Katie:

"You what!" Axl's father exclaims. "You're engaged?"

"It's complicated." He sighs, I skim my finger over the arcade ring. It may only be worth 500 arcade tickets, but he gave up seeing his favorite band to get it. I had mentioned it the last time we were at the arcade together that I thought it was pretty. "Kate and I aren't getting married any time soon Dad. Don't worry."

"Do you know how serious this is Axl?" His father bellows. I flinch back Axl wraps his arm around me, but I step away from him. I give him a look that he seems to read. "She's on magazines, do you know what a ring will do?" Mr. Heck stands up. "That was quite a stunt you pulled there son." His father continues. "We already know her parents aren't fans of yours, it doesn't matter that Katie's a welcome part of our family. Her family has to accept you."

"I should go," I tell Axl. "I think you and your family have some things to work out." My high from earlier having worn off and I look to each member of the Heck family, the family I hope to someday call my own.

"No, Katherine," Mrs. Heck says, "Stay, we should all sit and just work this out together, all four of us." Mrs. Heck gives her husband a pointed look, he gives her a look back. "Kids, why don't you both go to your rooms and do your homework." Brick ambles off immediately, "Sue."

"I don't have any homework." She says.

"Sue go to your room." Mr. Heck says. She sulks off toward her room and Mr. Heck heads to the informal dining room and sits down. Mrs. Heck following after. Axl looks at me, his fingers skim the ring on my left hand. He kisses my forehead and takes my hand walking with me to the table to sit with his parents. He sits next to his father, and I sit between him and his mother.

"How did this even become a thing?" Mr. Heck asks. "I know I as sure as h-," Mrs. Heck gives him a look.

"My sister's boyfriend has been stalking me and coming onto me. Axl did it to get him to back off a bit."

"And did it work?" Mrs. Heck asks.

"He did leave the restaurant after I said yes," I tell them. "We also got dinner and dessert free."

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do, tonight

"Excuse me." I stand up and accept the call heading outside for privacy. "This is Katie," I answer knowing it's one of my brothers.

"Katie, are you nuts?"

"Is that an actual question because you already know my answer," I answer. I pull the phone away to check caller ID. John. The level head. "What are you on about?" I ask him. Already having a feeling that I know.

"Have you recently checked YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or any media or social webpage?"

"You know I don't like social media." I tell him, "Social media always blows things out of proportion."

"So you're not engaged to your boyfriend of six months?"

"Not officially, it's fake. For Marco." I tell him. "Axl and I are talking to Mr. and Mrs. Heck to smooth things over with them, then we're going to head to Mother and Father's," I explain. "Probably tomorrow since it's almost ten."

"Watch the YouTube video, you've gone viral, I wouldn't be surprised if you made the front page of every tabloid, magazine, and newspaper."

"Just what I wanted, the girl that lives a backstage life loves the limelight." I joke. "Look, John, I'll explain everything at Mom and Dad's tomorrow, Lunchtime, call in."

"We're all home for break, it's Winter break."

"I should email Jake," I tell myself after John and I hang up. "I have to go pick up everyone, I completely forgot winter break. Do you mind if we stay the night?" I ask looking to Axl's parents. Mrs. Heck agrees and Mr. Heck shortly follows, "Could the animals stay in your yard for the night?"

"They can stay in the house." Mr. Heck says. "It's too cold outside."

Axl and Mrs. Heck both look at him.

"Let's go, Kate before my dad changes his mind." Axl drags me out to his car and the ride is quiet. "Dad doesn't get along with animals, so he must really like you to let your two dogs and cat stay in the house for a night."

"Maybe," I answer pulling up the most popular gossip page and sure enough, new of the engagement is on the main page. I sigh quietly before clicking the link.

"Don't do that Kate," Axl says stopping outside the duplex to get Mr. Clive, Alpha, and Bravo. I make short work of getting them ready to go home for the holidays, which is easy enough since I just have to grab the crate for them to travel in and food for tomorrow. Everything else is already at the house. "We'll take a look when we get back to the house," Axl says picking up my laptop. "But for now, phone." He says he takes my phone and puts it in the door on the driver's side so I can't reach it.

The ride to his parents is silent. We get out and I walk the dogs into the house Mr. Clive ambling in with Axl. Mrs. Heck smiles and greets the dogs who lay happily by the fireplace, away from the TV to Mr. Heck's pleasure.

"Let's get you settled in here," Mrs. Heck says opening the door to the boy's room. "Brick and Axl are going to sleep in the garage, Brick is already there reading, he didn't mind."

"Kate and I have a few things to do, we're going to stay up for a little while longer," Axl tells his parents as they get ready to turn in. His mother nods and they head to bed. He gives me back my phone and opens my laptop logging in his account on it. We sit on the couch and I curl up next to him resting my head on his shoulder and letting him do all the typing. He pulls up an article and video.

"Youngest Winthrop off the Market?" I read the title, "It sounds like I'm an object to be bought." I scowl at the title.

Axl clicks play and the proposal begins playing, it's a crummy video from a phone, but you see Axl on one knee, and the nosy people around us looking to see his proposal.

You've seen it here first folks, Katherine Winthrop is officially off the market, her whirlwind romance of a summer with her unnamed boyfriend. Her sister's boyfriend looks none too pleased as he walks out of the restaurant. A first interview exclusive with Marco Davis

"She doesn't know what she's doing, she's still just a girl," Mr. Davis says, "How could she know, Jennifer and I have been together longer than she and that boyfriend of hers have, how could they be ready if we're not even ready?"

The stakes are high for Miss Winthrop. It appears that her family isn't ready to accept her boyfriend as a new member of her family, not even her possible future brother-in-law is ready.

What does her family think about this stunt for attention? Stay tuned and find out. You heard it here first.

"They just love a good story. They could've at least gotten the facts straight," I laugh sarcastically. "Then, of course, Marco has to go skew the truth farther."

"I think this needs to be stepped back from, let's sleep on it," Axl says. "Come on." He walks me to the door of his room and we stand outside the door talking, "Everything's going to be okay Kate." He pulls me in for a strong hug and presses a reassuring kiss to my head. "I'll do everything to make sure of it."

"I love you," I tell him softly before opening his bedroom door. I get ready for bed before going to the shared bathroom to brush my teeth. I get to the door hearing Axl talking, the door is open, so I know he's not using the restroom.

"Hi," He says. I open my mouth to greet him back thinking he's seen me. "It's uh, me... Axl Heck." He says. I peak my head around the corner and see him staring out the window at the quiet night sky. "I know we don't talk a lot. Or rather, I don't talk to you much or listen. But..." I walk quietly past and brush my teeth in the kitchen. I also wash my face and stare out at the quiet night sky that Axl sees wondering how he sees this yard that he grew up looking at.

"Father God in Heaven," I begin my own prayer staring out into the night. Bravo wanders in and nudges my hand with his hand, Alpha brushes up against my leg. I pick up Alpha and stroke Bravo's head. "This is more than just me. This is something bigger than I can hold. This is something that only you can control. I'm feeling helpless. Would you take this from me? Show me your plan, let me see you in all of this. In the pain and the sorrow, let me know that you are in control. Remind me that you are greater than all my struggles. That you have all my struggles in my hands, and you have a plan. Take this from me, and use it for your will. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen."

I walk silently back to Axl's room and lay down on his bed. Alpha and Bravo both on the floor by the door. Sleep comes easier than I thought it would.

:.:.:.:.:

"What were you thinking Katherine?" My mother asks as she sits horrified at the end of the table across from my father. Around the table, it starts at the head with my father, left to right is Jackson, Jacob (On a laptop), Jameson, Jason, Jeremiah, Jesse, my mother, Jim, Johnathan, Marco (Don't know why he's here), Jennifer, Axl, then myself. Intentionally not letting Axl sit next to Jack, Mother, or Papa.

"Marco has been stalking me," I tell them. "He's been stalking me since the party."

"There are other ways to take care of that kind of problem. Poppet." My father says. "Like what you did with that ex of yours. A restraining order would've been suitable."

"You're just jealous that my boyfriend's parents own the Riz Carlon." Jenny snears. I hold back from rolling my eyes or saying anything.

"Ritz Carlton, sweetheart." My mother corrects gently.

"A restraining order would've made Jenny and Marco break up. I don't want to be responsible for their break up. Jen and I live together, he wouldn't be allowed to see her at the duplex if I filed for a restraining order."

"That is true dear." My mother says to my father from across the long formal dining room table.

"May I say something?" Jacob asks. His voice cutting out every once in a while.

"Of course dear." My mother says.

"I would like to say that even though Katie and Axl have only been dating for a solid six months, that I have never, not ever, seen her this happy. Not with Caden who we all thought she was going to marry, nor with Brandon, not ever. If she and Axl want to get married in the near or distant future, who are we to stand in her way? I'm in no way saying the reason they did it, or the way they did it was right, but that their hearts were in it together, and I can tell. Axl loves her enough to put himself and his own plans for his future aside for her. What more could we want for her? Yeah, his social standing isn't at our own, but that doesn't matter to Katie. Why should it to us? He's not using her. I've heard enough of them arguing over who pays for dates, or where they go to know that it doesn't bother her that he can't pay for the fancy dates, or that he doesn't have the money to pay for extravagant things for her. It was never at the top of her lists anyway. Mom, that was always yours and Jen's list."

"It was always at the bottom." Jack finishes. He looks to Jacob on the screen and nods. "I know I've held off saying anything because Katie, you always think with your heart and not your head. But I know Axl's different. I can see it, now especially," Jack says. He opens his mouth to continue speaking.

The doorbell cuts him off. One of the butlers answers the door and Johnny comes in.

"Sorry to interrupt." Jack stands up to greet his friend and grab a chair for him, I guess it's fair since he's basically part of the family. "I'm not staying, I'm just here to grab James." James exchanges a look with Mother and Papa before being excused. If Johnny is here for James it's only for one reason. Military. James finished his degree early and dove straight into the military, Air Force.

"Is everything okay?" I ask the question no one wants to ask.

"Everything's fine Ladybug," Johnny assures me before walking out of the room with James following shortly after. James presses a soft and affectionate kiss to mother's cheek before placing a reassuring hand to my shoulder. "Your brother will be back within the week." That doesn't reassure me like it was supposed to, but he doesn't have to know that. Both men disappear behind the door of the house and into a dark tented car.

"Axl's earned my approval," Jack says. "Katie's been careful with her heart since she met him. I can tell he's careful with her heart, and that he truly does care for her."

"Have you all gone mad?" Jenny asks her look of shock hiding a sinister grin. "The only reason that they'd get married is if he got her pregnant."

"Why are you doing this Jenny? I'm not pregnant, I'm still a virgin." I ask her keeping my defense up just enough to let her know I'm serious, but not high enough to sound overly defensive.

"That's what you want us to believe."

"I'll have one of my guys bring the security footage from your duplex," Papa says. "Jennifer, I'm going to be going through your security camera footage also."

"What?" Jennifer asks. "There are security cameras at my place?"

"For safety purposes, when you signed the contract to rent the place from us, you agreed to it," Papa says. "Is that a problem?"

"No Sir," Jenny says sounding anything less than convincing. "No Sir."

"Good, girl," Papa says. "What about those nights you spent at Mr. Heck's house or on that road trip?

"Papa," I begin, "Do you trust me?" I ask him.

"I do Poppet, but your boyfriend is still a teenage boy. I've yet to find one that I can trust with my daughter, daughters." He amends immediately before my mother could chastise him.

"Look, I have to go. I have somewhere I have to be," Marco says standing up and walking out without saying goodbye to even Jennifer, I feel bad for her. He's just using her. He spends most nights at the duplex in her living room on the couch. He doesn't even wait to be excused. Not winning any points with Mom or Dad either with an exit like that.

"If I may," Jim says. "Axl respects Katie, and he's loyal to her to a fault. When they were banned from seeing each other, he didn't so much as look at another girl, he stayed cooped up in his house except to work."

"A real woman knows that a man's loyalty and respect aren't an upgrade in a relationship, they're a requirement." John continues.

"What I'm trying to say, Axl's loyalty and respect for Katie are beyond deniability. There's no reason to try to find fault in it."

"Except that there is every reason if her virtue is in question." Mother says. "Just as it's in question of each of you. Even you Jacob." She looks at my brother on the screen his image fading.

"I hate to do this to all of you, but my connection is dying, and I've got buddies who want to talk to their families," Jacob says. "Talk soon." He promises, "Katie, the right thing will come at the right time, not a moment sooner."

"Bye Jakey," I tell him. He rolls his eyes with a smile before saying goodbye to the family and the video cuts off completely.

"Well, I've reserved judgment on you Mr. Heck," My father says, "Until now, I've just been watching how you treat my daughter and how you handle being in the spotlight, though Katie has always been good at avoiding it. You've done excellently to avoid it with her, not trying to use her. I've been told you've even paid back every penny that you've been given." Axl says nothing. "The only thing I will fault you with at the present is not asking first for my daughter's hand, but seeing that this is a false alarm, I can't even truly fault you with this. You have my blessing to date my daughter, but I will warn you to be careful."

"Papa thank you!" I cry gleefully leaping up to hug him. He hugs me and I sit back down trying to rein in my happiness.

"This family meeting is adjourned if there are no other things to discuss." My father says, no one says a word. "Go on you two." My father smiles at me. "I'll see you at home by curfew is that understood?" My father asks. I nod excitedly and Axl stands before I do and takes my hand he kisses my cheek.

"I love you." He whispers softly before walking with me to the door. Alpha and Bravo both at the door ready to go on an adventure. "I've got Bravo this time," Axl says. I smile as I remember that first walk we took with them.

"Are you sure, I'm sure you could rein in Alpha after all this time, besides, he seems to like you."

Alpha proves my point by laying at Axl's feet. "I think I'll stick to the big guy." Axl ruffles Bravo's fur.

"So, what do you think? Next two years from now June?"

"So in three years?" Axl asks raising an eyebrow.

"What? I like planning ahead." I shrug as Alpha tries to bolt after a squirrel, but refusing to bark, the bark collar finally works. I keep a tight grip on his leash, keeping him from bolting. Bravo continues to walk alongside us with Alpha trying to go his own way. I click my tongue and call Alpha over. Finally, he relents and comes to rejoin us on our walk.

"So you're going to plan three years from now when we don't even know what's going to happen three years from now."

"Sure we do," I tell him wrapping my arms around his arm and smiling up at him. "I know you and I will be together, and we'll finally get a chance, a real chance, to be happy together."

"I'm already happy with you, I don't need another chance to be happy with you."

"But to be able to choose to be with you without my family's disapproval, we finally have that, my father's approval."

"It is nice to be able to not feel like I'm overstepping bounds by walking into your house." He nods and brushes his knuckles across my cheek. "I like not having to hide and sneak around too. Though the star-crossed thing is fun, I don't think I could do it forever."

"I wouldn't want to either," I admit. Bravo sits down and Alpha joins him in the sun. "Park?" I ask nodding to the dog park. Both dogs stand up and dart over, leaving Axl and me to chase after them.

I unhook their leashes and sit with Axl toward the edge of the park, away from everyone. "If your father kept withholding approval, do you think we'd have been together much longer?" Axl asks turning so he's facing me. I turn to face him on the bench, resting my chin on one knee for a moment, the other leg dangling over the side, my foot touching the floor. "The truth Kate."

"I want to say that I believe we could be." I tell him, "But I honestly don't know, I'm not a rebel Axl. My father's approval, Jack's approval, both of them are amazing judges in character. I trust them. If they still thought after all that happened with Marco, that you still weren't right for me, I don't know."

"Do you trust your own judgment of my character?"

"I do," I tell him, "Otherwise we wouldn't have gone through the whole tabloid thinking we're engaged thing. I would've found another way to defuse the Marco situation."

"Whose judgment do you trust more? Your father? Your brother? Or your own?"

"That's not fair Axl," I tell him softly. Keeping my voice low and level so as not to draw unwarranted attention.

"Isn't it though Kate?" He asks keeping his voice at a chilling calm that's just as soft as my own voice. I almost wish he would yell. I think it would scare me less than this.

"We're nineteen Axl," I tell him. "Are you ready to make that kind of commitment? You barely know me."

"Apparently, I know you less than I thought I did."

"Axl that's not fair." I reiterate. "Just because I trust my family means I don't trust you? That I don't think we could work?"

"Isn't that what you just said?"

"I said I wasn't sure what I would do." I tell him, "So please stop putting words in my mouth."

"I'm going to head out when we get back to your place. I need to think. I've got homework."

I call Alpha and Bravo to me and put them both on their leashes. Axl takes the first leash he touches and we walk silently back to the house. Axl says goodbye at the door and opens it for me before turning to walk to his car. I close the door and hear his engine roar to life and fade into the distance. I refuse to cry. Letting the tears sting my eyes and I push them back.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jeremy asks sitting on the steps of the main stairs. I unclip the leashes and the two dogs bound over to their water bowls to drink. I walk over to sit next to Jeremy and just rest my head on his shoulder not saying a word. He wraps his arm around me. "What happened?"

"Axl asked me if I thought we'd be together if Dad and Jack didn't give us their approval."

"And you didn't know," Jeremy finishes, "You would be together. With or without their approval, you know how I know that?"

"No, how?"

"Because your love can't be extinguished," Jesse says joining us from upstairs sitting on my other side. "Remember that extended separation you went through?"

"That was miserable." The thought alone dampens my mood. "But I was okay."

"You acted okay, you may have convinced yourself you were okay, you may have convinced everyone else you were okay," Jesse says, "But those who truly know you, knew you were only pretending. Jack knew you were miserable, Dad knew you were miserable, Jake, Jer, myself, we all knew you were miserable."

"Then why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Why do you think Axl was there that day?"

"How did you boys do that?" I ask in surprise.

"Have a little faith in your brother's Katie, we have your back," Jesse says. "We'll always have your back."

"What about Jenny?" I ask them, "Do you believe what she's been saying?"

"Should we?"

"No."

"They were on the same page."

"Why?"

"Why Not?"

I can't help but laugh, I know I'm in the middle of a serious conversation, but even in the midst of a fight with Axl, and a serious conversation with my brother's, Axl's hometown, of Orson, manages to make its own appearance. Orson, Why Not?

"What's so funny Kit?" Jesse asks.

"Why not is the town slogan for Orson, it goes 'Orson, why not?'" I explain sobering up but still smiling.

"You should call Axl," Jesse says. "Let him know you love him, that you trust him. That your love is steadfast. That you know that."

"He won't believe me after I told him I didn't know."

"You've had time to think about it."

"You obviously don't know Axl. He's going to think I'm just trying to make him feel better."

"Are you?" Jeremy asks.

"Of course not," I tell him.

"Then it shouldn't be a problem," Jesse says standing up, he kisses the top of my head and walks down the stairs and out the door.

"Think about it." Jeremy stands up and walks away. He stops for just a second, "Axl loves you, he'll forgive you. Forgive yourself." I don't say anything but stay on the steps just to think. Alone with my thoughts. I pick up my phone and stare at Axl's contact information.

His picture from one of our goofy cheap dates.

Axl Heck <3
Best Boyfriend!
Cell: 463.555.1289
Skype: A.Heck
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Axl_Heck
Facebook: Axl Redford Heck
Nicknames: Axman, Red, The Axe
Birthday: April 15, 1995

I stare blankly at the phone knowing I want to call Axl, but I don't know whether or not to call. He was really hurt by what I didn't say. Alpha sits at my feet and looks up at me. Before I can make a final decision, my phone rings. Axl Heck.

"Hey." I greet him quietly.

"Hey." He greets back. "I'm sorry." He says.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about. I'm the one that should be apologizing."

"We both could've done things differently Kate."