Author's notes: James' chapter. Woo Hoo! I love this one so much!

Only have one more chapter written and TBH I am kind of meeeh about it so..from now on we're going back to weekly updates (sigh) especially since I'm kind of reaching the end of the story and I'm procrastinating (as usual when I love my characters).

(sigh times two)

Anyway - till next time - enjoy this little chappie.

Love you all - thank you for reading and reviewing and supporting me. Also, thank you to my quiet readers. Though you're not reviewing I know you're there and it means the world to have you around.

As always, love,

Emy

The cast was finally off and James could now breathe a sigh of relief as he drove home himself. Felt good to not feel dependent on others anymore. As he drove he wondered if it would be a bad idea to take Midnight for their evening ride while Feather was in with him. He'd missed riding so badly, but Midnight's needs would have to come first.

As soon as he got home James bolted through the door right into Logan's office to ask about Midnight. But Logan wasn't there. Katie was. James froze for a blink of an eye seeing her alone after almost a week of not speaking to one another.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "Was looking for Logan."

"Jeannie's here to check up on Feather."

"Oh." James said and turned to leave.

"I see you have your cast off."

"Yes."

"I know it bothered you."

"Yes."

Katie sighed. For half a second James thought she'd say nothing more so he lifted his foot up to leave, but just as he did Katie called his name.

"James, can we, please, talk?"

"What about?"

"The weather." Katie said with sarcasm.

"It's hot with 80% chances of rain during the night." James replied, just as much sarcasm in his voice, his back still turned to Katie.

"100% I'd say." Katie whispered, not referring to the weather at all anymore. "Please, James, just… talk to me." She pleaded, honesty filling her voice.

"You lied." James hung his head between his shoulders, fighting a losing battle with his own heart.

"Wasn't my truth to tell."

"You lied for years without as much as a flinch."

"I had to."

"No one HAS to do anything. We all choose what we do. There are always options. You chose to lie."

"It's not like we lived together and I…"

James turned suddenly, his eye ablaze with anger and pain. "You lied to me, Kate. You lied to everyone."

Katie flinched hearing James call her Kate instead of Katie. She took a small step back seeing the fire in his hazel eyes. She fell back onto Logan's chair.

"I'm sorry. I did it for Nicole."

"Your goddaughter."

"My goddaughter. She had to come first, Jamie… she had to."

"But you didn't have to lie to ME."

"And what would you have done had I told you from day one?" Katie suddenly burst out, eyes filled with unshed tears and determination.

"I don't know. And I guess I'll never have the chance to find out, now, will I?" James screamed.

"You would have gone straight to Logan and told him."

"And that would have changed Logan's life. My life. Kendall's life. Carlos' life." James yelled gesturing to the general area of the kitchen. "We might have come back to LA. Jo wouldn't have had to give up her career. We could have brought BTR back…"

"And Jake?" James froze. "What about Jake? Do you think he would still have been born should Jo still have her career?"

"Yes." James replied without hesitation. "Kendall and Jo love each other above everything. They would have found a way to still be together in spite of the obstacles in their way." James nodded to emphasize his words.

"Maybe…" Katie said with a sad tone of voice. "I'm sorry I lied to you, James. I thought I was doing the right thing. Please, can we just…?"

"Forget about it? No, Kate, I can't. Because I don't know how to believe in your words anymore. I tried to think of a sign that you were holding back something all of these years and there is none. I don't know how to trust you when you can lie to me so easily and without remorse." James replied quietly, almost as if giving up. He turned to leave once more – his heart breaking, his feet as heavy as led.

"There's more I held back from you…" Katie said in a small voice. James stopped. "You need to look me in the eyes for this one. I want you to know it's not a lie. I want you to know everything." Katie pleaded. James heard her move through the office. "Please."

"Why should I even listen anymore."

"For the years of friendship we shared?" Katie asked and James recognized the fear lining the tone of her voice. He recognized how vulnerable she was in that moment. His heart screamed at him to turn around and listen so he did, in spite of his better judgement. He saw Katie sitting on the couch, an invitation in her eyes. He sighed.

"I'll listen to you, Kate, but I won't promise I'll be able to forgive you." He said as he sat down.

"Ok then. Listen." Katie folded her hands in her lap, looking down at them. She took a deep breath. "You know I lied about a lot of things during the years, but, there's one that's huge. At least for me." Katie shrugged. "You took me to prom and made me win prom Queen." Katie smiled at the memory. "That day I told you no one had asked me and I was desperate and you offered to take me. Truth is I had turned down five boys because I desperately wanted you to take me." The smile on Katie's face faltered as James' face fell slightly. "I wanted you to take me because I had a monster crush on you. Which I couldn't own up to because Kendall would have killed us both. So I lied and manipulated you into taking me. It was the best night of my life and I don't regret a single second of it, as you were the one to give me my very first kiss." Katie smiled again. "It was nothing more than a brush of your lips against mine, but I was walking on clouds for a week after it happened because I loved you so much it hurt."

Katie paused, catching her breath, praying that James wouldn't hear the erratic beating of her heart against her rib cage.

James gawked quietly at her. He had no idea what to say. Katie had once loved him and he had been too blind to see it. His heart raced and raced to get out of his chest. Then his brain reasoned that Katie had used past tense and that, maybe, now, those feelings were gone and he was the stupid one who'd "woken up" when everybody'd left the party.

"I still love you." Katie said with a whisper, tears falling from the corners of her eyes. "That's why it never works with anyone. Because they can't compare. No one can." Katie confessed and stood up to hide her tears. She almost bolted for the door, but James caught her wrist and pulled her back.

"You can't just say you love me and run out." James let her know through the sound of his thundering heart. "You can't run without letting me reply." Katie slowly turned to James, tears falling down her face shamelessly. James cupped her face, caressing her tears away with his thumb. "If you ever lie to me again, Katherine Knight, even one small white lie, if you ever lie to me again I'll never speak one more word to you. Not even so much as a simple "hello". Do you understand me?" James asked calmly. Katie nodded biting her lip. "Good, because I love you so much it would be damn difficult not speaking to the owner of my heart." James smiled at the shock in Katie's eyes. He leaned in gently placing his lips lightly on hers. Just like he'd done years ago, on that prom night when he'd said no Queen should go home without a prince's kiss.

Katie closed her eyes, more tears falling down her face as James pulled away from her. She threw herself into his chest, clinging to him for dear life, shamelessly bawling her eyes out. James hugged her tightly and stayed like that for a while, until Katie calmed down.

When she finally did calm down, Katie looked up at James. James caressed her reddened face gently, smiling down. When Katie lifted herself on the tip of her toes, James met her halfway in the sweetest of kisses, their lips molding perfectly to one another, as if they'd done that a million times before. Katie's hand balled in James' shirt, for support as James pulled her closer by her slim waist. Before even knowing what she'd done, Katie parted her lips. James did the same, but didn't go any further than taking a gentle nibble at Katie's lower lip.

"I love you." James whispered against Katie's lips when he let go on her sweet, inviting mouth.

"I love you." Katie echoed as James felt the fluttering of her heart against his chest, almost like the frail wings of a humming bird. "I'll never lie to you again." She promised as her hand found its way to the back of James' neck to pull him in for another loving kiss.