Reconnected

by Bethany Daniel

Chapter 2

  After begging forgiveness from Lucas and promising to go on a date in a couple days, I storm into my room and slam the door.

  "I am going to kill that stupid...jerk! Who does he thing he is, just waltzing up and criticizing him?!" I ramble while I start changing my clothes.

  "Umm...what the heck has you so pissed off?" Krista asks me while ducking from clothes flying around.

  I took a deep breath and decided to lay it all out. "Ok, you might want to sit down because I have a lot to tell you, and knowing you, you’re going to be totally freaked out.”

  "Uh…ok," She quirked her eyebrow at me and quickly plopped down on her bed.

  "Alright, so you know Liam Warren, right?" I ask her innocently.

  "Duh!" She replies loudly and I resist the urge to laugh.

  "He's kind of...my husband.” I whisper and bite my lip.

  "WHAT?!” Krista yells and jumps up off her bed. 'How the hell is he "kind of" your husband Kate?!"

  "Well, the short version of the story is that we grew up around each other, our moms are good friends. By the time we got to high school, we started liking each other. We fell in love blah blah blah, after we graduated, we eloped to Vegas. A year or so later, he was discovered and whisked off to L.A. He had all kinds of women throwing themselves at him and I couldn't deal with it and told him so. He expected me to just get used to it. So, one day while he was off filming, I packed all my stuff and left and went to the opposite side of the country, here. And up until now, haven't had to face him. And so, technically, we're still legally married.” I stopped to catch my breath and looked over at her.

  "Oh my God, oh my God! You’re the one he used to talk about...Katy. I just thought he finally got divorced and moved on with all those other skanks....you’re really HIS Katy?” She looked at me bewildered.

  I shrugged and sighed. "Guilty."

  “Oh my God!” She said again and got up and started pacing.

  "Yeah....so do me a favor, and keep me far away from anywhere they might be filming that stupid movie!” I fall back on my bed and cover my head with a pillow.

  After a minute of silence she pulled it off me, "How does no one else know about this?” She asks and sits next to me.

  “Because I didn't want them to, and I never wanted to have to be face to face with....him, ever again if I could help it, much less all the madness that comes with him.” I sigh and sit up rubbing my eyes. "Did you know that he had the audacity to ask me what I'm doing with Lucas?"

  "Honey, I asked you the same thing!” She points out with a smirk.

  "Yeah well...you’re different.” I smile softly and lean back. "I'm going to go to bed, and just try to forget he even exists."

  The next day, I overslept and ended up being in a big hurry to get to my Psychology class. By the time I got there, some of my classmates were standing outside and giving me strange looks. The guys anyways, the girls looked downright mad.

  "Umm…hey guys, what's up?” I asked nervously as I neared the door.

  "Well uh....your husband is sitting at your table waiting for you.” One of the guys smirked and looked me up and down.

  I stopped cold and backed up. "Excuse me?"

  Liam walks up to the doorway and leaned against it, arms crossed and big smile on his face. I think those girls swooned.

  "Hey baby....just thought I'd sit and spend some time with you while you’re in class today,” he ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair and looked back at the teacher. "Mr. Wallace already said it was ok. I told him that we just never get to see each other anymore."

  "Are you freaking crazy?!” I ask and look in the classroom. "First off, you don't get to call me baby anymore, ok? And second, you can't think you can waltz back into my life. I told you, I want a divorce, so I can put all this behind me!"

  He shakes his head and looked back at me. "No."

  "No what?!” I asked confused and exasperated.

  "No divorce. I refuse to give you a divorce. I'm not dating anyone. Never gotten even close to serious, and I still love you Katy. You don't get to just sign the dotted line and be rid of me. I refuse it!” He steps closer and I gulp. "You are mine, Katy Warren."

  I felt a tear roll down my cheek and he reaches out to wipe it away. "Give me another chance baby, please,” he whispers and pulled out a picture of us wrapped up in each other at the theater shortly before he was discovered. "Give that Liam and Katy their chance,” he pleads.

  I allowed myself to cry for a minute as I saw Lucas come around the corner. "Hey, what's going on, Kate?” He asked as he stepped up and pulled me into his arms and away from Liam.

  Taking a deep breath, I just shake my head and lean it on his chest as I hold on to his arm. "Nothing....let's just get to class, ok?” I pull him to the door and take a last look at a sad looking Liam. "I...I can't be with you."

  Mr. Wallace comes to stand at the door with his arms crossed. "Ready to join us Ms. Parker?"

  I nod silently and turn to walk into class with just one last glance in his direction before shutting the door on everything Liam Warren.

 

  By the time we walk out of class, there were already photographers swarming outside the building. I guess news travels fast.

  "Mrs. Warren, what does your boyfriend think about being involved in an affair with THE Liam Warren's wife?” One of the photographers yelled.

  “Did you run away from your marriage, Kate? What are you doing in Wilmington Island?” Another yells as he brings his camera up to start snapping pictures.

  I groan. “Oh you have got to be kidding me!” I grab Lucas' hand and start running.

  "How the hell are they allowed to just hang around here?” Lucas asks as we finally got into my dorm and slammed the door.

  I just shake my head and sigh. "I don't know. I guess it’s the whole freedom of press thing to them or something. Look...Luke, I'm really so sorry about all this."

  He squeezes my hand and smiles softly. "No worries....now that you've kind of been forced to face things with him, you can get a divorce finalized and finally write him out of your life."

  I took a deep breath and force a smile on my face. "Yeah...here's hoping. Hey, uh...after I get my homework and stuff done, would you want to go out to that club in town?” I ask him hopefully. I need something to get my mind off all this mess. What better way than to go dancing and just be able to blank out my mind with my boyfriend?

  "Sure, I'll get you around 8?” He asked and leaned on the wall.

  "Sounds great,” I told him and gave him one last long kiss before walking into my room where Krista was pacing around and when she noticed me she bites her lip and points to a large envelope and a huge bouquet of flowers on my desk.

  "What the heck is all that?” I asked her curiously and sit on my bed.

  "Some treats from your hunky hubby!” She giggled bouncing on the balls of her feet.

  I shake my head and pick up the flowers. "These can go in the trash..."

  She gasps and put her hand on her chest. "You would dare throw away flowers personally from Liam Warren?!"

  I laughed and nodded. "It wouldn't be the first time...unless you want them?” I ask and reach them out to her.

  “Do you even have to ask?” She smiles as she snatches them out of my hands and put them on her desk next to her pictures, pink stickers and other knick knacks, oohing and aahing over the calla lilies.

  Shaking my head, I decide to open the big envelope he sent. Inside I find a blown up picture of us at the wedding chapel in Vegas and sigh. We were so young and thought nothing would ever be able to break us apart. Love is supposed to stand up to anything right? Closing my eyes to the memory, I shove the envelope under my bed; those people just don’t exist anymore.