Disconnected (18 page)

             
I blow out my breath and pull back to look her in the eye. "You’re sure you’re ok?"

             
"I am, I swear. What’s going to happen now, Liam?” she whispers, linking her hand with mine.

             
I shake my head. "A lot of headaches most likely. Krista will probably have the worst of it because she's the one that shot Alexia, but I think with all the evidence it'll be obvious that she acted in self-defense."

             
Katy closes her eyes before looking towards the door with worry in her eyes. "What time is it? Is Krista still up?"

             
"She's resettling down for the night with Scott. I think she just wants to forget as much as she can right now," I tell Katy as she pulls me the rest of the way onto the bed with her and lays her head on my chest.

             
"I don't blame her. I would like nothing more than to never have to face those memories ever again." She closes her eyes again before looking up at me. "You wouldn't have believed it, Liam. Alexia was just...crazy. Her hair was a mess, she looked like she hadn't slept or eaten in days, and she wanted me dead." She shivers and I pull her tighter against me. "I never dreamed Krista knew how to hold a gun, much less shoot one, but I'm very glad her dad made her take that gun safety class...very, very thankful."

             
"I am, too." I sigh, stroking her back. "I didn't get your text. I slept through the noise. Then Krista called Scott and  the next thing I knew he was banging on my door like a mad man and it finally woke me up." I shake my head. "The first thing I did after Scott told me what happened was call the airline and book the first flight back. I let him deal with calling Mitchell and the director to cancel all the plans for tomorrow. All I cared about was getting back here."

             
"I'm glad you did, or else I would have been itching to find a way to get to where you were."

             
"Katy, I swear, I'm never letting you out of my sight again." I lean down and kiss her.  "You could have been gone tonight, and the last time you saw me would have been me rushing out the door to catch a plane..."

             
"Liam..."

             
Before she can say anything else, I crush my mouth against hers and kiss a trail down her neck. "I don't want you to think that work comes before you do, baby. I might be this big actor now, but I made that mistake once. I refuse to make it again. You are my priority, not the filming or awards or any of that. God, all I can think about is how Alexia could have gotten her way and shot you, and I wouldn't have had my chance to tell you over and over that I'm so sorry about who I was four years ago. I love you more than ever and I really want to marry you all over again, and someday have little versions of us running around. If you’ll have me," I whisper, and stare into her eyes as they fill with tears. 

             
“I will. The last four years may have been a mess, but we have the future. I don't plan on running away this time around."

             
I grin before kissing her again and scoot her under me, being careful to keep any weight off her leg. I kiss down her neck and pull her closer, but I'm not close enough. I pull her shirt off and look down at her. "Is this ok?" I ask breathlessly.

             
She nods before reaching up and pulling my shirt over my head. She runs her hands over my abs and chest, making me groan. God, I've missed being like this with her. She's always known how to get to me, how to make me spiral out of control, but also how to hold me in tight and just be my Katy. It's always been her.

             
“I’ve missed being this close to you, Katy. More than just sex, just being completely mentally, emotionally, and physically connected to you," I whisper before kissing and nipping at her shoulders, then her chest. She lets out a sigh and we rush getting each other stripped down to nothing. 

             
 “I have, too...I missed you every day, Liam. Right now, I just want to focus on that love we pushed away for so long. Tonight, let this be all that matters,” she whispers before pulling me back to her mouth again. This--us--is really all that matters. For so long I felt so disconnected from everything, but with Katy, I feel complete again. This is how things are meant to be. Hollywood might come banging on the door, but this is my sweet reality and I'll take it over those red carpets any day. 

             
The next morning I roll towards Katy and smile when I tuck her hair behind her ear. 

             
"Good morning." She smiles up at me.

             
I rub my eyes, "Morning. Are you ok?"

             
"I'm great, but I want to go check on Krista, and I need to go to the doctor to get my leg looked over. If I'm lucky I should be able to get rid of the crutches once and for all."

             
I nod, kissing her quickly before rolling out of bed and stretching. When I look behind me I catch Katy staring and smirk down at her. "See something you like?"

             
"Maybe," She giggles before she rolls towards the end of the bed, and I hurry over to help her. "Easy there, Katy."

             
"I've got it. I can't depend on crutches forever, and I've been going to physical therapy and all.” She shakes her head, hobbling away from me towards her clothes. "See?" 

             
I sigh, watching her maneuver herself to get dressed, and slip my arm around her waist to help her out of the room.

             
"Do you think Krista's ok?” Katy asks as I sit her in her chair and scoot her into the table.

             
"I think she's going to need some time. She's going to need to speak with the police a lot and let her side of everything be known. Then once everything on our end is settled, we want to get you girls out of town." I sit across from her and fold my hands in front of me. "This was supposed to be a safe getaway. We're going to take a real vacation once all this is done, the four of us. Does the beach sound good?" I raise an eyebrow at her. Scott and I planned all this out over our plane ride because we needed to focus on something better than what was racing through our heads while we flew. We're going to surprise the girls with taking a trip to a private Hawaiian resort I've been to before. I think it's just the thing we all need after everything is said and done. We could really use the escape.

             
"The beach sounds fabulous right now." Krista walks into the kitchen and sits beside Katy, "So much better than drab police headquarters."

             
"Are you doing ok, Kris?” Katy asks as she hugs her.  

 
              "Yes, and I'm already tired of being asked that! The police, Scott, even your parents! I swear, I'm ok, I don't regret shooting her; I would do it all over again to protect you. After what happened to Luke, I think its deserved justice."

             
Scott walks in and kisses her cheek before sitting next to her. "I wouldn't let the police hear you talk like that, babe...just saying."

             
She rolls her eyes as she grabs a banana from the bowl sitting in the center of the table. "I can't wait to have all eyes off of me again. How do you guys handle having so many people pay attention to you all the time?"

             
Scott shrugs. "That's different. That's not legal attention. Just girls who think they'll get a shot at us if we give them the time of day."

             
"You better not give any of those girls any time of your day, because as far as I'm concerned Mister, you’re all mine," Krista teases him before leaning over to kiss him for longer then necessary. I clear my throat to break them up.

 
              Scott grins sheepishly before grabbing an apple and taking a loud bite. "Sorry, what time do we need to be at the police station?” he asks, looking over at Krista.

             
"Ten. We'll need to leave soon." She sighs, standing up. "Better go get dressed."

             
They both stand and go to the guest room to change clothes. Katy watches them go and then turns to me.

             
"I worry about her," she whispers. "This is really a big deal, and I know her; it just hasn't hit her yet."

             
 "I know babe, but she’s tough. I know that and I haven't even known her very long. She didn't do anything wrong. Scott is here to help her through this now."

             
She sighs, squeezing my hands with hers. "I know, I'm just used to being the one there for her."

             
"What did I tell you about taking on the weight of the world? Sometimes other people can take a turn, Katy. Not everything has to be on your shoulders."

             
"I know, but..."

             
"No buts. She is your best friend, but she's got someone else to protect her now. And that's my job for you from now on too."

             
She kisses me before smiling up at me. "I love you. You don't have to have the weight of guilt on you, either. You don't have to feel guilty for not being there, ok? You have a job, a big, important job that a lot of people depend on you for; you shouldn't have to sit and babysit me."

             
"Well, I have to say, it's the best damn babysitting job ever." I wink at her and laugh when she shoves me.

             
"You are a mess, Liam Warren."

             
"But I'm all your mess, Mrs. Warren," I whisper before kissing her again.

             
"Mmm...that you are."

Chapter 25

             
 "So, what are the plans for today?" Katy asks as she puts her chin in her hand.

             
"I need to talk with Scott, but I was thinking once Krista's cleared of any wrongdoing maybe we could all get the first flight out to the coast. And then, if you’re willing, I thought we could discuss plans for that second wedding you talked about? Unless that was medicine induced thoughts...?” I ask her warily. 

             
"It wasn't. I would love to plan it. But don't we kind of need to wait to see if Scott really plans on, you know..." she points to her bare ring finger, "before doing much planning about that?"

             
I smile at Katy. She has no idea that Scott and I have some big things planned for her and Krista. I actually bought Katy a new ring four years ago before she left; I planned on giving it to her on our anniversary, but I never got the chance, all this time it's been locked away, just waiting until I could finally put it on her hand, and now I will.  I have a surprise set up for her after her doctor appointment this afternoon, and I happen to know Scott bought a ring for Krista when he got back to L.A. 

             
"Don't worry about that, babe. I'll get us an on-the-beach hotel away from the public eye, and maybe we can just have someone bring in racks of wedding dresses or something." 

             
"Uh, no, if we're going dress shopping, we're going to get the full experience--stepping in front of those huge mirrors and trying on thirty different dresses before getting the perfect one. You know every little girls dream." She smirks at me. I know she hates getting dressed up. I think I've seen her in a dress maybe three or four times our whole lives, and she had to be forced to put those on.

             
I laugh and kiss her forehead. "Since I made you miss out on that dream the last time around, I'll let you live it up this time, baby."

             
"I really don't want a Hollywood affair though, Liam, just our closest friends and family and a good day. That's all I want."

             
My thoughts exactly, “I can do that, and maybe some surprises along the way, too." I smile at her teasingly. Katy raises an eyebrow at me but just smiles before making her way into the other room. 

             
While she goes to the doctor later, I have some things to set up. Thank God for Theo. He's the owner of the theater I used to work in and he has agreed to help me set up a proposal. I know technically we've already agreed to do a vow renewal, but I want to do this right.

             
The last time I proposed, we were sitting out on my little beat up truck after we went to a movie the week before we graduated high school. We were parked down by the lake and just listening to the radio. Our song came on and when I looked at her, I knew I wanted to have a million more of those moments, just us, together. 

             
So I turned to her and took her hand in mine, and said, "Marry me, Katy. Right after graduation is done, let's just go. We'll drive to Vegas, find one of those little chapels and get married."