ROMANCE: LION SHIFTER ROMANCE: Luring The Lion (Lion Shapeshifter Paranormal Fantasy Romance) (BBW Lion Shifter Romance) (9 page)

The limousine came and picked them up.  After they had got back, Katie enjoyed showing off her sprawling, opulent apartment, but she knew that he was not impressed.  After that, she took him to the nicest restaurant in town.  People came from all over the world to visit the restaurant, and she knew that if anything were going to impress Jake, it would be this.

They sat at the table without talking.  The awkwardness was palpable.  Katie picked up her knife pretending to cut through the negative energy in front of her, as it seemed so real.  “What would you have me do?” She asked finally, breaking the silence.

Jake didn’t look up right away.  “Well, what are your plans for our wedding?  I’m sure that is being taken care of by your managers or your publicist.  Let me hear it.”

Katie knew that he would not like it.  “Jake, I don’t know all of the details yet, but it is sure to be magnificent and ornate with lots of distinguished guests from the sporting world as well celebrities from Hollywood.  I don’t understood how that is a negative thing.” She sounded defensive.

Jake put down his knife and fork and looked at her. “I thought you were different, Katie.  I thought that if anyone would understand what is wrong with something like that, it would be you.  But it seems like I was wrong.  A wedding is supposed to be an intimate affair with people you know and care about.  I bet 99% of the guests you will be inviting don’t care about you as a person at all.  I don’t want to be married surrounded by so many fake people.”

As Jake aired his frustration in his voice got louder.  People at the other tables in the restaurant began to take notice and stare at Jake and Katie as they fought.

Katie was growing increasingly furious by Jake's self-righteousness. “You don’t know a thing about my life, Jake.  How dare you make a judgment about my friends like that.  They know me better than you do,” she said, as tears began to stream down her face.

But Jake wasn't backing down. “Really, they know you better than I do?  I’m sure that they would all be there if you got hurt or for whatever reason lost a step in the rink.  Katie, it's not the money that I don’t like.  I believe you earned every cent you own. It is that you are so deeply entrenched in this life of superficiality.  You came to the mountains to get away from it.  So why come back here?  Why not just focus on training and focus on what is real in life.  Why not focus on us?”

Katie began sobbing.  “I can’t deal with this right now,” she said through her tears.  “I have training coming up, and I have another championship a week after that.  I have so many things in my life that you do not understand and clearly do not care about.  I don’t think that this is going to work out.”

Jake looked shocked.  “You are the one that lied to me about who you are, and now you are kicking me out, breaking everything off.  I came all the way out here to be with you, and now you do this.”

Katie opened her wallet and gave Jake a thousand dollars in cash.  “Sorry for your trouble, Jake.”

“I don’t need your money,” he responded.  He got up from the table to leave.  He turned around, “Katie, I am a man of my word.  I told you that I love you, and I cannot take that back.  I will be waiting for the day that you realize what is important in life.”  With that, Jake walked out the door. 

Katie was left alone in the restaurant weeping.  Finally, I meet a great guy who wants nothing but to take care of me and to enjoy being with me, and I push him away, she thought.  After all this time, it was me who was the one that was screwed up.

She stared at her plate of food for an hour, unable to move or to eat.  She texted her driver, and mustered up the strength to wipe her face of the tears and to get up and leave the restaurant.  She knew that what had just happened would have a lasting effect on her life, and the thought terrified her.

Chapter 6

Katie had been training for months now.  She was in peak physical condition.  Her entire life revolved around eating, training, sleeping and thinking about the moment the starting gun went off.  She had entertained the occasional playboy suitor. It was perfect for her, as it was mutually understood to mean nothing, and was just for her temporary physical enjoyment.  She lived life in the fast lane.  It was what she was used to, and she was good at it.

She was obsessed with the upcoming championships.  Her passion is what made her great.  But she also knew it was why she was alone in her hotel room thinking about Jake. Sometimes she thought of calling him and trying to convince him to accept her the way she was right now, but she never built up the courage to do so.

The main event would take place the following day.  Katie was ready.  She had trained harder for this event than for any of the ones previously in her career.  But she knew that professional competitions were unpredictable, that any of the competitors could win, as they were all super skilled, and equally hungry for victory. 

In the training room before the main event, she looked at herself in the mirror.  This is what she had always dreamed of doing as a little girl.  Any other person in the world would give anything to live her life.  Except for one.  Except the only guy that she actually wanted in her life. Katie was determined not to let thoughts of him affect her performance.

“It is time,” said Pete, poking his head through the door. 

Katie made the walk towards the starting blocks. As she exited the tunnel, she could feel the cool of the air in her face.  It was a familiar feeling, and it made her feel natural, at home, and ready to do what she did best.  She slowly skated to her starting blocks.  The crowd of 50,000 was cheering wildly.  They had come to see Katie.  The thought did not make Katie nervous; it made her more focused.  She could feel the vibrations of the skaters on the ice.  Her blade felt comfortable and balanced as it dug into the ice.  Ahead of her, the finish line looked close, as if all she would have to do is get a good start and she would win easily.  her confidence swelled as she heard the words, “On your mark.”

There was now silence in the stadium.  Katie could hear the breathing of the skater next to her.  She took her position.  The ice in front of her seemed smooth and perfect, ready for a world record to be set on it.  Katie cocked her body back ready to bolt off.

“Go!”  The gun fired and Katie began sprinting as hard as she could, making sure to stay low so as to increase her acceleration.  She dug her skates in as hard as she could to get as much momentum before she began the gliding phase.  Katie felt herself pull in front of the pack immediately, as she expected.  She felt stronger than ever, completely in control, as if destiny had etched in stone that she would win the race.  The moment was perfect.  Katie had enough acceleration now to begin gliding with long strides. 

She was now ahead of the pack by an entire length.  The finish line seemed so close and easy to reach as she made the first turn.  Katie looked at the crowd, they were there to see her, they loved her.  Katie felt it, but she knew that it was fake.  She looked back down and realized that she had lost control of the moment, that she had betrayed the flaw of hubris - pride in her ability.  She lost her footing and went careening out of control and smashed into the wall, taking another skater with her.

Katie tried to get up, but she could barely move.  Her trainer came immediately and helped her off the of the ice.

She lay in the training room, surrounded by her managers, coaches, and trainers.  Everything seemed to be dreamlike to Katie.

“What seems to be the matter with her,” asked her manager.

The trainer looked down, “She has broken her legs, and herniated, at least, three of her discs.  We are hopeful that she will walk again, but she will never skate again.”

After those words had been spoken, everyone in the room looked at her.  Katie could read their eyes, and it was as if they said ‘goodbye’ to her.  No, don’t leave, thought Katie.  I am still a human being.  I am more than just a skater.  At that moment, Katie realized that they had all been there simply to profit from her excellence.  She realized that Jake had been right the whole time.  But she had kicked him out of her life, most likely never to return.

Katie’s emotional grief was greater than her physical pain as she closed her eyes and wept over the pain of her many transgressions. 

Chapter 7

Katie lay in the hospital, still barely able to move after an entire month of physiotherapy.  The doctors had told her not to give up hope of walking again.  It was the only hope that Katie had left. 

Her parents had come to see her a few times.  But her father was the one that got her into skating in the first place.  It was too traumatizing for him to see her broken and unable to perform.  Katie could see the disappointment in his eyes, and it killed her. 

Her manager had made a perfunctory appearance early on for a few seconds.  At first, it cheered her up, but then she realized he was just there to talk to the doctor about insurance concerns. 

As time passed, Katie felt more and more alone, and more and more forgotten. 

One day, a nurse came in her room with a bunch of flowers. She didn't know who it was from; it was delivered anonymously. Could it be...? No, she banished the thought that it may be from Jake. The thought of him made her weep. If only she could have a second chance, if only she could see him and tell him how sorry she was, that he was right all along.

************

The next morning, waking from a deep sleep, she opened her eyes to see a man standing next to her bed. When she realised who it was, she jumped straight up in bed.

It was Lance.

"Hope you liked the flowers, Katie," he said, smiling his self-confident smile. You see now, I'm sure, the mistake you made, falling for that guide guy. Perhaps now you'll understand and agree that you and I..."

His voice broke off as a hand appeared on his shoulder. He glanced back, abruptly turned around and skulked out the room.

“Hi Katie, how are you doing?” Jake asked as if nothing had happened.

Katie smiled so big that her face hurt.  She wanted to get up and hug him and make him feel special and like a man, but she was too injured to do so.  “Jake, thank goodness, I was so frightened, but I'm so glad you're are here!  I am just so surprised to see you.”

“I told you that I am a man of my word,” he said.  “I thought that you could use someone that truly loves you for who you are.  If I am wrong about that, I can leave.”

“Oh no, no Jake, you are not wrong about being here at all.”  Katie began to weep uncontrollably.  “Ever since you left, I have thought about you.  When I got hurt I knew that you were right.  I never thought that I would see you again.  Well I guess you can tell me you told me so.”

Jake came to the bed and took Katie’s hand in his.  “I don’t want to say I told you so.  I never said what I said to be right.  I wanted just to be with you Katie, without anything else.  Maybe that was selfish of me too.”

“Who cares,” said Katie.  “I have you here now, and I am not going to let you go this time.”

“And this time, there is nothing that you can do to make me go,” replied Jake.

    “I like that sound of that,” said Katie.  She knew she meant those words, and she knew that she was the luckiest girl in the world.  “I love you Jake.”

    “And I you,” he responded.

*******

    Jake stayed with Katie nearly nonstop for weeks until she was able to walk again. 

    “One day we are going to hike on that mountain again together,” said Jake.

    “I like the sound of that.  And I will teach you how to skate one day,” she promised.

    “But even if you can’t, even if you are bedridden the rest of your life, I still want to marry you.  Will you be my wife for real this time?”

    Katie couldn’t respond right away because of how strong her emotions were.  “Of course Jake, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”

    Jack held her hand, and they enjoyed talking and watching television in the quiet of her hospital room.  It was a simple life, and they both enjoyed it together.

    Katie continued to heal, and Jake became her motivation to get through physical therapy.  She wanted desperately to impress him and to be able to walk again, and maybe even to skate again.  Not because she had to impress Jake for him to like her.  But because she was free to do her best to make him happy because she knew that his love and acceptance of her was unconditional.  Katie felt free and alive for the first time, despite not being able to move as she once did.

    “I want to show you something,” said Katie.  It had been a few weeks now since she was able to walk.

    Jake followed Katie as she took him to her ice rink where she practiced.  It was late at night, after hours, and nobody else was there.  “You aren’t going to try and skate already are you?”

    “I’m not, but you are.”

    “Am I?”

    “I even bought you skates,” she said as she showed them to him. 

    “I don’t even know how,” insisted Jake.

    Katie laughed.  “You have always been leading and teaching me how to do things.  Now it’s my turn to show you something.  I have always wanted to skate with a partner.  What better way to celebrate the day before our wedding then to be held by my future husband on the ice.”