After the incident with Nolan, I didn't get much time to talk to Nash. Nate and Pat confined us to our rooms for a week. Nolan got a lecture and two weeks for his stunt. He's lucky that's all he got.

While we were in solitary confinement of our rooms, Pat and Nate were planning my eighteenth birthday. I had to hand it to them. They like their cake and any reason to have a cake they did. They threw me a birthday party.

During all of this, I couldn't help but think about what Kat said. Was Nash in love with me? I mean, was it possible? Honestly, I didn't even know.

The party was in full swing, and everyone was having a great time. I enjoy my freedom. Being stuck in a room on purpose sucks. Nothing says I care about you like being freaking grounded.

The best part of the party was the gifts. The boys chipped in and got me a new phone, my friends called me jewelry, and Nate and Pat got me clothes. Typical Mom and Dad's gifts, and then came Nash's contribution.

"Happy birthday, Mags," he said, handing me a small box as he sat next to me on the couch.

"Thanks, Nash." I took the box from him and opened it. Everyone stood around, smiling as I pulled off a lid to reveal a heart shape necklace, and I held it up. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"There's something more."

He was right. There was a folded piece of paper inside, and II opened it and inside was, "I heart you."

I looked at him. "I heart you, too," I said, missing the meaning. Yep, I was a little oblivious to things.

"Um, Mags, that means I love you."

My head turned toward him. "What?"

He got down on his knees and looked at me, and he took the necklace from my hands and held it up. "The reason I got this necklace was that I had it engraved and wanted you to know how I feel."

I took the necklace from him and turned it over. Engraved in tiny words were I love you. I looked at him. "Then shout it to the world." Yeah, I enjoy a good challenge.

He leaned over and whispered, "I love you."

"Why did you whisper it to me?" I looked at him as our faces were mere inches from each other.

"Because you are my world." He smiled.

I couldn't help but smile and blush. I leaned towards Nash. "I love you, too." With that, he kissed me.

"Well, it's about damn time!" Nixon said.

"Language!" Pat said.

"Sorry, Ma."

We laughed. Leave it to the Grays to ruin a moment.

As we had cake and ice cream, we heard a loud banging coming from outside. Nate opened the front door. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Pat walked over to him. "You can't be serious!"

I wonder why they were yelling. I walked over. Then I got one hell of a surprise. I walked outside, and out front was someone pounding in a signpost in my house's front yard. Then I watched them hang a for sale sign on it.

Great, not only did my parents dump me, but they put my childhood home up for sale on my birthday. Yep, my parents were awesome.

"Maggie," Nate said.

I turned around and looked at everyone. "Yep, it's official. My parents hate me and leave it to them to ruin my birthday." I walked back inside and ran upstairs.

"Why would they do that?" Noah asked them.

"Because they're self-centered tools who don't deserve a child like Maggie," Nate spoke through gritted teeth.

"That poor girl. My heart aches for her," Pat said. "I'll check on her."

She turned, and Nash stopped her. "Let me." She nodded, and he went upstairs. He walked to my door and knocked on it, but I didn't answer. He opened the door to see me sitting on my bed. "Mags?"

I sighed. Nash walked over and sat down next to me. I looked at him. "Why do they hate me so much? I mean, am I that bad?"

"No, they're self-centered assholes who can't see what a great woman their daughter turned out to be. You know, when we were kids, I used to think you were the biggest pain in the ass."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better? Because it doesn't."

"You didn't let me finish." He chuckled. "But then, as we got older, I started noticing how much different you were. Instead of trying to hang with us, you were doing your own thing, and I missed it."

"Is that why you used to give me a hard time?"

"Yes, I was hoping to get your attention. I guess it was because you weren't showing us attention anymore as you outgrew us, which bothered me a little. Then when you turned fifteen, I started noticing you more and noticing my pants tightening more."

I gave him a weird look.

"But I was dating Sarah. So, finding the fifteen-year-old neighbor girl attractive was a little unnerving. Then when Sarah and I broke up, I thought I could ask you out, and I found out you liked that tool, and well, I figured it wouldn't happen. So, I backpacked through Europe for a year, thinking this crush I had on the neighbor girl would go away."

"Wait. You had a crush on me? On me?"

"Yep, now let me finish."

"Okay. Sorry, continue."

"Well, I came home to find some girl sleeping in my bed. I didn't know who it was in the dark, but I thought I needed to thank Ma and Dad later. I remember the smell of coconuts, and I thought I liked that smell a lot. The next morning when I found out it was you, I realized I needed to thank Ma and Dad."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"I honestly didn't know how you would feel about me. You had been so wrapped up with liking Bryson that I couldn't tell you it burned me to hear you say his name. Or that you had these hopes. Who was I to crush someone's dream?"

I looked at Nash. I never knew he felt this way about me, and I always thought he hated me, along with his brothers.

"Well, if we're confessing, I have a confession of my own."

"Oh, yeah? Go on."

"When I was younger, I had a crush on you. Well, you and Nixon, but don't tell Nixon."

"Of course not."

"I thought if I bothered you guys enough, you would pay attention to me, but as I grew up and figured that would never happen, I moved on. Then I realized you guys were mean, so I figured it's best to move on. The only thing was I moved on to liking someone I shouldn't have. Hindsight is twenty/twenty, I guess. When we got to know each other, I found I liked you."

A smile curled upon his lips.

"So, I guess me confessing my love to you was a good thing then?"

"I would say so."

He tapped his finger to his lips. "Hmm."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." He shrugged.

"Nash, what is it?"

"I was thinking about how good that sounds."

"What?"

He looked at me. "I love you, Mags. It has a nice roll off the tongue, don't you think?"

"Hmm, let me try. I love you, Nash. Yep, I think you're right. It has a nice roll off the tongue."

He leaned over and kissed me as we heard a collective "aww." We turned to see everyone standing there.

He got up and held out his hand as I took it as we went back downstairs.

"So you had a crush on me?" Nixon asked me.

"Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking."

"Ouch, that hurts." Nixon placed his hand over his heart.

"You'll survive." I smirked.

Nash took my hand and led me downstairs.

Nixon looked at his brothers. "Psh, women."

They laughed.

My eighteenth birthday might not have turned out how I planned it, but it ended how it should.