The rest of the year came and went.  JC and Kate never spoke of the things they did behind closed doors; Justin was the only one who knew about it.  Although they never declared themselves an official couple, they did all the things that a normal couple would do.

   Whenever JC was in town, he would wine and dine her; making sure, she knew how much he cared.  He would always rent out a room at a hotel a couple towns over so that he and Kate could have a chance to be intimate.

   However, the pain of guilt that JC held when he was away from her would come and go.  He couldn't stop his habit to sleep around and some mornings he felt he'd rather die than face another day with the decisions he made the night before.

   "So you invite me to Maryland and you don't even wanna hang out with me?  What's up with that?"

   "Stop being a girl."  JC mumbled as he dug through his packed suitcase for something to wear.  "I thought you and Tyler were going out anyway."

   Justin sat on the edge of JC's bed.  "We are.  I'm just giving you a hard time."  He reached out for the framed picture that sat on his dresser.  The picture must had been taken a year or so after Nsync was first formed, judging by JC's hairstyle.  Kate was perched on JC's back, arms wrapped loosely around his neck.  Justin recognized the backyard as the one in Orlando when him, JC, and Chris shared a house.  They both had easygoing grins plastered on their faces and even though he thought he was imagining it, he could have swore he saw love in their eyes.

   "How is Kate doing?"  Justin asked, still engulfed in the picture in front of him.

   "Uh, she's good.  She graduates next week, you know?"

   Justin simply nodded.  "And then what?"

   Distracted by his clothes, JC took a moment before answering.  "Well, she got a scholarship to UCLA.  And since I was thinking about getting a house out there anyway, I figure this would give me more reason to do so."

   "So you and Kate are going to move in together?"

   "That's what I'm going to ask her tonight."  He disappeared into the bathroom for a few seconds.

   "If Kate is eighteen now, why are you still keeping the relationship a secret?"

   The look in JC's eyes told him that he hadn't even thought about that question.

   With much hesitation, Justin asked his next question.  "I don't wanna be rude or anything, man, but are you still cheating on her?"

   JC immediately stopped what he was doing.  He didn't know if he should answer the question or go with his emotions and punch Justin.

   "I just don't think it's fair to her."  He spoke up when JC didn't say anything.  "I mean, you two have been together for over a year now-"

   "Would you just shut the fuck up?"  JC said behind clenched teeth.

   "I'm just saying..."

   "I know what you're saying, trust me.  But I don't want to hear it."  He swung his carry-on bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.  "I'll see you in a couple of days."  

JC arrived at the swanky hotel right as the sun was setting.  He made his way up to the room that he and Kate always stayed in.  To his surprise, she wasn't in the room yet.  He took the opportunity to freshen up a bit and get settled.  By the time he was done, the front door swung open.

   "Josh!"  Kate called out and lowered her voice once he came into view.  "I'm so sorry I'm late.  They want us to do all these last minute things before graduation, apparently the college lost one of my papers for admissions so I had to take care of that, and my mother...dear Lord I don't even know where to begin.  If she's not smothering me all the time, then it's like she's depressed that I'm leaving."  She threw her hands in the air with a sigh.  "But you're here and I'm happy that you are and that's all that really matters."

   JC smiled as he watched her rant about her day.  He gladly accepted her hug and kiss once she was finished.

   "How was your day, Josh?"

   "Pretty boring compared to yours."  He laughed.  "We flew in from LA and just hung out for a few hours before I left."

   "That's right; Justin came with you, huh?"  She asked, not expecting a response.  "I feel bad now.  You should be spending time with him, not me."

   JC followed her into the small kitchen as she unpacked the groceries that she had brought with her.  His mind couldn't help but wonder if this is what life would be like if Kate moved in with him.  "Kate."  He pulled her away from her task.  She stared at him with a questioning look.  "I want you to move in with me."

   It took a few moments before she was able to find the words to speak.  "What are you talking about, Josh?  You live in Orlando and I'm moving to California...I don't get it."

   He laughed at her confusion.  "Let me try again.  You know how I've been thinking about getting a house in LA?"  She nodded slowly.  "Well, I'm ready to get that house and I would love it if you were to move in with me."   

   Kate walked up to him with an unreadable grin on her face.  "You really want me to move in?  I mean...do you...do you think we're ready for that?"

   "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't think we were ready for it."  JC feared that Kate wasn't on the same page as him by the look in her eyes, which sent him into a panic mode.  He tried his best to hold it in until she gave a clear answer.

   She sat on the bar stool with her eyes cast downward.  "I don't know, Josh..."

   "What don't you know?"

   "It's just that it's my freshman year of college.  Plus, how often would you be there?"  She asked.

   Even though that should have been the first think he thought about, the fact that he may not be around too often hadn't even crossed his mind, but he wanted to try and convince her otherwise.  "Things aren't going to be as crazy as they were last year.  There won't be any law suites and no crazy, unusual distractions.  We'll record the rest of the album in LA and do all the press there too."

   "What about the tour?"

   "Well...that's inevitable.  But I'll fly back every couple of weeks, even every week if I can make it."

   Kate bit at her bottom lip, debating her answer.  She looked up at him with a smile.  "My mom's going to kill me."

   "How are you doing, sweetie?"

   "Let's just get this over with."

   JC nodded and straightened up in his chair.  He answered the grilling questions that Kate shot out at him, which were mostly about his new album, being a solo artist, and the ever-popular questions about his love life.  Her questions were generic, too the point, and typical of a female magazine.

   "Do you have a girlfriend at the moment?"

   "Nope.  I'm enjoying being single."

   "When was your last relationship?"  Kate felt her emotions beginning to drag into the interview.

   "Um, about three months ago."  He shifted in his chair.

   "And why didn't that relationship work?"

   JC eyed her before answering the question.  He was trying to figure out if the question was part of the interview or for her personal knowledge.  "Things started to pick up with my album and promoting it.  I didn't have the time to be that perfect boyfriend."

   "Have you ever been ‘that perfect boyfriend'?"

   Her words cut through him.  He shook his head and softly said, "No."

   "Have you ever had the perfect girlfriend?"

   "I let her get away."

   "And she didn't come back to you?"

   "She did, but I still let her go."

   "Why would you let go perfection?"

   "Because if I can't give her the perfection that she gives me, I don't think that I deserve to be with her."  He stared into her eyes.

   "What if she doesn't care about that?"

   JC clinched his jeans tight.  He was holding back everything and afraid that it may all out at once.  "Give it up, Kate.  We'll never work."

   "I can't give you up, Josh.  How could you expect me to do something like that?  I still love you and I know that you love me too."  She brushed away the tears.  "Just stop lying to the both of us.  Please."