Chapter 19
The next morning when I wake up and go to roll over, I almost forget that Liam is there and have to stop myself from smacking him in the face.
"Good morning.” I whisper kissing his cheek and laying my head on his chest.
"Morning,” He mumbles and rubs his eyes, "Are you ok?” He asks with concern and I smile.
"I'm great.” I tell him with a sigh, "But I want to go check on Krista, and I need to go to the doctor to get my leg looked over and if I'm lucky be able to get rid of the crutches once and for all."
He nods as he untangles us and gets out of bed and I enjoy the view for a minute. Krista's right...he does have a really nice butt.
"See something you like?” I hear Liam tease me and I throw a pillow at him.
"Maybe,” I laugh and climb out and put a little pressure onto my foot to see if I can at least hobble around without the aid of the crutches.
"Easy there, Katy."
"I've got it. I can't depend on crutches forever, and I've been going to physical therapy and all.” I shake my head and maneuver myself to grab my clothes and get dressed and give him a triumphant smile, "See?"
He shakes his head and walks over to help support me as we walk out of the room.
"Do you think Krista's ok?” I ask as I sit at the table.
He sits across from me and frowns, "I think she's going to need some time. She's going to need to speak with police a lot and let her side of everything be known. Then once everything on our end is settled, we want to get you girls out of town.” he reaches over and grips my hand. "This was supposed to be a safe get away...we're going to take a real vacation once all this is done. The four of us, does the beach sound good?"
"The beach sounds fabulous right now,” Krista says as she walks in and sits beside me, "So much better than drab police headquarters."
"Are you doing ok, Kris?” I ask as I lean over to hug her.
"Yes...and I'm already tired of being asked that! The police, Scott, even your parents! I swear, I'm ok, I don't regret shooting her; I would do it all over again to protect you. After what happened to Luke, I think its deserved justice."
"I wouldn't let the police hear you talk like that, babe” Scott says as he walks in and kisses her cheek, "Just saying."
She rolls her eyes and grabs a banana from the bowl in the middle of the table, "I can't wait to have all eyes off of me again. How do you guys handle having so many pay attention to you all the time?"
"That's different.” Scott shrugs and leans back in the chair, "That's not legal attention. Just girls who think they'll get a shot at us if we give them the time of day."
"You better not give any of those girls any time of your day...because as far as I'm concerned Mister, you’re all mine.” she teasingly threatens him and leans over to give him a long kiss that makes Liam clear his throat loudly to break them up.
“Sorry,” Scott says sheepishly and grabs his own fruit to start munching on. “What time do we need to be at the police station?”
“10.” Krista tells him checking her phone for the time. “We’ll need to leave soon.”
He nods chomping on his apple and stalks off to the guest room to get changed and Krista begrudgingly follows behind him.
"I worry about her,” I whisper to Liam, "This is really a big deal, and I know her, it just hasn't hit her yet."
"I know babe, but she’s tough. I even know that and I haven't known her very long. She didn't do anything wrong. Scott is there to help her through this now."
Sighing, I squeeze his hand, I know, I'm just used to being the one there for her."
"What did I tell you about taking on the weight of the world? Sometimes other people can take a turn, Katy. Not everything has to be on your shoulders."
"I know but-.."
"No buts, she is your best friend, but she's got a man to protect her now. And that's my job for you from now on."
I lean over and kiss him, "I love you...you don't have to have the weight of guilt on you either. You don't have to feel guilty for not being there, ok? You have a job. A real big important job that a lot of people depend on you for...you shouldn't have to sit and babysit me."
"Well, I have to say. It's the best damn babysitting job ever,” he replies with a smirk and I shove his shoulder.
"You are a mess, Liam Warren."
"But I'm all your mess, Mrs. Warren.” He says in a whisper against my lips as he kisses me again.
"Mmm...That you are, so, what are our plans after today?"
"I need to talk with Scott, but I was thinking once Krista's cleared of any wrong doing that maybe we could all get the first flight out of here, to somewhere secluded. And then, if you’re willing, I thought we could discuss plans of that second wedding you talked about? Unless that was medicine induced thoughts?” he teases with an almost apprehensive look on his face.
"It wasn't...I would love to plan it. But don't we kind of need to wait to see if Scott really plans on you know.” I whisper and point to my ring finger, "Before doing much planning about that?"
He gets a secretive smile, "Don't worry about that babe. I'll get us an on-the-beach hotel and away from the public eye...and maybe we can just have someone bring in racks of wedding dresses or something."
"Uh, no...If we're going dress shopping we're going to get the full experience. Stepping in front of those huge mirrors and trying on like thirty different ones before getting the perfect one. You know every little girls dream.”
He laughs softly and kisses my forehead, "Since the last time around, I made you miss out on that dream, I'll let you live it up this time baby."
"I really don't want a Hollywood affair though, Liam. Just our closest friends and family and a good day” I shrug, "That's all I want."
“I can do that, and maybe some surprises along the way too.”
I raise an eyebrow to that but don’t say anything. I can just imagine what kind of tricks he could have up his sleeve. But a wedding would be his day to…and quite possibly also Krista and Scott’s day all in one. I’ll let him have his surprises.
A few hours later, I'm done with my doctor’s appointment and we just sit in the car for a minute enjoying the silence.
"So, what do you want to do now?” Liam asks as he grabs onto my hand.
"I really don't want to go back to my parents’ house,” I frown.
He laughs and starts the car, "I know of somewhere we can go."
"And that would be?"
"You'll see."
With that he smiles and starts the car and begins taking some very familiar back roads and I smile back, "We're going to the theater aren't we?"
He nods, "We are."
A few minutes later, he pulls around the back of the theater and shakes hand with the security guy that is with us and smiles seeing the theater owner standing near the door.
"So nice to see you again, Theo,” Liam tells the owner and shakes his hand.
"I can't believe my eyes to see your Katy beside you again.” Theo grins and I reach out my hand to shake his.
"Hello, Theo.” I tell him with a smile as he motions for us to go on.
"So...what are we doing here?” I ask curiously as I look around at the place that used to be such a second home to us when Liam was starting out in the acting world. This is the place that he got his big break, and became our eventual downfall. But it was also the place that I fell even more in love with him watching him captivate so many other people every week.
"This is one of my surprises.” He tugs me into the room and my eyes widen when I see the stage. It's all decorated with many bouquets of flowers. A simple table with a silky table cloth and a single red rose in a black vase in the center, and two chairs with satin covers.
Liam pulls me forward and sits me at the table as he goes around to each bouquet and pulls out a single flower until he's made his own rainbow of a bouquet. He smiles tentatively at me and slowly makes his way back over to me.
"Katy, I know that I royal
ly screwed up four years ago. This is the very stage I gave that grand performance on that got me noticed by Excite and turned my world, our world, upside down. I used to think that that was my biggest moment, my greatest accomplishment. But I was wrong, and do you know why?"
I just shake my head mesmerized by him, "Why?"
"Because you are my greatest accomplishment, Katy, without you I wouldn't have ever had the confidence to even pursue this life. You pushed me to come here and audition that first time. And then after we got married, everything happened so fast and I forgot to look at the person beside me, instead of those all around me.” He takes a deep breath and kneels down on one knee and hands me the bouquet, "I love you Katy Warren."
I take a big breath of the flowers and a tear rolls down my cheek, "I love you too."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small red ring box and my eyes widen.
"Katelyn Marie Warren, will you do me the honor of marrying me again?"
I laugh through tears and slide off the chair to kneel beside him and nod, "Yes!"
He gets a large grin on his face as he slide the simple princess cut ring onto my finger and pulls me against him kissing me deeply, “I can’t wait to see you in a wedding dress,” he says with a twinkle in his eye and I laugh wiping my tears away.
“This was definitely a good surprise.” I say admiring my new ring.
"Just don't expect jewelry with every surprise, ok?” He says with a smirk.
My only response is a laugh and to kiss him again.