love you." I smiled and stood up on the bed flipping through my phone seeing all the happy birthday messages. I listen to a couple voice mails, mostly from my family and my mom telling me to call her. "Ew 20, I'm two decades old." I said to myself and headed to the bathroom. I was ready in about an hour and called my mom before I called Nick.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Kate, happy birthday to you!" My mom always sang happy birthday to me.

"Thanks mom!" I laughed.

"I can't believe my baby girl is 20!" she let out a deep breath. "Wow I'm old"

"Oh don't start this!"

"Oh here they come." She started sniffling. "Here talk to your dad."

"Hey dad!" I was so happy, I just wanted to forget everything and enjoy this day.

"Hi sweetheart happy birthday, what you got planned today?"

"I don't know, Nick has something up his sleeve but he is keeping me in the dark."

"Alright well have fun, be careful and call us tonight, maybe we can do dinner again."

"Will do, love you."

"Love you too, bye."

"Bye." I ran to the living room and saw a new box of corn pops, my favorite." I poured myself a bowl and called Nick.

"Happy Birthday!" He screamed into the phone.

"Thanks, where are you, I was hoping I would wake up to you on my birthday."

"Hey I'm a busy man today, your going to have so much fun, you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Well get your ass down here and lets go."

"You are outside?"

"Yes, hurry up." I grabbed my coat and rushed downstairs, I was so excited.