Disconnected (21 page)

             
Katy sits next to me and the seat makes her look tiny. "Wow...this is just...wow." She shakes her head, taking it all in. “I could really go for a massage, though."

             
"Me too!" Krista pipes in, and we all laugh. I think we all desperately need this trip. Just to get away from it all, even just for a moment to forget. Forget the fear we've all felt this last month, and the sadness of Lucas' death. I know Katy still holds onto her guilt, but I can tell she's healing. Anytime something reminds her of him she doesn't break down, she smiles and talks about the memory. One step forward, a day at a time, is all I can hope for. 

Chapter 29

              Once we land and step off the plane, we're blasted with humidity that makes us immediately start sweating just walking into the airport. 

             
"Thank God we wore shorts," Katy mutters while fanning herself. 

             
"Adams and Warren party?" a tall man in a black muscle shirt and black pants asks, stepping up to us.

             
"Yes, sir," I answer, grabbing Katy's and my luggage.

             
 "Right this way, please." He starts walking and we follow behind him to a black stretch limo.

             
Krista whistles from behind me, "Nice...very nice." 

             
Scott and I shake our heads before sliding into the back and the girls quickly follow.

             
"Oh, and before we forget, someone's going to be bringing you girls some formal dinner dresses to pick from for a special dinner tonight," I tell them while sliding my arm around Katy's shoulders.

             
She raises an eyebrow at me. "What's the occasion?"

             
I look down at her new ring then towards Scott and Krista and shrug, "New beginnings." 

             
Katy smiles at me and snuggles closer, watching out the window at the passing palm trees and never-ending beaches. I squeeze her hand and rest my head on top of hers.

             
 I think this is just what we need--seclusion from the rest of the world. If we're lucky, by the time we get back to L.A there will be some other scandal to make everything with Alexia old news. I'm sure word has spread about the how and why of her death by now, which is all the more reason to be gone before the paparazzi have the chance to camp out at our front door. Krista would probably be hounded, or worse, targeted for being the one to take her down. Alexia had a large fan base, even if she did snap. Being on the resort will be good to block out the rest of the world's issues for awhile. 

             
When we pull in front of tall black gates with a talk box attached, Katy's eyes widen as she looks inside at the large houses. "THAT's where we're staying?"

             
I smile and nod. "You like?"

             
"Uh...Yeah, I definitely like." She shakes her head, keeping her eyes wide as we are granted access and pull inside the resort.  

             
Once we've driven to our rented condo, the driver walks around, opening the door and bows slightly. "Welcome."

             
Scott shakes his hand and gives him a tip as he does so. We grab our suitcases out of the back of the limo and drag them inside, but are immediately swarmed by several staff members taking them from us.

             
"Which one is your room, sir?" a woman with long black hair and a lei around her neck asks.

             
"Um...I don't know yet. Would you mind just leaving the luggage here until after Krista and Scott pick a room?"

             
"Of course, sir," She sets the bags to the side and I walk over to Katy, taking her in my arms. "So, did we do ok?”

             
"Way more than ok. This place is beautiful." She smiles up at me. 

             
 "It is. I've been here once before. Don't worry, not with someone else." I shrug, looking out the window at the ocean view. "I came here alone to get away from everything for a while. Sometimes it's nice to just be secluded away from the rest of the world."

             
She nods, squeezing my hand before looking down the hallway where Krista and Scott disappeared. "Well, let’s go find a room...whatever's left that Krista hasn't claimed already. Which one do you want?"

             
"Hmm, I think this one down here has the best view of the ocean out the window.” I tug her down the hall and into a room at the end that thankfully wasn't taken over by our friends. In the center of the room is a king size bed with a white down comforter and at least 10 different sizes of pillow at the head. Katy puts her luggage down and gapes at the bed and I can't help but smirk. 

             
Katy gives me a mischievous smile. "That looks extremely comfortable," she giggles before taking a running leap and flopping on the middle of the bed. I laugh and decide to follow right behind her, running and jumping right on top of her and rolling her under me. 

             
"Mmm. Very comfortable," I whisper before leaning down to kiss her.

             
She wraps her arms and legs around me and kisses me back deeply before we're rudely interrupted by Scott clearing his throat. I quickly roll off and glare in his and Krista's direction.

             
Katy covers her face, mortified, and Krista laughs, putting her hands on her hips, "Hey now, no hanky panky with the door open, you two." She smiles, walking over and yanking Katy off the bed.

             
"The dress lady is here! I saw some of the collection she has; they’re to die for, Kate!” She starts dragging Katy out of the room, and Katy looks back long enough to whisper "sorry" before she's yanked out the door. 

             
 I sigh, sliding off the bed. "You have really bad timing, you know that?" I mutter.

             
He laughs, holding his hands up. "Sorry man, but you did leave the door open."

             
I roll my eyes and slip around him, closing the door. "So is everything all set for tonight?"

             
He nods, leaning against my bed. "Yep, the girls are going to have some hair and make up people come and get them all fixed up. I also had the stylists get our measurements from wardrobe; they brought us some tailor-made suits and hung them in the closet in the hallway."

             
"Nice." I nod. "Are you nervous?"

             
He frowns while he thinks about it. "Yes. I don't think she'll say no, but we haven't been together for a long time and she hasn't even gotten to meet my parents yet. But I love her, and I think she loves me, too. I just gotta make her want to love me forever."

             
I pat his shoulder and open the door, walking towards the living room area. "I don't think you have any worries there, man. I've seen how she looks at you," I tell him, sitting down on the couch in front of the large coffee table. "I'm pretty sure she's just waiting for you to say the word."

             
He smiles and runs a hand through his dark brown hair. "I hope you're right. I think the ring is all her, too. It's a cushion cut diamond and has a bunch of little diamonds on the band. It suits her." He smiles, looking down at the ground. "Listen to me...I never thought I'd be someone to worry about what kind of a cut a diamond is." He shakes his head and I laugh.

             
"Welcome to the club. Once they stick themselves in your heart, there's no turning back. You just gotta be smart enough to stay on top of your game. As long as she stays the center of your world, then you're good. Don't push her off-center like I did with Katy."

             
"I will definitely take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes."

             
"Smart man."

              A little bit later Katy and Krista come back and I cross the room to take Katy in my arms. "So, did you find anything to your liking?"

             
"I did. And I think you'll really like it." She grins up at me before standing on her tip toes to kiss me.

             
"Do I get a hint?" 

             
 "It's black, has some beading stuff on it and comes to about here." She bends and points to her knees. "It's really pretty...and the heels! Wait 'till you see the heels."

             
I raise an eyebrow, amused. For Katy to actually be excited for a pair of heels and a fancy dress, these stylists must have done a damn good job. 

             
 "I can just imagine," I whisper against her lips as I start kissing her again. She kisses me back eagerly, slowly walking us backwards towards our room.

             
"We always seem to get carried away, and there's always too many people around," she whispers as we slip into the room and lock the door behind us.

             
"Mmm. Way too many people,” I stalk over to her and start kissing her as I slip my hand under the back of her shirt. I rub the soft skin at the small of her back before lifting her swiftly, causing her to gasp and wrap her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck.

             
"Well, what do you know…you’re sexy 
and
 strong." She smiles as I walk us towards the bed. I slide us up and continue kissing her, moving down her neck and chest, before glancing at the clock.

             
"How long until dinner?" Katy asks breathlessly.

             
I smile up at her. "Two hours."

             
She grabs my shirt, pulling me back to her face. "Then let's make the most of it."

Chapter
30

             
Around an hour later when Katy rolls off the bed, I frown. "You know, we could always skip dinner," I smirk at her as I sit up to stretch.

             
"Uh-uh, not after all the dress drama and everything else I went through today. I want to see your face when you see that dress.”

             
I grab her hand, pulling her back down on the bed to steal another kiss, and she laughs as she kisses me back. "Ok...just because I want to see the dress..." I look her over from her eyes all the way down to her feet, "...and the heels you talked about." 

             
She smiles before jumping to her feet and just out of grabbing distance. I watch as she shimmies back into her jeans and t-shirt and throws her hair into a messy bun before she looks over her shoulder at me. "Trust me....it'll be worth it. Besides, I think Krista and I have a date with your hair and make-up friends."

             
"Ah, that you do, guess I better go see if Scott wants to hang out until we need to get ready." I sit up, running a hand through my now disheveled hair. 

             
"Don't have too much fun without us."

             
I stand up and walk barefooted and bare-chested to her, wrapping my arms around her. "Not possible...go get yourself glammed up, baby."

             
"Just don't expect me to come out looking like your Hollywood friends, k?” she says before stepping into the hall to wait on me while I throw the nearest t-shirt over my head.

             
I give her a mock serious look. "Of course not...you'll look better." I smile down at her as she rolls her eyes.

             
We walk down the hallway and run into a very anxious looking Scott and frustrated looking Krista. Scott is shifting from one foot to the other, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants leg and keeps rubbing the back of his neck.

             
Katy looks between the two of them with an eyebrow raised. "You ok, Scott?"

             
Krista crosses her arms, looking over at him. "For some unknown reason, he's a panic attack waiting to happen... He says he's just feeling anxious about security, but come on! We're in the middle of an island!"

             
Katy shakes her head, giving me a look and nodding towards Scott, implying I should  deal with him, while she grabs hold of Krista's arm, "Ready to make some friends with hair and make-up?”

             
Once the girls are out of sight, I walk over to Scott and put my hands on his shoulders. "Ok bud, do me a favor...take a deep breath."

             
He looks at me and closes his eyes before taking a deep breath and letting it back out. "I don't know if I can do this," he whispers, stepping away from me and starting to pace. "What if she says no? I'll look like an idiot and this whole trip will have been a complete waste and then what will we do?" he rambles, walking back and forth.