Reconnected (4 page)

"Yes, very nice indeed", he nods and motions for us to follow him.

Krista squeezes my arm with excitement and I smile softly. At the very least, I'm doing this for her. She's obsessed with this imaginary life; a few signatures will make her day, if not her whole year.

"Mr. Warren.", Mitchell clears his throat. "You might want to add them to your approved visitors list before they just show up unannounced next time"

Liam looks over confused and then gets a big grin on his face. "Katy! I can't believe you came.", he runs over and hugs me tight and looks over at Krista. "Nice to see you again, Ms. Quinn."

Krista just beams and nods. "Please, just Krista."

He laughs and squeezes me again. "Right. What are you girls doing here?", He asks and leans down to whisper in my ear, "And why the hell are your shorts so short?"

I shiver slightly and smile. "That's Krista's doing", I smirk, “You don’t like them?”, I tease but pull back as I notice Alexia practically skipping over and pushing me aside to wrap her arms around Liam’s middle.

"Oh Liam, honey....I couldn't wait to come see you.", she purrs and rubs against him.

Liam's jaw clenches and he pushes her back, "Alexia, we've been over this.", he growls at her.

She puts on a seductive smile and looks me up and down. "Oh I know honey, and I even went to all the trouble to go tell your wife here all about the company you kept last night, and your favorite form of entertainment with them. Isn't that just so sweet of me? Women scorned sticking together and all that?", She gives him a hard stare and smiles wickedly at me. "Right, Katy?"

I take a deep breath and glance between the two of them. "You know what? You want him so bad, you can have him.", I quickly turn and push through the crowd breaking into a run until I feel an iron grip on my arm and am quickly shoved up against a wall and stare into Liam’s very angry face.

"You are NOT leaving me again. I don't care if you’re pissed, or if some lying evil bitch of a woman is trying to plant lies in your head, I will do everything in my power to prove to you that I’m not the Hollywood playboy that everyone thinks I am. I don’t want Alexia, Katy. I only want you!”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep calming breath and run my hands through his hair. "She came to me last night....told me about the women, and alcohol and waiting hotel rooms the studio was providing for you....then seeing her all over you like that, I just-....it brought up bad memories.", I whisper and lean my head against his.

He lets out a breath and kisses me softly and holds me tight. "You have to trust me baby. This is my crazy, out of control world, but your part of it, and you are going to be for the rest of my life and I promise you, I'm going to do all I can to show my love and earn your trust again, ok?", he asks me and looks down into my eyes and I nod.

"Ok."

When we walk back over to where everyone else seems to be congregating, Krista is shamelessly flirting with Scott Adams and I roll my eyes as I grab Liam's hand.

"Ugh...sorry about that. She thinks he's reeaally cute, and those are her words.", I said with a smile and squeezed his hand.

He laughs and shrugs pulling me closer to him. "Doesn't look like he's minding too much, babe. He's eating right out of her hand."

I laugh and look over at my best friend. She is most definitely star struck. But she's happy and Scott seems like a nice enough guy.

"I'm going to go rescue him so that you can get to work.", I smile softly and pull back.

"Do you have to?", Liam pouts and tries to sneak a kiss but I step back giggling.

"Uh-huh...none of that Mister.", I stick my tongue out and walk over and tap Krista on the shoulder. "You know, they kind of have a job to do, Kris.", I whisper by her ear.

She sighs and nods. "It was...totally awesome to get to talk with you Scott.", she puts on her biggest flirty smile that he returns and runs a hand through his dark hair.

"Yes, it was, Krista....please, come back with her more often. Having someone I'm actually attracted to as pretty as you to see during my scenes will make my day so much better.", he winks and kisses her cheek and walks off and I think Krista is pretty much a puddle.

"Oh my gosh.", she says softly and puts her hand over the spot on her cheek and turns wide eyed to me. "He kissed my cheek! Scott Adams, really just kissed my cheek!"

I giggle at her and start tugging her away, "Yes, he did....and now we can go find a free spot of beach to go lay out on."

She lets out a dreamy sigh with one last glance where the crew is setting up a scene and nods. "Ok....if we must."

"We must.", I pull her over to Liam and lean up to kiss him. "Have a good day, try to not incite the wrath of Ms. Dalton, hm?"

He snarls and shakes his head. "I try, believe me, I try.", he sneaks one last quick kiss and looks between Krista and I. "So, what are you two up to today?"

"We are going to try and find a spot that you guys haven't taken over on the beach and sunbathe.", Krista smiles and links her arm with mine.

I notice Liam's eyebrows dart up and he crosses his arms. "Oh really?....I'm guessing you have swimsuits on under those barely there outfits?"

We both grin and I wink at him. "Of course, bikinis....what else?"

He narrows his eyes and steps closer. "I don't want a bunch of college frat guys leering at you."

"Yeah well, I don't want millions of women all over the world leering at you, but I don't get a say in that.", I give him one last defiant look and turn to leave towing Krista behind me.

Chapter 6

Once we were back in the car and heading farther down the beach, Krista looked over at me and smirked. "You really know how to bait that boy, don't you?"

I laughed and shrug. "It's going to take a lot for me to adjust to all this....madness. I mean, he can't even step outside of a building without being bombarded, how can we go on a date?"

As she pulls into the parking lot she shrugs and looks over at me. "Order in, or make him have someone send in catering....he has four years of making up to do, sweetie.", she smiles and we both get out and head towards the more secluded part of the beach where there isn't a million people running around at.

"That he does...", I sigh and take off my tank top and lay back on my towel. "But I kinda do to, ya know? That point of our lives....our marriage, was craziness. We thought him having a career in Hollywood was going to be this big amazing step and obviously, it was, because look where he is now....but it blew us apart in the process.", I frown and look over at  her. "What if we can't make it work? What if this can't be fixed?"

"What if, what if, what if.", Krista says with a wave of her hand. "You never know until you try, right? Obviously, you can't be on the run from him forever, you had to of been meant to run into each other again here.", she adjusts her sunglasses and lays back.

I bite my lip and close my eyes soaking in the sun for what feels like hours lost in my own thoughts until I hear a group of people walking by and hear the distinct clicking of cameras that causes me to bolt up.

"Oh, come on!", I mutter and nudge Krista. "We gotta go, now!", I whisper and shove my shirt over my head in a hurry and start packing our towels into the tote bag we brought along.

She leisurely sits up rubbing her eyes and frowns. "What? Why? We've only been here a little while...you can't be getting burnt already, Kate."

I roll my eyes and pull her up. "That is why!", I point over my shoulder where some photographers are trying to be inconspicuous blending in with some large groups snapping away at every angle as we move around.

"Oh my gosh, do you think I'll end up in a magazine?!", Krista beams at me and I roll my eyes.

"Really?....Let's go!", I grab her arm and we run towards her car and quickly shove our things inside and start the drive out of the thickly crowded parking lot.

"Ok....I see your point about the craziness.", Krista says and looks in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah....", I sigh softly and look in the side mirror by my window. "I guess there's good reason celebrities have bodyguards and all that."

"No kidding....and honey, I think you are officially in the "celebrity" category now.", she looks quickly at me and back at the road.

Shaking my head, I bite my lip and steal another quick glance out the window. "But I'm not a celebrity; I'm just married to one."

"I don't think that matters to them, sweetie....as far as their concerned you and anyone in your life are fair game. I think you’re going to have to ask Liam about a bodyguard, or the very least, a security detail of some kind.", she says as we pull back into our dorm parking lot.

"Great.", I mutter and rub my hands over my face as we run inside. "What have I gotten myself into?", I ask softly.

"A big mess....but one that your husband will be the center of as long as he's Hollywood's hot meat.", Krista smirks as she plops down on her bed.

"No getting out of this one, huh?", I ask as I lean on the door.

She shakes her head and smiles softly at me. "Nope, not this time Mrs. Warren."

Later, as I'm getting ready for bed, my phone starts ringing. No sooner have I picked it up that I hear Liam cursing in my ear and it takes me a second to process what he's saying.

"Whoa...whoa, slow down. What?", I ask and lean back on my pillows.

"What the hell happened today?", he asks angrily.

I raise an eyebrow and glance at Krista. "What are you talking about?"

"The beach!", He practically yells and I flinch.

"How in the world do you know about that?", I ask confused.

He laughs humorlessly. "Oh, I don't know. Just about all the gossip mags have pictures of you girls in your barely there bikinis on the beach."

I feel my mouth drop open. "There was only like three guys there though..."

"Doesn't matter, they must have shared them with their buddies."

"Well, I can't very well control what those people do, Liam!"

"No, but you can damn well control where you go, Katy."

"Why are you getting mad at me?! I'm not going to hide for the rest of my life."

I hear him take a deep breath and let it out. "I know, I know, ok? But you being out among all those vultures really put me in a bad place. I could tell in the pictures you were freaking out, Katy. And I hate that I wasn't there to at the very least shield you from them."

I take a breath and smile softly. "I'm fine, ok? They surprised me, I figured they'd be camped out watching you guys film or whatever and we wouldn't be a blip on their radar....but I guess I'm a big blip now, huh?"

"Yeah...and I want to have security with you 24-7."

"Liam, really that's not necessary...."

"Oh yes it is. Those people don't care about the person; they only care about the picture. And I'm not going to let my wife be injured, or worse, because they want to keep a camera your face and put you at risk."

"This is one of those arguments that's just going to go round and round isn't it?", I ask dryly and pull my covers over my legs.

"You bet, babe....expect for a security advisor to meet up with you, and if Scott has his way, one for Krista too tomorrow."

Well that caught my attention. "Wait, back up a minute. Scott is hiring security for Krista?"

He lets out a huff and continues, "He seems really taken with her, honestly. He usually avoids the girls that dote on him other than signing and autograph here and there, but Krista really talked to him. About normal things, not interview questions."

"Hmm", I hum softly and sneak a peek over at Krista's sleeping form. "I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to hear this turn of events in the morning. Except for the security detail being attached part anyway."

"Yeah well, we want you girls protected and safe. That's all there is to it."

I sigh and snuggle down into my blankets and yawn, "Yeah, ok....I'll learn to ignore them, I guess."

I can almost hear him smile. "Good girl....goodnight baby."

"Good night, Liam.”

Chapter 7

The following morning before the alarm even went off for class, Krista and I were rudely awoken by a pounding on our door.

I hear Krista grumble and I try throwing a pillow over my head to block out the noise.

"Mrs. Warren, Ms. Quinn...we're with Raden Security on behalf of Mr. Warren and Mr. Adams.", a deep voice says through the door and I frown.

"Oh, right, the security thing. Umm, just one minute, please!", I pop up and nudge Krista awake. "Ok so long story short, Liam hired security for me, and Scott has hired security for you because apparently he really liked you after your little chat, so we have about five minutes to get up and dressed and let those guys in before they call and tell the guys we're being uncooperative", I smile softly at her confused expression and start grabbing for my jeans and t-shirt and see Krista slowly do to the same.