It was Bay's 18th birthday and the day of the art exhibition at Carlton. She woke up feeling nervous, not because she hadn't done these exhibitions in the past, but because the Kansas University Art Coordinator was going to be there. Was this her chance to be accepted? What if he'd hate her pieces? She had no idea about what to do with her life if she wasn't accepted. She put on her dressing gown and went downstairs. It was past 9 in the morning and normally Bay would wake up earlier, but she had been busy until late last night packing up her paintings.

The house was dark. How strange on a Saturday morning. Where were her parents? Had they forgotten about her birthday? She walked into the kitchen and suddenly the lights went on and her whole family was standing there screaming "Happy Birthday".

Bay blinked and smiled. She saw balloons, loads of them and they were black. Trust Daphne to know that was her favorite color. There was also a big banner and a birthday cake with 18 candles waiting to be lit. John and Kathryn were standing behind the island, together with Daphne, Regina and Angelo.

Kathryn had made her the favorite peanut butter pancakes and after they had lit the candles and sung happy birthday, John handed her a small turquoise box.

"This is your birthday present. It's from all of us, each one contributed their share."

Bay opened the box and saw a key on a Tiffany key ring inside it. She took it out and looked at it.

"What is it for? It doesn't look like a car key."

Kathryn and Regina smiled.

"I think it's time we go for a ride."

Bay got dressed and went back downstairs. John and Angelo were busy loading her art work into various cars to be dropped off at Carlton on the way back. Bay got into the car with John and they drove down the winding roads of Mission Hills towards the town center. After a 10 minute drive John stopped in front of a building that looked like a warehouse and they got out of the car.

After punching the code into the keypad outside the front door they walked in and took the elevator to the last floor. They came to a stop in front of a door.

"Bay, try the key." John said smiling.

Bay did and walked into a sun-filled loft. She gasped when she saw easels and new art supplies inside.

"It's a studio." She was speechless.

"Yes, and it's for you to use. I rented the place and everyone here contributed towards your supplies. Regina drove us all insane saying that they didn't have your favorite brushes here in KC, so we ordered them from an art equipment supplier in New York." John said.

Bay had tears in her eyes. The space had so much light. That had always been her problem working from her garage, the lighting. Here she would be able to choose the colors much better.

"Oh thank you, thank you." She hugged every one of them.

"My Porsche will finally be back in its rightful place." John said smiling.

She wished she could stay there the whole day, but she had to go and take care of her pieces for the exhibition. She drove the short distance to Carlton with John and Angelo with Regina and Kathryn trailing behind them.

Once she arrived and unloaded all the paintings she spent the next three hours unpacking them and setting them up. She had a last look at them and then turned to leave when she ran into Emmett. He was holding a big bouquet of roses.

"Happy birthday." He signed

"Thank you Emmett. What a nice surprise!"

"Can I take you out for lunch?"

"Sure, I would love that."

They went to Bay's favorite Italian restaurant and Emmett treated her to lunch. Bay looked at her watch and saw that it was past 3.

"We need to go, the exhibition starts at 4." She signed.

Emmett nodded and they got into her car and drove back to the school. People were starting to arrive and they made their way into the main corridor, where the paintings where displayed on easels.

"There's good stuff here Emmett."

"Yes, but none as good as yours."

For the next three hours Bay mingled and spent time with her family and class mates. She ran into Mr. Weiss at one point.

"Bay, your stuff is stunning. How do you find the time?"

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I find the time by not doing anything else but study and paint."

"That sounds awful for someone in the senior year."

Bay looked at him with a pained expression in her eyes.

"Yes, well it's less awful than other things."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He looked over her shoulder.

"My friend from the Kansas University Arts Program has arrived. Let me go and say hello and give him a tour, then I'll introduce you"

He left and Bay's stomach turned into knots. Now was the moment of truth, the moment that would decide her future.

She spent the next hour nervously trailing Mr. Weiss and his friend, who seemed to be spending an awful long time looking at her work. She saw him discussing her pieces with her counselor and he didn't smile once. Bay wanted to hide in a hole and cry.

Finally she saw Mr. Weiss scanning the room in search of her. He made eye contact and walked over.

"Bay, let me introduce you to my good friend Mr. Rogers."

"I'm very pleased to meet you." Bay said shyly extending her hand.

"Bay Kennish, it's a pleasure. I've been looking closely at your work."

"Thank you Sir, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I think I haven't seen that much talent in a long time. You have a bright future ahead. I'm back in the office tomorrow and I will initiate the paperwork for a full scholarship. You should hear from us soon. I hope no other University will snatch you up before us."

Bay broke out into a huge smile.

"Oh my God, thank you. Thank you so much!"

Emmett was observing the scene from across the room. He hadn't seen her smile like that since the summer. It made him happy. Finally things seemed to be moving along for her. He saw her exiting through the emergency door and he followed her outside.

It was a cold February evening and Bay wasn't wearing her jacket. She didn't care, she just needed the fresh air. She took a deep breath. Kansas University had liked her work, she couldn't believe it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned and saw Emmett.

"What did he say?" he signed.

"He's giving me a full scholarship. Oh Emmett, I'm so happy!"

"Congratulations Bay, I knew it. What a great birthday present!"

He hugged her and Bay clung to him. She looked at his face and the brilliant blue eyes and felt the adrenaline of the past hour rushing through her body. She kissed him fiercely.

If Emmett was surprised he didn't show it. He kissed her back and held her closer to him.

Bay broke the kiss and looked at him.

"Let's go somewhere private."

"Yes, but like where? My Mum is home and we can't go to your place either."

"I know just the place!"

Emmett got into Bay's car and she drove to her new studio. She entered the code and by the time they were in the elevator they were kissing again, this time with even more passion.

She fumbled for the key and opened the door. Emmett looked for the light switch and the studio was no longer dark. He looked around in wonder.

"Wow Bay, what is this place?"

"It's a gift from John and the rest of the family."

She took in the loft again and then realized that there were only two wooden chairs. Not even a sofa.

"I guess John was thinking about me not having any romantic moments in here when he bought the furniture." Bay said smiling.

Emmett shrugged and took off his jacket and Bay's. He spread them out on the floor and used his backpack as a make-shift pillow. He lay on top of the jackets and held his hand out to Bay.

She lowered herself and soon they were kissing again. Bay tugged fiercely at Emmett's sweater and he took it off together with the t-shirt he was wearing underneath. Bay did the same and soon Emmett was on top of her, pressing into her middle.

Bay moaned and ran her hands along his back. She heard her phone in the background for the forth time now. Birthday message after birthday message. Emmett ran his hand across her breasts and she lowered her hands to undo his belt. Emmett raised himself to take off his pants and helped Bay out of hers before lying back down.

He looked at her and gasped.

"Bay, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You can't begin to imagine the amount of times I have longed for this moment."

He ran his hands reverently across her body and Bay smiled. This was just what she needed to top off this great day.

Emmett tugged at her bra and Bay raised herself. She made a move for Emmett to stop and he looked at her questioning her move.

"Emmett, I need to turn off my phone, it's driving me insane with all the birthday messages."

Emmett smiled and nodded.

"I can't hear it." He winked at her.

She smiled "I know, and soon I won't be hearing it either."

She looked for her purse under the mountain of clothes and found her iPhone. She quickly unlocked the screen and before she could turn it off, she glanced at the messages. There were two birthday messages and a third one from Mary Beth. She hadn't come to the exhibition today. How strange since Travis had been there. She could only make out the words 'Have u seen news there was'

She quickly opened it and read the whole message. She went white and her hands started shaking. Emmett looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked with a worried expression.

Bay showed him the phone.

Have u seen news there was an ambush on Tys convoy. 6 confirmed dead so far

Emmett bit his lip and looked at Bay.

"Sorry." He signed

"I need to go"

Bay was already picking up her clothes. She had tears in her eyes and she pressed the button to call Mary Beth. She heard a tearful voice on the other end and her heart almost stopped.

"Bay, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for the past hour."

"I'm sorry MB I was busy. What do you know?"

"I know nothing, but what there is on the news and on the internet."

"Oh God MB, please don't let anything have happened to him."

"Bay, do you think you could ask your father to find out? I know you're no longer with Ty, but please."

"Of course, I'll call you back as soon as I have news."

Bay rushed down the stairs, Emmett trailing behind her. She jumped into her car and drove home as quickly as possible. In her rush to speak to her father, she forgot to drop off Emmett, so he had no choice but to follow her into the Kennish kitchen. John and Kathryn were in the lounge and looked surprised to see Bay running in with tears streaming down her face. She ran up to John and threw her arms around him.

"Bay, what's happening. Why are you crying?"

"Dad, there was an attack on Ty's convoy. There are six casualties already."

She sobbed into his shoulder and John sighted and held her close.

"I'm sorry Bay."

"Dad, can you call someone. Please I need to know, I just need to know."

"Let me try Bay. He disappeared into his study and Bay sat next to Kathryn."

Kahryn put her arm around Bay's shoulders and Bay burrowed her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving with the tears.

Emmett had been silently observing the scene in front of him. His eyes were filled with pain. She would never be fully his again. He could see from her whole body language that she was still in love with Ty. Bay suddenly seemed to remember he was there and looked up.

"Emmett I'm so sorry I forgot to drop you off. Take my car, I'll collect it in the morning."

"It's ok, my mother is on the way to collect me."

Bay heard her phone ring and she quickly got up to get it. It was Mary Beth.

"MB, please tell me you heard something?"

"Nothing, no e-mails, no calls, nothing! I was going to ask you the same thing."

"My father is making calls. Do you want to come over? You can sleep here if you want to."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

Mary Beth was quicker than that and managed to arrive within 20 minutes. She looked pale and her face was puffy. Bay ran up to her and enveloped her into a hug. They were both crying.

Kathryn had left to join John and Bay sat with Mary Beth on the couch holding her hand.

"MB, I still love him. I thought I could be angry enough at him not to love him anymore, but I can't. Why did he do it? Why did he have to hurt me in that way?"

Mary Beth held her hand tighter. This was the moment she had to tell her, even if their friendship would probably be over.

"Bay…he didn't."

"What…what did you say?"

"He didn't cheat."

"He did MB, I saw it with my own eyes, Aida's pink panties, the condom."

"They weren't Aida's"

"How would you know?" Bay looked at her in horror.

"Because he told me."

Mary Beth started crying again and related the whole story with Ty's friend and how Ty had lent him his single room to say goodbye to his girlfriend and how he'd found the panties and the condom after he'd done the laundry.

Bay looked white as a sheet.

"And you never thought of telling me?"

"I promised him Bay. He didn't want to hurt you by dying. He knew at that time that he was being sent to the frontlines for 14 months."

"You never told me?"

Bay was confused and got up to pace the living room. She was angry and sad at the same time.

"Bay, whenever he writes to me he asks about you. He loves you so much."

"I'm so angry at you Mary Beth."

"I know and you can't imagine how I've been feeling for the past 6 months. Keeping this secret has been one of the hardest things I've had to do in my whole life."

Bay looked out of the window and managed a tiny smile.

"He didn't cheat?"

"No."

She turned serious again.

"Why would he choose the one lie in the world that would hurt me the most?"

"Because he wanted you to forget about him. He said he tried to break up with you during the party."

"He did and I was having none of it."

"When he saw the panties he used that. I know he feels terrible about it Bay."

Bay sat back down opposite Mary Beth and started sobbing again.

"What if he's dead? What if I never see him again?"

"I don't know."

"Mary Beth I can't believe you would keep it from me. Does Travis know?"

"No, he doesn't. Will you be able to forgive me?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Yes, if it was another day. I'm so angry at you, but right now I need you here. You love him as well."

"I do."

They spent the next three hours in anguish. Bay would go and see John once in a while, but every time he would shake his head.

At 2 AM the phone rang. Mary Beth and Bay looked up in horror and ran into John's studio.

He picked up the line and listened to the other end.

"I see. That's unfortunate. Thank you for calling."

He looked up at the anguished faces in front of him and his heart went out to them. Bay looked at him trembling.

"He didn't make it, right?" She said in a small whisper.

John walked up to her and took her in his arms.

Here we go. This time I'm ending it with a cliffhanger. Hope you liked the story and thanks again for the reviews. I'll update as soon as I can.