Disconnected

by Bethany Daniel

  Chapter 35

  A short time later, I walk down the beach to where we're having the ceremony. Everything looks perfect. I just hope the paparazzi haven't gotten wind of this yet so there aren't helicopters flying above us, trying to snap pictures while we're saying our vows.

  I walk over to stand beside Scott and Braden moves to stand behind me.

  "All set, man?" I ask Scott, watching as people start settling into their chairs to wait for the ceremony to begin. Thank God we've pulled this off. Just our families, a few close friends like Aria and Mitchell Fallon, and a couple other actor friends. Once the girls come down that aisle, everything will be perfect.

  "Yep," he says, breaking into my thoughts. "Just ready to have my bride officially be a Mrs." He grins, looking past the crowd to where the girls are set to walk in.

  "Believe me, there's no better feeling. Being someone's husband makes you different. I can't really explain it, but it does."

  Scott smiles at me as the preacher comes up behind us. "Hello, everyone. All ready?"

  "Yes sir, just waiting on the brides," I reply, taking a deep breath of the fresh ocean air.

  He takes his place behind us and soon everyone is standing and facing the back walk. Krista walks in first on the arm of her father. Her dress hits just past her knee and is strapless with little details all over the top half. Completed with high heels, it's all Krista. I sneak a glance at Scott out of the corner of my eye, and he has a huge grin on his face.

  Once Krista and her dad stop in front of us, I look behind them and there she is. Katy has a dress on that reaches her ankles and drags in the back as she walks. It's simple and it's exactly what I would have picked for her myself. I shift my feet around and meet her eyes.

  Katy grins up at me as they reach their place beside Krista.

  Then the preacher steps forward. "Do you men give these women to be united in holy matrimony?"

  "We do," they both respond before kissing the girls' cheeks and stepping back to sit next to their wives.

  I turn and take Katy's hands in mine and Scott and Krista mirror us.

  "We are gathered here together today to join these lovely couples in marriage." The preacher smiles at the crowd before turning to Scott and Krista.

  "Do you, Scott Richard Adams, take Krista Alayne Quinn to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

  The big grin is still plastered to Scott's face as he says, "I do."

  "Do you, Krista Alayne Quinn, take Scott Richard Adams to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

  "I do!" she squeals, bouncing on her toes, and Katy and I laugh.

  Katy squeezes my hands tightly when the preacher comes our way.

  "Do you, Liam Elliott Warren, take Katelyn Marie Warren to be your lawfully wedded wife...again?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I smirk, nodding my head.

  "I do."

  "Do you, Katelyn Marie Warren, take Liam Elliott Warren to be your lawfully wedded husband all over again?"

  She nods biting her lip. "I do."

  "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce the lot of you husband and wife!" he announces, and everyone starts clapping and yelling. We all start making our way back down the little carpet amid the flower petals being thrown at us.

  "I love you," I whisper to Katy before picking her up and spinning her around as I kiss her. "I love you so so much, and I swear I will not screw things up this time,” I promise her.

  Katy puts her hands on either side of my face and looks me in the eye. "I know, because I won't let you."

  I smile and kiss her quickly just before Krista and Scott rush over to us and squish us into a group hug.

  "Ok! Sweeties, you’re going to kill this dress and my hair!” Krista laughs, pushing herself away, and smoothes down the skirt of her dress. "Ahh...we're married!" she squeals, kicking off her shoes and spinning in the sand before looking over at Scott. "I am now officially Mrs. Krista Adams."

  Scott walks over to her and pulls her into his arms. "Don't you dare forget it, either,” he says before he starts kissing her.

  "Uh-hem Mr. and Mrs. Adams, you do have a reception to attend before you get to the honeymoon,” Billy, the hair stylist and girls' new friend, teases when he walks over to us.

  Krista sticks her tongue out at him and it only makes him laugh more.

  I squeeze Katy's hand as I spy her brother walking over to talk to us.

  "Well, little sister, you look good,” Derek says as he hugs her. "I'm glad you're happy again."

  She smiles, looking over at me, "Thanks, me too."

  Aria Watson, our co-star, walks over to say her congratulations to Krista and Scott and Derek's eyes quickly zero in on her.

  As she walks away, Katy puts her hands on her hips, giving Derek a look. "Don't get any ideas, big brother.”

  He shoves his hands in his pockets, slowly stepping away. “I'm a big boy, sis," he smirks before running to catch up to Aria.

  “Derek’s already getting into trouble?” I ask, shaking my head as I wrap my arms around Katy's stomach.

  "M-hm, he really thinks he can have a shot at Aria."

  “Well, good luck to him on that one, but right now, I don't care." I smile against her head as I swiftly scoop her up, causing her to yell and grab onto my shoulders as I take off at a run to the edge of the water.

  “Oh my God, don't you dare!”

  I laugh, pretending to drop her before setting her down on her feet, "Just kidding."

  I smirk when she smacks my chest before wrapping her arms around me and pressing her head into my chest. The water washes over our feet and we enjoy the brief moment of quiet before there's some yelling and we hear music start to play.

  "Katelyn, Liam, come on! It's time to cut the cake!" Mrs. Parker yells over to us, waving for us to come over.

  I look down at Katy, brushing a stray curl out of her face. "I love you, Katy Warren. Now let's go entertain our guests."

  We walk hand in hand into the tented area that everyone has congregated at and I smile, taking a look around at the festivities going on. This is how life is supposed to be--enjoyable, memorable. Nothing to fear anymore, and a whole future ahead of us...it's all I've ever wanted.

  Chapter 36

  A couple days later we arrive back at the L.A airport, and to my dismay there are paparazzi camped out waiting for us, back to reality.

  As soon as we get off the plane there are camera flashes everywhere. I whisper to Katy to keep her head down and pull her into my side as we start speed walking towards the waiting limo.

  "Liam! Scott! Tell us about the wedding! Did you have to get married for a reason guys? Are they pregnant?" Questions and comments come from all sides of us until we're safely locked inside the car.

  "Welcome home," Scott says dryly, rubbing his eyes. "I hate those bright flashes."

  "I get why celebrity chicks wear those big thick sunglasses now," Krista grumbles, rubbing her own eyes. "Why do they need such big cameras, anyway?"

  Katy shakes her head, leaning on my shoulder. "I don't know how you guys deal with them all the time. All the yelling and bright lights..." She sighs, looking out the window. "So we're going to the famous bachelor pad, huh?"

  I shift in my seat and look over her head at Scott. The girls think we're all going to move in together at our old place. They have no idea that it's listed now and that we've got our new homes all set up and ready to move in to.

  We soon pull up inside the garage, and I help Katy out before walking into the very large sitting area.

  The girls gape, looking around. There's a game area to the right, the kitchen is fully stocked to the left, the stairwell leads up to eight of the ten bedrooms and two of the four bathrooms, and outside is a Jacuzzi and a pool with a slide.

  When we bought this place we were just thinking like a couple bachelors without a care about what people might think. But the girls are definitely not approving, if the looks on their faces say anything.

  "Listen guys, Krista and I have been talking
and we think all this," Katy waves her arms around, "is just way too much."

  "And besides, we're newlyweds, Scotty.” Krista crosses her arms and stands beside Katy. "Don't you want a little...privacy?"

  Scott and I look at each other and bust out laughing. Good to know the girls are on the same wavelength as us. This place would never have been home.

  "Umm, what's so funny?” Katy asks, raising an eyebrow at us.

  "We've actually already come to the same conclusion,” I tell her with a smile. "And that brings us to another surprise."

  "Oh, I love surprises!” Krista beams, grabbing Scott's hand.

  Scott laughs, pulling her close. "This house is now on the market. We're selling it, splitting profits and all that AND...We both already have new houses."

  Katy's eyes widen as she turns to me. "We do?"

  "M-hmm...and that is our next stop."

  Katy throws herself into my arms, causing me to stumble backwards. "I can't wait to see it!"

  I smile softly and start pulling her towards the door. "Well then, let's go.”

  Once we're all outside Scott tugs Krista towards their car. "Alright, we'll split here. Sorry babe, you don't get to be neighbors."

  Katy laughs. "That's ok, text me pics, Kris!"

  "You, too!" she yells back before hurrying into the passenger seat while Scott walks around to the driver's side.

  When Katy and I settle into our car she cocks her head and asks me, "So, when did you buy a house?"

  I run a hand through my hair nervously. "I finalized some stuff just before we went to Hawaii. I had my assistant do a house visit and had someone come in and do a check over everything. And before you even ask, I'm not going to tell you how much it cost,” I tell her pointedly before backing out of the driveway and beginning the drive towards our new home.

  "Fine, but can I get a hint of what it looks like?"

  "Hmm, I don't want to ruin the surprise. But I will tell you that it's nothing like the place we just left. It's much homier...better for a family.” I look at her out of the corner of my eye and reach over to hold her hand in mine. I know she'll love this place. It's everything she used to tell me she dreamed of her house being. The backyard has rose bushes, an area that can be turned into a garden with a little water fountain. There's even a wrap around porch that we can sit out on.

  We drive in silence until I turn into the little community. I watch Katy as we slowly go down the streets. There are children of all ages outside playing. If we're lucky, I hope to fill our new home with 2 or 3 of our own little rugrats. I chose this neighborhood because there are some other celebrities that live here under the radar with their families, and a little help from on-duty security that monitors the area to ward off curious photogs.

  I spot our house just ahead and slow down as I pull into the driveway and around back. I want Katy to see everything there first.

  She scrambles out of the car and I hear her catch her breath when she takes everything in.

  "Wow." She steps onto the walkway and I come up behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist.

  "Is that a good wow or a bad wow?" I ask.

  She wraps her arms around me and squeezes tightly, "A good wow, definitely a good wow! This is amazing, Liam!"

  I grin, squeezing her back. "Just wait.” I lean down and scoop her up, climbing up the stairs of the porch. "Now, it's tradition for the man to carry his new wife over the threshold of their home."

  Katy giggles, throwing her head back. "Heaven forbid I mess up tradition."

  "Exactly, now, it's time to start working on our future, Mrs. Warren,” I whisper in her ear, nudging the door open with my foot and carrying her over the threshold and into our new living room. "Welcome home, baby."

  Katy links our hands together and pulls me closer. "Thank you. Thank you for being my home. I love you."

  "I love you, too," I whisper against her lips before pressing mine against them.

  I've been living in the world of make-believe happily-ever-afters for so long that I really didn't think real life couldn't be anything like that. But I was wrong, because I've got my happily ever after right here...and I'm going to make it last the rest of my life.

  Epilogue

  3 Months Later

  I'm going to be a dad.

  Katy came running out of the bathroom this morning waving this little white stick around, and I had to get her to calm down to get what the heck was going on. She's pregnant. It's everything we've ever wanted, but I'm scared to death. How am I gonna be a great dad when I'm off filming so much? I don't want to leave Katy to parent alone.

  "Hey," Katy whispers to me. "What's wrong?"

  I shake my head, pulling her into my arms. "I can't believe this is really happening. We're gonna have a baby!"

  She laughs and nods. "Yes we are, so why do you look like you're freaking out?"

  I take a deep breath and look at her flat stomach. "What if I'm a bad dad? What if it hates me for working so much?"

  Katy looks at me like I've lost my mind. "Are you crazy? I know you're going to be the best dad, Liam. You love kids, you love me, and I know you would move mountains for our baby, so don't for a second think otherwise."

  I know in my heart she's right, but, God, the unknown is scary.

  10 Months Later

  Our son, William Lucas Warren, came screaming into the world today, two weeks late. We had to force the little guy out. Katy was so miserable these last few weeks, and to make things harder, the media was always camped out down the road from our house, trying to catch a glimpse of her belly or asking if it was baby time yet every time we came through. Thank God for private hospitals.

  But now he's here, happy and healthy. He has my blue eyes, at least so far, and Katy's brown hair. He's perfect. When we found out we were having a boy, Katy tried to talk me into naming him Liam Jr., but I wasn't having any of that. I didn't want my boy to go around being called Junior all his life. So Katy came up with William because Liam is still part of the name, and when she asked about giving him the middle name Lucas, I gave my approval because I know she wanted some way of keeping him alive. I think William Lucas Warren has a good ring to it anyway.

  As I sit rocking him in the corner of the hospital room, a soft tapping on the door catches my attention enough to make me get up and cross the room to open it.

  "Hey there, Daddy!" Krista smiles at me. "Is it ok if we come in?"

  "Of course, just be quiet, Katy's been resting and right now so is Will."

  Krista tip toes in with Scott right on her heels and Katy stirs around until she focuses on them.

  "Oh, hey guys." She smiles tiredly, scooting up on her pillows. "Did you get to see Will?"

  "We just got here, sweetie, but I'm about to grab him out of Daddy's arms." Krista smiles at Katy before crossing the room to me and gently taking Will out of my arms.

  "Oh my goodness, I could just eat him up," she coos, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I want a baby, Scotty." She pouts over at him. "Just look at this! We'll have a baby just as beautiful as he is."

  Scott rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "Yes, we will...someday. Right now isn't the right time."

  She sighs and moves to the rocker, holding Will close. "I know work calls the both of us. Be prepared to be baby-napped often, Kate."

  Kate laughs warmly, watching her best friend with our little boy. "You're allowed, you're his aunt and uncle. He can be your practice baby."

  Krista beams at that as she rubs her finger tip on Will's cheek. "You did good, Mama. Where are the grandparents?"

  "They were all here earlier. He already has them wrapped around his little fingers, too. I sent them all home to rest, though, so poor Will wasn't getting passed around to 4 different sets of arms."

  "Well, good, more cuddle time for Aunt Krissy then."

  I lean on the wall and and smile to myself as I watch Krista bring Katy our son when he starts to cry. If someone had told me a year and a half ago that this moment wo
uld be happening, I never would have believed them. I never thought I'd get this second chance at my own happy ending. Now I have everything I could ever dream of: my wife happily back in my life, a son to watch grow and learn, and amazing friends and family to watch with us as he becomes all he's meant to be. Once upon a time I was disconnected from everything in my life, and now I'm locked back in where I belong. My life is completely interconnected with all these other people I didn't even know not too long ago, but I wouldn't dream of having it any other way. This realness is what matters. My life in front of the cameras feels so far away right now...being Will's dad and Katy's husband is, by far, my most important role ever.

  Bonus Scene - Liam and Katy's First Red Carpet

  Katy's wearing a dress that is worth nearly a million dollars, and she's standing in our living room holding our drooly baby. She's putting off leaving him with the grandmas so we can go to my movie premiere, scared because it's her first time walking the red carpet and because it's her first time to be away from Will for longer than an hour or so.

  "Baby, give him to your Mom before he gets drool all on that dress. You don't want stains in pictures, trust me."

  She frowns at me before kissing his cheek and passing him off to her mom. "Ok, ok, I'm coming. Love you, Will. Please, call us if anything happens or he gets real fussy or--"

  "Kate, we've got him. Go on; enjoy your baby-free night." My mom smiles and walks around Stella to hug Katy. "You look beautiful. Go show that dress off."

  Katy laughs, shaking her head. "Thank you. I'm just not used to not having Will with me at all times anymore."

  "Well, a red carpet is hardly an appropriate place for a baby to go. Tonight is about his Daddy. We'll watch you on TV," Stella tells her before moving to the rocker to sit with the baby.