Authors: Bethany Daniel
"Honey, I asked you the same thing!", she pointed out with a smirk.
"Yeah well...you’re different.", I smiled softly and leaned 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 walked 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 asked and looked 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 shook 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 stepped closer and I gulped. "You are mine, Katy Warren."
I felt a tear roll down my cheek and he reached out to wipe it away. "Give me another chance baby, please", he whispered 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 pleaded.
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 shook my head and leaned it on his chest as I held 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 walked out of class, there were photographers swarming outside the building.
I groaned. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!", I muttered as I started yanking Lucas to start running.
"Mrs. Warren, what does your boyfriend think about being involved in an affair with THE Liam Warren's wife?", one of the photographers yelled and we started running faster.
"How the hell are they allowed to just hang around here?", Lucas asked as we finally got into my dorm and slammed the door.
I just shook my head and sighed. "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 squeezed my hand and smiled 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 put a smile on my face. "Yeah...here's hoping. Hey, uh...after I get my homework and stuff done, would you wanna go out to that club in town?", I asked 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 sat on my bed.
"Some treats from your hunky hubby!", she giggled bouncing on the balls of her feet.
I shook my head and picked up the flowers. "These can go in the trash..."
She gasped 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 asked and reached them out to her.
“
Do you even have to ask?", she smiled as she snatched them out of my hands and put them on her desk and started oohing and aahing over them.
Then I decided to open the big envelope he sent. Inside I found a blown up picture of us at the wedding chapel in Vegas and sighed. We were so young and thought nothing would ever be able to break us apart. Love is supposed to stand to anything right? Shaking my head, I shove the envelope under my bed, those people just don’t exist anymore.
Chapter 3
By the time 7:30 rolled around, I was antsy to go out with Lucas. I just kept staring at the flowers that now took up residence on Krista's desk and just kept getting madder and madder. I got myself all ready to go just as I heard knocking at the door. I smiled to myself knowing that Lucas liked to be right on time.
But when I got to the door and opened it, it wasn't Lucas standing there. Instead, there in a dark hoody and sunglasses, stood Liam with a big smile on his face. "Oh you have got to be kidding me!", I muttered and went to slam the door in his face but he reached his arm out to stop me and stepped inside the room. Glancing around the hall quickly, I shut the door and turned to face him.
"What the heck do you think you’re doing here Liam?", I asked crossing my arms and leaning against the door.
"Oh you know...I had a break in filming and thought I'd come and visit these um...lovely dorms", he smirked looking around the room and frowned seeing the flowers on Krista's side. "Those weren't for her, you know."
I shrugged and checked my watch. "I know, I didn't want them....and Krista, who by the way will be back in like five minutes, is just so "in love" with you and was just too happy to take the flowers out of my hands.”, I smiled and put my hands on hip.
Grumbling he walked a little closer. "You are impossible Katy! What do I have to do to prove to you that I want you?!'
“For the thousandth time, I'm just Kate now. Not Katy, ok? And you don't have to prove anything, because I don't care!", I yelled and then squeaked when he grabbed me and kissed me while he held me tight against him.
I allowed myself to melt against him as the door knob turned and in walked Krista rubbing her hair dry with a towel and Lucas right on her heels.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S LIAM WARREN!", Krista screamed as I pulled myself away in a hurry and took a giant step back looking quickly over at Lucas.
"Lucas, I-", I started to take a step towards him but he put his hand up to stop me.
"No...I get it Kate. How can I stand a chance against a movie star?", he smiled sadly and walked out again.
I covered my face with my hands and peeked over at Krista who was completely star-struck.
Clearing my throat I stepped towards her and took a deep breath. "Krista Quinn, I believe you know who he is", I pointed towards Liam. "Liam Warren, this is my roommate and best friend, Krista Quinn."
He put on his big dazzling movie star smile and reached his arm out. "It’s very nice to meet you Krista Quinn."
She squealed and shook his hand while practically melting into a puddle.
"N-nice to meet you L-Liam.", she stammered and stepped back attempting to fix her shower-wet hair.
He nodded at her politely and looked over me. "We really need to talk about this Katy.", he spared a quick glance in Krista's direction.
"Oh, right...I'll just grab my brush and hair dryer and go use Brittney's room, she's hardly there anyway.", she quickly recovered herself, grabbed her things and made a bee line for the door.
Taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts, I sat on the edge of my bed and nervously rubbed my hands together.
"Alright...start talking."
He sat down next to me and lightly put his hand on my knee. "You have no idea how many times I've thought about this moment. Seeing you again, and being able to confront you about everything that happened...", he started and grabbed my hand.
"Liam...", I tried to stop him but he shook his head.
"No, hear me out, ok? I thought when I saw you again, I would be pissed and take it out on you. But I think over the last four years that I've kicked, punched, drunk and destroyed that anger. So I'm at a place now that I can just sit here, hold your hand and ask you. Why? Why did you leave the way you did, Katy?", he asked me softly and looked up into my eyes.
I bit my lip to keep the tears I could feel starting to build at bay. "I couldn't handle it. All those women flaunting themselves and throwing themselves on you, barely dressed, I might add. And that night....at the party, you didn't seem to care where I was involved. It was like I became invisible and when I talked to you, you blew me off because it was business. It was then that I felt like I lost the man I loved.", I whispered and looked down where our hands were entwined.
He blew out a breath and squeezed my hand tightly. "It nearly destroyed me when I found that note. I tried your cell, your mom's phone and even your brother's. No one would tell me a word about where you went. I even had my mom peppering your mom with questions about you. You know your mom can't ever stop going on and on where you and Derek are concerned", he smiled and bumped my shoulder. "Over the years, I've found out small details about your life....all but where the heck you wound up. So tell me....how did you end up in Georgia of all places?", he asked and leaned back and I found myself leaning against him.
"Well....I knew you would be in L.A. So I wanted to be far away from that madness. I did go home for a little bit, but made everyone swear to not let anyone connected to you know I was there. I think I cried for a week straight....", I bit my lip and looked over at him out of the corner of my eye. "After I kind of mourned the end of everything as I knew it, I decided I needed to figure out who I was again. I decided to go back to school. Looked around online, found a reputable school in a small town....so, here I am.", I shrugged and took a good look around the dorm room. "I left Katy Warren behind when I came here....became the quiet Kate Parker, no one had a clue what a crazy life quiet little Kate had before she landed here."
Liam smiled softly and squeezed my hand. "Sounds like you could give me a run for my money, you must be one heck of an actress, Katy."
I laughed and shook my head. "Hardly, just very shy around a bunch of new people, a new state and city and everything else. The few times I do go home, it's almost like I'm living someone else's life. Things there are all interconnected to our life together....and I...just can't handle all the reminders.", I whisper the last part and look down to where our fingers are now wrapped together.
He squeezes my hand lightly and tilted my head up so I was looking up at him. "I want there to be a life together again, Katy. No more of this nonsense", he motioned around the room. "You belong with me."
I took a deep breath and bit my lip. "Liam, part of me wants that more than anything..."
"But?”, he asked and raised an eyebrow.
"But....I don't know if I could live like that. Be the object of millions of photographers, in magazines and all that craziness. That's just not who I am" , I untangled our hands and stood up stalking over to look out the window. "How the heck can you sneak around like this anyway? Don't you have millions of fan girls trailing you all day?", I asked with a smirk.
He walked up behind me and put his arms on either side barricading me to the spot as he pressed against me. "Your changing the subject, Katy.", he whispered in my ear and I took a deep breath.
"N-No I'm not....", I stutter out and try to push him back a bit.
He laughs brushing a kiss by my ear and steps back. "M-hm...so, what do I have to do? Whisk you away on a romantic weekend? Get on your best friends good side? And by the way, the way she acted I don't think that will take much doing...", he smiled and sat on my bed.
I laugh softly and shake my head as I cross my arms, “No, you have to get on MY good side again, Liam. This isn’t like a movie where you just jump back where we left off and everything’s “Happily Ever After”. You’re going to have to really make an effort at this.”
He puts on his killer grin popping off the bed and pulling me into his arms, nuzzling his nose up my neck, he smiles when I shiver and whispers into my ear, “Challenge accepted.”