Reconnected

by Bethany Daniel

Chapter 10

  Over the next week Krista and I became so used to Eric and Nate being around that we hardly even acknowledge them being there. It's still strange to know I have someone guarding me though.

  Liam and Scott call us every spare minute they can find. Including their early morning shoots, those sure don't make Krista very happy, but I can tell that she's really falling hard for Scott, as for me? I'm really falling for Liam all over again. The only problem is that I see Lucas almost daily. And it breaks my heart seeing him be so lonely. Anytime I so much as walked into the same room with him he would go to the opposite side of the room and just look totally unapproachable.

  Finally one day, I'd had enough of it. I decided I was going to have it out with Lucas if nothing else to clear the air between us. I at least missed him as a good friend. He had been part of my life for the better part of a year and I hated him just not being there anymore.

  I walked over to where Nate was leaning against the wall by my class after it was over, “Just fair warning...there's a good chance that there's going to some yelling between Luke and me as soon as I can get him somewhere I can talk to him privately.”

  Nate raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms, "I'm not sure I can allow that, Mrs. Warren. Yelling can lead to physical violence, and that I cannot allow to happen. It'll result in something on him being broken."

  I roll my eyes and wave my hand in the air, "No need to worry about that. Luke would never do me any bodily harm. But I've hurt him a lot in the last couple weeks, and now he won't even so much as look at me. I want my friend back, that's all this is going to be about, Nate."

  He pursed his lips together and I had a feeling I would probably get griped at by a certain movie star later, but right now, I had something to fix.

  I smiled tightly at him and turned to make the walk down the hall and around the corner where I knew Lucas would be coming out of his class. Sure enough, after I was around the corner, I saw him talking with one of his friends and as soon as he saw me, he quickly pivoted and bolted towards the door.

  "Lucas, wait!” I yelled and ran after him, "No more avoiding me.” I grab his arm and pull him outside and into a shaded area where there aren't many other students. "We are going to talk....or at least I am. I'm tired of you going out of your way to not be near me. I know what happened sucks, and I'm really very sorry for that. For at least how everything fell apart, but I still care for you, Luke. You and Krista have been my rocks the last couple years; I wouldn't of survived college without you guys. Just because Liam is back in my life doesn't mean I have to toss you out completely, ok?"

  He runs a frustrated hand through his short brown hair and closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath, "Somehow Kate, we'll find our way back to being friends. I don't like keeping away from you anymore then you do. I admit, I'm still jealous of Mr. Hollywood getting to be the only man in your life again...but if you'll have me, I'd like to still be a man in your life, even if it’s just as a friend, deal?"

  I smile and nod, "Deal!” and move to hug him but he holds up a hand. "Wait, I'm not going to get jumped if I hug you, am I?"

  I laugh and step forward and wrap my arms around him, "No, hugging is fine."

  "Good,” he squeezes me back and sighs. "I'm really sorry, Kate. I've been a huge jerk."

  "You kind of had the right to be, but I want to put this all behind us, alright? Just turn the page and start over."

  He smiles and puts his arm around my shoulders, "I think I can do that."

  "Good, so what are you doing this afternoon?"

  "Uh...nothing, why?"

  "Krista and I are going to the set to see the guys and I thought you might want to come along."

  "Do you really think it’s a great idea for me to come along and hang out with your boyfr-...husband? I mean, we didn't exactly get along very well the last time we saw each other."

  I bite my lip, "If he has anything to say about you coming along, as my friend, then he'll just have to answer to me about it. So, will you go?"

  "Ok, I'll go. Let me go and change. Don't want to look like a grungy college guy around the Hollywood ladies.” he winks and I laugh.

  "Ok, just meet us at the dorms in like an hour."

  "Sounds like a plan. See you later, Kate."

  I wave and watch him go and sigh in relief. That definitely went much better than I expected it to. Now to just keep my fingers crossed that Liam or Krista for that matter, don't freak out about him coming with us to the set.

  I met up with Krista about half way to the dorms and decided to just let it all out, "So um, I talked to Luke and things are good again....and he's coming with us to set!"

  She stops in her tracks and grabs my arm, "He's coming to set? Are you insane...Your HUSBAND is going to be there. The one who didn't like your ex-boyfriend very much, remember?"

  I roll my eyes and nod, “Yes, I remember. But I have to get used to all the people he has in his life, including his flings, i.e. Alexia. So he can just get used to Luke being part of my life during our time apart. And yes, there was a time where I thought Luke and I could be more, but in the end we’ve decided to be friends, like we were before.”

  Shaking her head as we approach the door, Krista looks over at me, “You are one brave woman, Kate Parker-Warren.”

  I laugh at that and walk down to our room and throw my bag near the closet. “Let me let you in on a little secret. I’ve never backed down to Liam Warren. He can be pissed if he wants to. But I won’t let what he wants ruin a relationship, even with another guy.”

  “Man, I wish I knew you guys before everything went all crazy with ya’ll. I have a feeling you would have been at the very least entertaining.”

  I laugh and smile, “Someday, I’m going to take you home with me and break out the old home movies I have of Mr. Famous. He wasn’t always so perfect. I have videos of his awkward teen years.”

  She snorts as she changes her outfit, “Oh I doubt that. I’ve seen those “before they were stars” things, and he was still cute. Someday you’re going to have to tell me the whole story of how the two of you hooked up.”

  “I will, I promise. It’s not that big of a romantic story or anything. And a lot of it had to do with our Mom’s kind of pushing us together.” I shrug and grab the car keys. “Luke should be meeting us outside in just a sec.”

  Krista gathers her things and we make our way out and I stop and frown when I see Lucas getting patted down by Eric.

  “Isn’t that a bit much?” I cross my arms and look between them.

  “No, Mrs. Warren, when it comes to your privacy, and safety as well as those that are on set, this is just precautionary.” Eric says as he steps away.

  “Sorry Luke. You ok?”

  “Yeah…I’m good.” He mutters and smoothens down his shirt.

  I nod and we pile into the car. “Ok, so when we get there, you’ll have to show them your ID and I’ll tell them that you’re with me so they don’t go into an even more thorough search then what Eric just did.” I smirk back at him as I see him grimace.

  “You guys must be old pros at all this now, huh?” he asks and looks between Krista and I.

  Are you jealous, Lucas?” Krista asks with her eyebrows raised.

  He snorts and crosses his arms, “No, what’s to be jealous of, Kris? Daily pat downs?” He says with a shudder and Krista and I exchange a knowing look.

  "M-hm, whatever you say buddy.” She teases him and is rewarded with a glare.

  After a somewhat quiet drive, other than Krista finding reasons to pick at Luke, we finally pull into the lot where there are about a hundred crew members with walkie talkies and cameras and actors getting touch-ups on their make-up and who knows what else.

  As I told Luke would happen, when we step up to security he's asked for his ID, and patted down, again, and gets a long lecture of all the Do's and Don'ts of the set.

  "Is all that really necessary?” he grumbles after we get out of the checkpoint and we make our way o
ver to where all the actors’ trailers are.

  "Mrs. Warren, Ms. Quinn...and who is this?” Mitchell Fallon asks with his arms crossed over his chest.

  "This is my friend Lucas Austin. Lucas, this is Mr. Mitchell Fallon, the President of Excite Entertainment, where Liam is represented."

  Lucas stretches out his hand, "Nice to meet you sir."

  Mitchell returns the handshake and nods, "Can you act? You've kind of got the look."

  Lucas actually blushes and I find myself laughing and notice Krista is doing the same thing.

  "No sir, I'm studying architecture. Don't think acting is in my blood."

  "Well, that's a shame. Here's my card though.” He pats his shoulder and hands him a card as he walks over to chat with people.

  "What...just happened?” Luke asks looking down at the card in his hand.

  Laughing again, I pat his arm, "You were almost discovered."

  He shakes his head and shoves the card in his back pocket, "Crazy Hollywood people."

  "Tell me about it.” I mutter as I see Liam, Scott, Alexia and another actress that I don't recognize come around the corner with their little entourage.

  Liam stops in his tracks and narrows his eyes as he crooks his finger for me to come over to him.

  "Yes?” I ask innocently as I take his hand.

  "What the hell is he doing here?” he asks with clenched teeth.

  "He's my friend and I invited him...and you are not allowed to be angry about that."

  I watch his jaw muscle jump and reach up to smooth it out with my hand. He's extra handsome when he's angry, even if that anger is directed at me.

  "Oh, I'm not. And why is that?"

  "Because you have me now, and if you play your cards right, forever. So be nice.”