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.