Don't Talk to Strangers

Chapter 12

"Happy Birthday!" I said hugging Josh. I handed him a gift bag and scooted closer to him on his bed. He picked out the red tissue paper and pulled out the CD of his favorite band, a mall gift card, an a psychology book.

"Wow, Kara, thank you," He said flipping through the book. He smiled at me and kissed my nose.

"So, still not having a party tonight, birthday boy?"

"Eh, no. Rae wants to carve her pumpkin tonight, that sounds like more fun," He replied half smiling.

"I can stay over if you want and help out, my mom is in California for a couple weeks so it'll be fine,"

"Sure, Rae would love that. She keeps asking when you'll be coming over. She really likes you,"

"I love Rae, she's like a little sister to me," Just then we heard the front door open from downstairs and a pair of little feet skipping up the stairs.

"Hi Josh- Kara!" She cried running over to me giving me a tight hug.

"Haha, hello Rae." She smiled then turned to Josh.

"Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Rae. How was school?"

"Ugh, we had this vocabulary test that was really hard but it's Friday so good." She replied jumping onto Josh's bed.

"Are you going trick or treating tomorrow?" I asked her.

"Yeah, with my friend Stephanie. Im going to be a beautiful princess," She said standing up and curtsying.

"But you're already a beautiful princess," I told her, twirling her in a circle.

She smiled, cheeks flushed. "Are you dressing up? Are you going to that party with Josh?"

"Yes I am, and I'm going as a vampire,"

"Josh is going as a ghost," Rae said, picking up a white mask of his desk and putting it on.

"A phantom actually, from the Phantom of the Opera, Rae," He told her taking the mask off of her.

"Same thing. When can we carve my pumpkin?" She asked Josh who shrugged in reply.

"Maybe.. now?" Rae grinned a pleasing smile.

"Okay," Josh told her.

After three long hours of carving a cat into a pumpkin and trying to find a candle, we put Rae's Jack o' lantern on the front porch. We ordered pizza and watched a scary movie before sending her to bed, hoping she wouldn't have nightmares.

Josh lay down on the couch and put his head on my legs. He looked up at me and smiled, I smiled back.

"You're so beautiful," I blushed which made his smile grow wider. He put his hand on my neck and pulled me down to him, while repositioning my whole body so I was laying side by side with him. We were squeezed up against each other on the couch to keep Josh from falling off. I moved again so I was basically laying on top of him, my head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Kara McConnell," I was stunned by the statement, part of me knew he already did but to hear him say it left me in awe.

'I- I love you too," I said sitting up to look at him.

"You don't have to say it just because I did," He told me, slightly laughing.

"I mean it though,"

"Me too," Josh replied. I relaxed and but my head back on my shoulder. We sat in silence for a few moments until he spoke up.

"It's not the first time I've told you that I loved you,"