Carry You Home.

The alarm that Josh had set for four went off, signaling that they had two hours to get ready before the reservations he had made for dinner would be ready. But all McKinley and him needed to do was get dressed and McKinley fix her bed hair, but that wouldn't take long, so Josh took this time to break the news.

"So they know who I am?" McKinley asked chewing on her cheeks as Josh played with her soft hair.

"No, but they can be ruthless, they'll try contacting Avan or my roommate then my family. They'll branch out until they can find someone to pay off for the information they need."

"Will your family really do that to you?"

"No, not my family. But it has happened to other people. I'm sorry that this is happening."

"It's not your fault. So they think I'm some home wrecker because you're still linked to the Claudia girl?"

"Yeah, but my manager and hers are releasing statements saying that was over a while ago. I just have to call Meredith back on what she is supposed to do with us."

"What do you mean, what is she supposed to do with us?"

"Well it'll be better if my manager says something official and vague, which will keep them from looking elsewhere."

"Okay," McKinley said slowly. She didn't want anybody snooping in hopes of finding out who she is. "Tell Meredith."

"Well what should I tell her? I'm not exactly sure what this is. You won't let me call you my girlfriend and you made it very clear this morning that I do not love you."

"Just tell her anything that will get them to stop trying to find out things about me," McKinley sighed, removing the covers from her naked body and left the warm bed, in search of clothing.

"Uh, okay. Are you mad at me?" Josh sat on the edge of the bed with his feet touching the floor.

"Why would I be mad at you? You're not the one that's going to try and find out every single aspect of my life."

"Because I'm the one that's causing people to want to snoop."

"Then call Meredith and tell her to tell them something that will put an end to it," McKinley smiled slipping into a nude colored bra and matching panties. "Now what should I wear?"

Josh looked at her as she placed her hands on her hips and stood between her two suitcases. "Definitely that. Maybe those heels," he pointed at a pair of coral colored pumps peeking out at him. "I'd love to see those over my shoulders one day," Josh smirked.

"Hm, get the media to forget about me and maybe that little wish of yours could come true."

Josh didn't waste any time reaching over the length of the bed to get his phone and dial Meredith's number. "Hey it's me. Tell them whatever it takes for them to not look any further. No she doesn't have anything to hide; McKinley just doesn't want people in her personal business. Okay, I'll be back in L.A. at the end of the week."

By the time Josh got off the phone, McKinley was already dressed in tight black jeans and a polka dotted top, the coral high heels strapped around her ankles.

"How am I supposed to get off those jeans without taking off your shoes?" Josh asked as McKinley took her straightener into the bathroom to plug it in.

"I'll take off the jeans then put them back on," she shrugs like it was obvious.

"You know you make it really hard to pretend not to love you."

"Then don't pretend and just do it," she said simply, running the hot clamps over her short sleep-crazed hair leaving it smooth hair in its wake.

It took Josh all of five minutes to get ready. He dressed in a simple navy tee shirt with dark green jeans that hugged his thighs. They were both ready an hour before their reservations so despite Meredith's advisement of staying indoors, together they made their way, hand in hand, traveling the city on foot.

On the way to the Space Needle, McKinley saw a tour vehicle capable of traveling on land and in the water, she pleaded with Josh until he agreed that first thing tomorrow, they'd go on it, only if they could go to the pier after dinner and ride on the giant Ferris wheel. Despite her fears of Ferris wheels, McKinley agreed.

By the time Josh and McKinley reached their seats the sun was setting beautifully creating a lovely backdrop for Elliott Bay. The view was amazing but the dinner was even better. McKinley had gotten the Alaskan halibut and Josh ordered New York strip steak.

"So what is Meredith going to say?"

Josh shrugged finishing his last bite of steak. "Probably something like you're an old fling or friend from Kentucky but she'll probably say that I'm a young guy that is just trying to have fun and I'm using random women to get over my break up."

"Oh well that definitely makes me look good."

"They'll stop asking questions about you, for now. That's what you wanted right?"

"I guess. Are you trying to get over your break up?"

Josh shook his head. "No, I've already went through a line of rebound girls."

The question of how many people Josh has slept with popped into McKinley's head again but she pushed it from her mind. This wasn't the time or the place to ask that sort of question. When the bill came, McKinley reached for it but Josh snatched it from her grasps, with a shocked look on her face.

"Let me pay. You've bought basically everything for me since we've met."

"So, I'm the guy."

"Women have rights too, you know."

Josh laughed. "I know, and I am all for women in the workplace, but I was raised to always pick up the check on a date. So you're just going to have to deal with it," Josh produced a plastic card from out of his wallet and stuck it in the black folder before handing it back to the waiter.

"So what can I pay for?"

Josh thought for a moment. "Ice cream, you can buy me ice cream."

"I'll be buying you ice cream for the rest of your life in order to pay you back for this dinner."

"As long as you're around for that long," he smiled watching a perplexed expression wash over McKinley's face.

McKinley didn't like that Josh had told her that he was in love with her. Or that he made comments like the one he just said. She didn't want him to love her. It wasn't right, they weren't going to last.

The cool wind coming off the water made goose bumps form on the bare parts of McKinley's skin, but with Josh's arm wrapped around her it didn't matter if she was cold or not, all she could feel was him. The Ferris wheel wasn't bad, she closed her eyes and had one hand secured tightly around the bar holding them in and her other hand had a vise like grip on Josh's hand, turning her knuckles white. But Josh coaxed her to open her eyes when they were at the very top and though the view was just as breath taking as the view from the Space Needle, she couldn't wait to get to solid ground.

Heights didn't bother her; it was the fact that they were sitting in the air, being supported by rusted metal. If there was a large gust of wind, surely they would plummet to their death. But the wind didn't come and they arrived safely on the ground.

Josh let McKinley pay for his ice cream; he got an extra scoop to appease her. Walking along the boardwalk, Josh's sunglasses still on and hood from his jacket up so nobody would snap another photo of them walking together, sharing licks of each other's ice cream cones.

Josh suggested something about going out onto the beach, but McKinley just wanted to get back to the hotel so she could kiss him in private, and Josh didn't argue with that, flagging down a taxi and giving the driver the address to the hotel.

The ninety minute tour around Seattle's best places was fun even though there was a light drizzle, the rain didn't bother McKinley a bit. She was entertained with the quacking duck bills that were given that the very beginning of the tour. And the lunch they had at a small cafe as well as the espressos they got from a small coffee shop was all good.

But Josh was excited to get back to L.A. He missed his dog, Driver, as well as his friends and his own bed. Josh couldn't wait to show McKinley where he lived and introduce her to the rest of his friends. Josh feels like the moment him and McKinley land at LAX, it would be real. McKinley would stop this cat and mouse game she had been playing with him and just give in, allowing Josh to show her just how much she meant to him already. He'd give her his life's work, lay them at her feet just so she would know that this, whatever they had and whatever McKinley would allow him, was it for him. If he had it his way, he'd be married before his twenty-first birthday.