When You Were Mine: Joe and Katherine's Love Story (A Joey McIntyre Fanfiction)

18

The next morning Joe's happy to find her still in bed with him. But she's watching him sleep and he's not sure what to think about that. "Good morning beautiful." 

"Joe I've been thinking about it and I'm not going to do the Graduate program in San Diego. I'll wait and find one to do here in Boston." Her face is serious, there's no joy or happiness there. She looks defeated almost. He can see how unhappy this decision is making her.

"I don't want you to give it up for me. You've given up so much for me already. We can find a way to make it work."

She shakes her head. "No, I haven't waited so long for you to finally come home just to leave and be three thousand miles away from you. I'll find another Masters degree program here. I don't want to discuss it anymore." Katherine was done talking about it and she made that clear by getting up and leaving the room.

Joe watched her go into their bathroom,  she was still naked and that always got his attention. He got up and went into the bathroom when he heard the shower start.

Joe stares at her, her eyes were closed and her head is back getting her hair wet. Joe's hand goes to his dick, he strokes himself a few times before she opens her eyes and sees him. Katherine wipes the water off her face and she looks at his hand on his dick. It turns her on to see him touching himself as he watches her. Katherine's hands slide up her stomach to cup her breasts. Joe strokes himself faster. When one of her hands slips down between her legs Joe can't handle just watching her anymore.

Joe joins her in the shower. Katherine welcomes him in. Joe pushes her back against the wall of their huge shower. He takes her leg and wraps it around his waist. When be pushes into her Katherine cries out, he feels so good inside of her. "Oh my God Joe, I love you."

They seem to get back on track over the next couple of months. They fall into a pretty comfortable routine. Katherine begins to feel like they're more like two best friends than two people in love. But they are in love, she can't imagine not being with Joe. Her life seems to make more sense when they're together.

In the back of her mind she thinks about San Diego. She can't shake the feeling that that's what she's supposed to do. It's such an amazing opportunity, but doing it without Joe just isn't what she wants.

About a month after her graduation Katherine realizes she's missed her period. She's always been regular, like clockwork. She tries to tell herself it's just stress. But she can't push the thought of possibly being pregnant out-of her mind.

"Joe, I think I'm pregnant."

She drops this on Joe at dinner. He almost chokes on his food. "What? Why do you think that?" Katherine thinks he looks terrified.

"I'm late. And I'm never late."

Joe downs his glass of whiskey he was having with his dinner. He gets up and pours himself another glass. "How could this happen? We're always so careful, you're on the pill still aren't you?"

"Yes Joe. I've been on the pill since we first had sex three years ago. And well you haven't been as careful since you got home. We've had lots of unprotected sex."

Joe gives her a hard look. "Not unprotected, you're supposed to be on birth control."

Katherine feels like he's accusing her of not taking her pill. Like she planned this or something. "Joe I am on birth control. But after three years maybe it's lost it effectiveness. I'm not a doctor or anything but I've heard that taking the same kind of birth control for years you can build up a tolerance."

"So why didn't you switch it? Damn Kate this is not a stress I need right now. Work is just starting to get back on track without Maurice and I'm about to be in the studio writing and recording."

"Oh I'm so sorry Joe. I had no idea you getting me pregnant was going to throw a wrench into your plans. I'll go right out and get it taken care of."  Katherine gets up from the table and stomps up the stairs.

Katherine had bought a pregnancy test earlier but she didn't want to take the test until she talked to Joe. It wasn't necessarily a nice thing to do but she wanted to see his reaction to the news she might be pregnant. She thought this would tell her where they stood.

After she took the test and it came out negative. Katherine feels very relieved. Joe's reaction told her everything she needs to know. They'd talked about getting married after she graduated college for as long as they'd been together. But now she's been out of school over a month and they still hadn't talked about it again. He was getting busier and busier with the New Kids and they hadn't been spending that much time together.

Katherine takes the test downstairs with her to let Joe know he was off the hook. She also wanted to let him know she was going to go to San Diego.

Before she could say anything to Joe he started talking.

"Kate let's get married."

"What? Joe you don't have to do that. I'm not pregnant. Look." She gives him the test and he takes a long look at it. She sees his face relax as relief washes over him. "Joe I'm taking the job offer in California."

Joe's mouth opens, then closes. He doesn't believe she's saying this. "Wait, what? I thought you turned it down already."

She sits down next to him on the couch and takes his hand. "Joe I did turn it down. But the professor in charge of the program called me two days ago. They still want me to come out to UC. And I really want to. You and I aren't where we should be in this relationship, we've moved backwards. I love you so much, but I feel like you're more my friend than my boyfriend. I just need to go do this Joe. I need to do this for myself."

"I understand. It breaks my heart but I do understand and I'm not upset at you. I just want you to be happy Kate. As long as you know I'll never stop loving you and you can come back anytime you want to. I'm never going to give up on us."

"Joe I'm not doing this because I don't love you. I'm doing this because I need to do something for me. I've lived for you for so long, and I swear I'm okay with that. I have no regrets. But I can't live for only you, I've got to live for me too now. This isn't the end of us Joseph. I'm not saying goodbye, it's see you later. And we can see each other anytime. Hell, I'm still hoping you'll change your mind and move to San Diego with me."

"How much time do you have before you have to go?"

"Classes start in two months, but I'd like to get settled in before that. So I'll move next month."