Disconnected

by Bethany Daniel

  She tilts her head to the side. "You want a baby?"

  I look down at her new ring and nod. "Yes. That's why I don't want you to go and work right away, Katy. I've wanted to have a family with you as long as I can remember, even before we got married.” I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her waist. "And it's not to save our marriage or anything either, because we did that on our own."

  Katy bites her lip before nodding and squaring her shoulders. "Ok."

  I raise an eyebrow at her. "Ok? You want a baby?" I repeat her own question and grin hopefully.

  "I do." She smiles up at me as she kisses me.

  “I’m suddenly very anxious to get to that honeymoon." I smirk down at her and she shoves me away playfully.

  “You’re just going to have to behave until then.”

  "We'll see." I pull her back to me. "I love you so much, Katy."

  "I love you, too. Now we better get out of here so Krista and Scott can have their room back." She smiles before grabbing my hand and dragging me back out of the room.

  I pull her to a stop before we make it all the way to the door and tuck her hair behind her ear. "Thank you," I whisper, kissing her forehead.

  Her eyebrows draw together as she looks up at me, "For what?"

  "For giving me a real future to look forward to...not just all the Hollywood mania but something real to look forward to."

  She smiles, squeezing my hand and pulling me behind her as she walks backward, "Anytime, babe. I love you."

  "I love you, too." I take a deep breath and relax. For the first time in a long time I feel like I can breathe again. No psycho coming after us, no more distance between us, and the most important thing...hope. Hope that we are far stronger together than we've ever been apart, and hope that I can be the man that Katy deserves. Like Mrs. Parker said before, for so long I've hidden behind that star with my name on it. Now it's time to be the man that Katy needs, and hopefully, the father our children will need, a man who's more than just that actor who throws parties because he's told to. Those days are over; I'm not going to be anyone's puppet anymore.

  Chapter 28

  Late the next morning, we're getting all our last minute things together and I'm laughing at Scott lugging all of Krista's things towards the door.

  "I can't believe you had to talk her out of bringing even more than that," I say, shaking my head and looking over at Katy. "How in the world does she ever get through checking in luggage at an airport?"

  She laughs. "Slowly, believe me. She will probably rattle off a bunch of rules about the things inside each of those suitcases, and I can only imagine what she threw into her carry on bag."

  "I am so glad you're not such a diva like that."

  She smiles and kisses my cheek before running off to catch up with Krista.

  Scott walks back in huffing and puffing and shakes his head as he comes to stand beside me. "Thank God we have people to do heavy lifting."

  I laugh, "That bad, huh?"

  He nods, wiping his forehead. "You have no idea. I don't know what the heck she shoved in those things."

  Krista comes up from behind him and wraps her arms around his middle, "Just the necessities! Make-up, hair accessories, hair products, clothes for any kind of weather, and shoes for each outfit. Just the things I need." She shrugs.

  He shakes his head and squeezes her hands. "Come on everybody, let's roll. I'm ready to get...where we're going." He smiles secretively over at me and we all make our way out to the waiting hummer.

  When we drive up to the private airport, Krista bounces in her seat. "I can't believe we're going on a private jet!”

  Scott smiles down at her. "You better believe it, babe. You only get the best from now on."

  We all climb out and make our way inside the small building.

  "Ok ladies, get comfortable. We're going to go speak to the pilot and make sure everything's good to go," I tell them, and kiss Katy's cheek before walking to the office door just down the hall.

  I knock once and the door swings open. A tall man with salt and pepper hair stands there in black dress slacks and a button up dark blue shirt. "Mr. Warren, Mr. Adams." He reaches his arm out and we take turns shaking.

  "Mr. Owens, right?" Scott asks.

  He nods. "Yes, but you can call me Frank. Are we all ready to go?"

  "Yes, sir, we just need to drag all the suitcases on board and we're all set." I tell him.

  "Excellent." He steps out into the hallway and we follow behind and into the foyer, where the girls are sitting on a luxurious-looking black leather couch.

  "Alright ladies, our jet awaits!” Scott claps and rubs his hands together.

  Krista rushes into his waiting arms and Katy walks over too, slipping her arm into mine. "So, can we know where we're going yet?"

  "Hmm...Think we should tell them, Scott?"

  He shrugs and acts like he's thinking it over. "Might as well, otherwise they'll nag us the entire flight."

  I laugh and nod. "You're probably right. Ladies, we're going to Hawaii."

  They both gasp and Katy grabs my arm, "Really?!"

  "M-hm, hence the beach gear I told you to bring.” I smirk at their gaping faces and sweep my arm in front of me, motioning towards the waiting jet, "Ladies first."

  We walk up the little stairwell onto the jet, and the girls stop and stare as soon as we're inside. The seats are puffy white leather and spacious, there's at least 5 ft or more in between the aisles, a fully stocked bar at the back and a small kitchen for making up meals in-flight.

  "Wow," they both whisper.

  "It's more like a living room than an airplane!” Krista says with a shake of her head before turning to Scott. "Do I want to know how much this cost?"

  He rubs the back of his neck before smiling at her, "Probably not."

  "If you like this, ladies, just wait till you see the resort." I smirk at them before going to one of the seats and reclining in it. "We have a house all to ourselves, hot tubs, masseuse on call, and a chef, too. We'll be all set."

  Katy sits next to me and the seat makes her look tiny. "Wow...this is just...wow." She shakes her head, taking it all in. “I could really go for a massage, though."

  "Me too!" Krista pipes in, and we all laugh. I think we all desperately need this trip. Just to get away from it all, even just for a moment to forget. Forget the fear we've all felt this last month, and the sadness of Lucas' death. I know Katy still holds onto her guilt, but I can tell she's healing. Anytime something reminds her of him she doesn't break down, she smiles and talks about the memory. One step forward, a day at a time, is all I can hope for.

  Chapter 29

  Once we land and step off the plane, we're blasted with humidity that makes us immediately start sweating just walking into the airport.

  "Thank God we wore shorts," Katy mutters while fanning herself.

  "Adams and Warren party?" a tall man in a black muscle shirt and black pants asks, stepping up to us.

  "Yes, sir," I answer, grabbing Katy's and my luggage.

  "Right this way, please." He starts walking and we follow behind him to a black stretch limo.

  Krista whistles from behind me, "Nice...very nice."

  Scott and I shake our heads before sliding into the back and the girls quickly follow.

  "Oh, and before we forget, someone's going to be bringing you girls some formal dinner dresses to pick from for a special dinner tonight," I tell them while sliding my arm around Katy's shoulders.

  She raises an eyebrow at me. "What's the occasion?"

  I look down at her new ring then towards Scott and Krista and shrug, "New beginnings."

  Katy smiles at me and snuggles closer, watching out the window at the passing palm trees and never-ending beaches. I squeeze her hand and rest my head on top of hers.

  I think this is just what we need--seclusion from the rest of the world. If we're lucky, by the time we get back to L.A there will be some other scandal to make everything with Alexia old new
s. I'm sure word has spread about the how and why of her death by now, which is all the more reason to be gone before the paparazzi have the chance to camp out at our front door. Krista would probably be hounded, or worse, targeted for being the one to take her down. Alexia had a large fan base, even if she did snap. Being on the resort will be good to block out the rest of the world's issues for awhile.

  When we pull in front of tall black gates with a talk box attached, Katy's eyes widen as she looks inside at the large houses. "THAT's where we're staying?"

  I smile and nod. "You like?"

  "Uh...Yeah, I definitely like." She shakes her head, keeping her eyes wide as we are granted access and pull inside the resort.

  Once we've driven to our rented condo, the driver walks around, opening the door and bows slightly. "Welcome."

  Scott shakes his hand and gives him a tip as he does so. We grab our suitcases out of the back of the limo and drag them inside, but are immediately swarmed by several staff members taking them from us.

  "Which one is your room, sir?" a woman with long black hair and a lei around her neck asks.

  "Um...I don't know yet. Would you mind just leaving the luggage here until after Krista and Scott pick a room?"

  "Of course, sir," She sets the bags to the side and I walk over to Katy, taking her in my arms. "So, did we do ok?”

  "Way more than ok. This place is beautiful." She smiles up at me.

  "It is. I've been here once before. Don't worry, not with someone else." I shrug, looking out the window at the ocean view. "I came here alone to get away from everything for a while. Sometimes it's nice to just be secluded away from the rest of the world."

  She nods, squeezing my hand before looking down the hallway where Krista and Scott disappeared. "Well, let’s go find a room...whatever's left that Krista hasn't claimed already. Which one do you want?"

  "Hmm, I think this one down here has the best view of the ocean out the window.” I tug her down the hall and into a room at the end that thankfully wasn't taken over by our friends. In the center of the room is a king size bed with a white down comforter and at least 10 different sizes of pillow at the head. Katy puts her luggage down and gapes at the bed and I can't help but smirk.

  Katy gives me a mischievous smile. "That looks extremely comfortable," she giggles before taking a running leap and flopping on the middle of the bed. I laugh and decide to follow right behind her, running and jumping right on top of her and rolling her under me.

  "Mmm. Very comfortable," I whisper before leaning down to kiss her.

  She wraps her arms and legs around me and kisses me back deeply before we're rudely interrupted by Scott clearing his throat. I quickly roll off and glare in his and Krista's direction.

  Katy covers her face, mortified, and Krista laughs, putting her hands on her hips, "Hey now, no hanky panky with the door open, you two." She smiles, walking over and yanking Katy off the bed.

  "The dress lady is here! I saw some of the collection she has; they’re to die for, Kate!” She starts dragging Katy out of the room, and Katy looks back long enough to whisper "sorry" before she's yanked out the door.

  I sigh, sliding off the bed. "You have really bad timing, you know that?" I mutter.

  He laughs, holding his hands up. "Sorry man, but you did leave the door open."

  I roll my eyes and slip around him, closing the door. "So is everything all set for tonight?"

  He nods, leaning against my bed. "Yep, the girls are going to have some hair and make up people come and get them all fixed up. I also had the stylists get our measurements from wardrobe; they brought us some tailor-made suits and hung them in the closet in the hallway."

  "Nice." I nod. "Are you nervous?"

  He frowns while he thinks about it. "Yes. I don't think she'll say no, but we haven't been together for a long time and she hasn't even gotten to meet my parents yet. But I love her, and I think she loves me, too. I just gotta make her want to love me forever."

  I pat his shoulder and open the door, walking towards the living room area. "I don't think you have any worries there, man. I've seen how she looks at you," I tell him, sitting down on the couch in front of the large coffee table. "I'm pretty sure she's just waiting for you to say the word."

  He smiles and runs a hand through his dark brown hair. "I hope you're right. I think the ring is all her, too. It's a cushion cut diamond and has a bunch of little diamonds on the band. It suits her." He smiles, looking down at the ground. "Listen to me...I never thought I'd be someone to worry about what kind of a cut a diamond is." He shakes his head and I laugh.

  "Welcome to the club. Once they stick themselves in your heart, there's no turning back. You just gotta be smart enough to stay on top of your game. As long as she stays the center of your world, then you're good. Don't push her off-center like I did with Katy."

  "I will definitely take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes."

  "Smart man."

  A little bit later Katy and Krista come back and I cross the room to take Katy in my arms. "So, did you find anything to your liking?"

  "I did. And I think you'll really like it." She grins up at me before standing on her tip toes to kiss me.

  "Do I get a hint?"

  "It's black, has some beading stuff on it and comes to about here." She bends and points to her knees. "It's really pretty...and the heels! Wait 'till you see the heels."

  I raise an eyebrow, amused. For Katy to actually be excited for a pair of heels and a fancy dress, these stylists must have done a damn good job.

  "I can just imagine," I whisper against her lips as I start kissing her again. She kisses me back eagerly, slowly walking us backwards towards our room.

  "We always seem to get carried away, and there's always too many people around," she whispers as we slip into the room and lock the door behind us.

  "Mmm. Way too many people,” I stalk over to her and start kissing her as I slip my hand under the back of her shirt. I rub the soft skin at the small of her back before lifting her swiftly, causing her to gasp and wrap her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck.

  "Well, what do you know…you’re sexy and strong." She smiles as I walk us towards the bed. I slide us up and continue kissing her, moving down her neck and chest, before glancing at the clock.

  "How long until dinner?" Katy asks breathlessly.

  I smile up at her. "Two hours."

  She grabs my shirt, pulling me back to her face. "Then let's make the most of it."

  Chapter 30

  Around an hour later when Katy rolls off the bed, I frown. "You know, we could always skip dinner," I smirk at her as I sit up to stretch.

  "Uh-uh, not after all the dress drama and everything else I went through today. I want to see your face when you see that dress.”

  I grab her hand, pulling her back down on the bed to steal another kiss, and she laughs as she kisses me back. "Ok...just because I want to see the dress..." I look her over from her eyes all the way down to her feet, "...and the heels you talked about."

  She smiles before jumping to her feet and just out of grabbing distance. I watch as she shimmies back into her jeans and t-shirt and throws her hair into a messy bun before she looks over her shoulder at me. "Trust me....it'll be worth it. Besides, I think Krista and I have a date with your hair and make-up friends."

  "Ah, that you do, guess I better go see if Scott wants to hang out until we need to get ready." I sit up, running a hand through my now disheveled hair.

  "Don't have too much fun without us."

  I stand up and walk barefooted and bare-chested to her, wrapping my arms around her. "Not possible...go get yourself glammed up, baby."

  "Just don't expect me to come out looking like your Hollywood friends, k?” she says before stepping into the hall to wait on me while I throw the nearest t-shirt over my head.

  I give her a mock serious look. "Of course not...you'll look better." I smile down at her as she rolls her eyes.

  We wal
k down the hallway and run into a very anxious looking Scott and frustrated looking Krista. Scott is shifting from one foot to the other, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants leg and keeps rubbing the back of his neck.

  Katy looks between the two of them with an eyebrow raised. "You ok, Scott?"

  Krista crosses her arms, looking over at him. "For some unknown reason, he's a panic attack waiting to happen... He says he's just feeling anxious about security, but come on! We're in the middle of an island!"

  Katy shakes her head, giving me a look and nodding towards Scott, implying I should deal with him, while she grabs hold of Krista's arm, "Ready to make some friends with hair and make-up?”

  Once the girls are out of sight, I walk over to Scott and put my hands on his shoulders. "Ok bud, do me a favor...take a deep breath."

  He looks at me and closes his eyes before taking a deep breath and letting it back out. "I don't know if I can do this," he whispers, stepping away from me and starting to pace. "What if she says no? I'll look like an idiot and this whole trip will have been a complete waste and then what will we do?" he rambles, walking back and forth.

  "Scott. We already talked about this. Pretend this is a scene, ok? You're a man in love, proposing to the love of your life. You're her prince charming. She adores you and you've been waiting for this day for your whole life. Now...close your eyes and be that guy. Not the freaking out, sweaty-palmed Scott you are right now."

  He leans back on the wall, shoving his hands into his jean pockets as he collects himself. "You're right. I can do this. I'm an actor; I do much more nerve wracking things than this. But this is real life...I don't get a do-over if I screw up."

  I smile at him and shake my head. "I don't think it's possible for you to screw up, man. You got this. Now come on, let's go see what these stylists picked out for us."

  Scott and I walk down the hall and grab the garment bags out of the closet before stepping into one of the empty bedrooms.

  I lay my garment bag on the bed and unzip it to reveal a crisp, blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt and charcoal gray slacks with a matching jacket inside.