48 hours later~~~"Kat" Kevin whispered, while gently shaking Katie's shoulder to wake her up. She was sitting in a chair next to Hayley's bed. She had fallen asleep. "Huh" Katie asked just waking up. "Baby, go home and rest, I'll stay here for you" Kevin said. "No, I'm not leaving her side. She is in Intensive Care, in a coma, I'm not leaving" Katie said. "And it's not that I don't trust you, but I don't trust Nick" Katie added. "Honey, Nick is sleeping right now, and the doctor said he that the medicine he gave him knocked him out until the morning" Kevin said. "I promise if anything happens I'll call you" He said. "No, I'm not leaving" Katie said stubbornly. "You can go home if you want to" She added. "No, I'll stay with you" Kevin replied and sat down in the chair next to hers. He took her hand in his, and brought it to his lips and kissed her hand. "Everything is going to be alright" He said. "I hope so" Katie sighed.

15 hours later~~~Katie walked back into Hayley's hospital room, and was surprised to see Nick but even more surprised to see Maria. "Katie, I'm so sorry" Nick said. "Nick, I don't know whos caused the accident, but the police are checking it out, and if you were the caused, so help you god" Katie said. "Hayley will be ok, I know she will be" Nick said. "Hopefully yes, but she is 2 years old and in a coma, I have seen...."Katie started but couldn't finish her sentence. "Shes gonna be fine, I know it" Nick said. "Nicky, baby, I'm tired, can we leave" Maria asked. "In a minute, Mia, I just want to spend a few minutes with my daughter" Nick said. After about 30 seconds. Maria grabbed Nick by the arm and pulled him out of the room. Katie sat down in the chair again. Katie was just almost asleep, when she heard a soft voice say Mommy. Katie looked up and saw that Hayley's eyes were open. Katie started crying, but this time because she was happy. "Mommy hold me" Hayley asked. Katie did.

A few days later~~~Hayley was released from the hospital. The court date was pushed back a few weeks, which everybody was happy about. Nick let Hayley stay with Katie, cause she still needed medicine, and he didn't know what to do. Katie's parents came down to see their granddaughter. While, Katie, her mom took Hayley shopping, Kevin had something important that he had to ask Katie's dad. "Mr. Preston, can I ask you question" Kevin asked nervously. "Sure" he replied putting down the newspaper he was reading. "I know that Katie and I have only been going out for 6 months, but I've known her since she was 17. I love her very much. I'm asking for your permission, to ask Katie for her hand in marriage" Kevin said quickly. "Of course, you can ask her. In my mind, you are better for her than Nick ever was" Katie's Dad replied, smiling.

2 months later, which would make it the end of August. Katie and Nick did go to court, and the judge said ruled that they both have custody and too work something out between themselves, considering Nick's schedule and Katie's hectic hours working at a hospital. Everybody noticed a change in Nick. He was going back to being his normal self. Sweet, caring, trust-worthy and loving. He was still with Maria, though and she was 4 months pregnant.

"Nick what are you doing here" Katie asked opening the front door, to reveal Nick standing there soaking wet, from the sudden thunderstorm. It was around 9 at night. "Maria...kicked me out" Nick said looking at the ground. "Come in, I don't want you to get sick" Katie said and stepped to the side to let him in. "Hayley just fell asleep. Come upstairs with me, I'll get you something to change into and you can change and take a shower if you want too" Katie said walking towards the stairs. Nick followed her. While Katie was looking for some clothes for Nick to change into, Nick noticed a glimpse of sliver on her left ring finger. When she handed him a t-shirt and sweat pants, he noticed it was diamond on a sliver band. He knew it was an engagement ring, he didn't have to ask. He felt like his heart was getting ripped out of his chest piece by piece. "Nick are you ok" Katie asked seeing the frown on Nick's face. "Huh, oh yeah, I'm going to take that shower" Nick said and walked out of the room and down the hall to a bathroom.

20 minutes later he was downstairs on the couch watching a movie with Katie. "Where's Kevin" he asked. "1 of his brother's called him earlier today. His mom is sick, so he went back to Kentucky for a few days" Katie replied. "Oh" The continued watching the movie, and by the end of it, Katie was sound asleep with her head on Nick's lap. Nick looked down to see Katie asleep and saw the ring on her finger. He wanted to be the one she was going to marry, not Kevin. He wanted to go on a honeymoon with her, not Kevin. He wanted to be the father of more of her children, not Kevin. Sighing, he gently picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bedroom and laid her down, then got a blanket and covered her. After that he laid down on the bed next to her and pulled her close to his body and fell into a peaceful sleep. A few hours later Katie woke up to somebody kissing her neck. She opened her eyes and saw that it was Nick, not Kevin. "Nick what are you doing" Katie asked. Nick pulled away. "Im sorry, I couldn't help myself, you're so beautiful" Nick whispered tucking a piece of her light brown hair behind her ear, then he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He pulled away and kissed her again, this time more passionately and Katie found herself returning the kiss. Nick pulled away breathless, and looked into her blue eyes. "Katie, I love you. I always have. Please let me love you tonight" Nick asked in a whisper. Katie looked at him. "Katie, im sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know what came over me" Nick rambled on and on getting off of her body "Your engaged, I shouldn't have said that" Nick added. Katie sat up and stared into his eyes. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. She pulled away and kissed him again, prying his lips open with her tongue. Nick moaned into her mouth and laid her backdown on the bed. "Is that a yes, to my question" Nick asked. Katie placed a kiss on his neck and put her hand on his growing bulge in his pants. Nick moaned. "I take that as a yes" Nick replied kissing her a passion that never had felt before that kiss. They both started taking off each other's clothes and loving each other with a passion that they had never felt with each other or the other people they had been with.

Nick woke up around 9 the next morning and saw Katie snuggled up to his body, sleeping peacefully. Part of him, felt that this was right and they should be together and another part of him felt guilty for sleeping with her, when she was engaged to another man. But he wanted to be that man so much. Nick got up and dressed. He wrote and note to Katie and left. Katie woke up a little while later. She looked around and saw the note.

Katie read the letter. "What am I going to do" she thought as she took a shower. She still loved Nick a little bit. She would always. He was her soul mate, but she did love Kevin but not like Nick and she could trust him. She still didn't trust Nick 100% because of what had happened in the past but as each day went on, she learned to trust him a little more. As she was washing her hair, she thought she heard somebody walk into her bedroom. She thought she was hearing things. A few minutes somebody opened the shower curtain and stepped into the shower with her.

Part 8