Disconnected (5 page)

             
When the elevator dings that we're at our floor he shakes his head at me. "Nah, I'll always stay at good boy status. When I have the right girl, I won't be coming to these things anymore."

             
I nod and follow him down the hall to where I hear music thumping and people laughing.  Scott drags me over to a fancy looking metal table with padded seats, where we sit down and I people watch until a waitress makes her way over with a tray of drinks.

             
She leans down, making sure her top tugs down as she does. "Can I get you boys anything else?" she asks with a twinkle in her eyes.

             
"How about you come back to my hotel room with me?" Scott suggests to her, grinning.

             
She smiles tentatively at him and looks over at me, "How about you?"

             
I shake my head, putting my hands in the air in surrender. "I'm a taken man. No more going back to a hotel room with anyone."

             
She pouts and stands back up straight before making her way over to another celebrity-filled table.

             
"Maybe I shouldn't use you as my wing-man," Scott grumbles as he leans back in his chair, scanning the room.

             
"I might not be much help, what with the whole getting back with my wife thing now."

             
He runs a hand through his hair and peers over at me. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

             
I cross my arms and look him in the eye as I nod. "I really am. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice." I sweep my arm in front of me. "This kind of party is what drove Katy away from me. I can't let Hollywood cloud my head anymore, Scott. I love her, and I have to prove it."

             
He looks me square in the eye and then turns his body to where he can observe everyone. "This kind of thing is our norm now, Liam. You can't expect to just shut your eyes and ignore it for the rest of your life to make her happy. You need to remember that."

             
I take a breath and lean my arms on the table. "It's not just to make Katy happy. The party boy isn't who I am, who I've been my whole life. To her I'm the one who she was forced to dance with at a wedding when we were 15 and didn't think we wanted anything to do with each other. And the boy who wouldn't take no for an answer when I realized that I was in love with her in high school and she was dating someone else. I didn't leave her alone until she broke up with that kid." I shook my head at the memory. "I'm not 'Liam Warren, movie star' to her. I'm just Liam, her Liam, and I need to be him again. Remember who he was and where I started out. All this," I look around at all the people, "is make-believe. But Katy is real, and I have a lifetime to make up for what I did to her. I'm not going to waste it playing games."

             
He sighs and messes with his hair before he leans his arms on the table, too. "I hear you.  I really want this to work out for you. I've seen how her being gone hurt you. And I saw you turn to others because you thought it would help you get over it. Do I have permission to smack you if you start to screw it up again?" he asks me with a smirk on his face.

             
I laugh and nod, rubbing my hands together. "I'm gonna hold you to that. Someone's gonna have to keep me from messing things up." I sigh tiredly and rub my eyes.

             
"You're not getting too tired on me already are you? We're just getting started!"

             
"We worked all this morning, starting at about five, then I went and talked with Katy, and then I had to come straight here. So yeah, I'm tired."

             
"And grouchy," he mutters, and I shove his shoulder. "I don't think there's really anyone here catching my attention tonight anyway."

             
"Wanna crash in my room tonight?" I ask as I get up from the table. "I got video games set up already."

             
"Ooh, you owe me a game! Remember back in L.A I kicked your butt on that ninja game. You were such a sore loser, too."

             
I glare over at him. "I was not. We'll just have to do a rematch, you'll see."

             
Scott laughs and shoves me down the hall. "You're on!"

              After a few hours of playing and me winning more than Scott, he's the grouchy one. 

             
"You have to be cheating!" he grumbles, and throws the controller onto the floor. "There's no way you can win that many times."

             
"I'm just that good," I smirk and lean back on my pillows. "You're just jealous."

             
He chucks an extra pillow from the bed he's laying on at my head. "No, you're just a cheater."

             
I roll my eyes as we hear someone stumbling down the hallway and some giggling before there's a knock at my door.

             
Scott raises an eyebrow. "Expecting someone?"

             
I shake my head as I get up and go to look through the peep hole. "What the heck is she doing here?" I grumble and look back at Scott.

             
"Who?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.

             
"Alexia," I sigh. I could kick myself for being so weak a few years ago. I got wasted that night at the club and took her home with me. Ever since then she tries to dig her hooks in me every chance she gets. If I could take back that night I would. She seems to think we make the perfect couple on and off screen.

             
I bang my head into the door before I open it and lean into the door way. "Can I help you, Alexia?"

             
She smiles up at me and runs her hand down my arm slowly and I step further back from her and cross my arms. "What do you need?" I ask with a firm voice.

             
"I'm just coming in from...sight seeing." She shrugs, looking between me and Scott. "Ooh, are you having a slumber party?" She grins and goes to step into the room but I gently push her back. 

             
"Sorry, not with you. Ever again," I make sure to point out and let out a rough breath. "I've told you, I'm getting back with my wife. No one else matters."

             
She gives me a hard look and puts on a false looking smile. "We'll see about that."

             
"What's that supposed to mean?" Scott asks as he comes to stand next to me.

             
Alexia just shrugs, playing with her perfectly curled hair, "Nothing. We'll just have to see." She waves one finger at a time and waltzes down the hall towards her room.

             
"What do you think that was all about?" Scott asks me dryly.

             
I shake my head, confused. "I don't know, man. But I really don't like her being so nearby. She creeps me out."

             
"Me, too," Scott agrees, and rubs his eyes. "We got to work early tomorrow, is Katy going to come to set?"

"I don't know," I frown. "I told her to, but things are so iffy I don't know if she will."

              He nods. "Well, you better get some beauty rest so you at least look good for her. You're scary when you don't get enough sleep."

             
I shove him over to the bed he was on and plop down onto mine. "Whatever, you're worse." I toss the pillow he threw at me earlier back over at him. "Goodnight."

             
"Night, man."

Chapter 5

             
We're filming on the beach today. We got here at around 6 and already there was a crowd of fans behind the barricades. Our bodyguards were quick to make sure we were blocked from view when we were escorted to our trailers. 

             
"Oh good, you're here." Mitchell looks over from where he's sitting on the little couch in my trailer. "Did you get the itinerary I sent to your assistant?"

             
"Um, yeah, interviews with the local news and one of the magazine people. Then a few hours of filming and a quick photo shoot, right?" I raise an eyebrow at him and grab my script that is lying on the counter.

             
"Right, remember this director is very precise about things. No getting involved with the opposite sex, drinking on set, drugs--all those things are strictly prohibited under his watch."

             
I roll my eyes. "I have absolutely no plans of getting involved with anyone, much less Alexia." I shudder. "Don't worry."

             
"Good." He nods. "You will have to do some photos with Alexia though, as well as Aria and Scott."

             
"'Kay," I sigh, and frown as I read the script. "More rewrites?"

             
"Yes. Mr. Johnson, the director, didn't feel like it was at the best quality."

             
I sigh and toss it onto the table. This should be a fun day. 

              After I finish the interview and sign a few autographs, I'm standing around talking with Scott when Mitchell walks up and clears his throat. "Mr. Warren, you might want to add them to your approved visitors list before they just show up unannounced next time."

             
I draw my eyebrows together in confusion until I look over and see who he's talking about. I get a big grin on my face as I run over to hug her. "Katy! I can't believe you came." I notice her best friend and nod in her direction, "Nice to see you again, Ms. Quinn."

             
She smiles over at me. "Please, just Krista."

             
"Krista...What are you girls doing?" I ask, and step back to get a good look at Katy. What the hell is she wearing? Those shorts barely even cover her butt. I narrow my eyes and take a quick look around to make sure no one else has decided to notice this before I lean down to Katy's ear. "And why the hell are your shorts so short?"

             
She bites her lip as she smiles up at me. "That's Krista's doing. You don't like them?"

             
Before I can even open my mouth to respond, Katy's whole body stiffens and she takes a step away from me. I frown, trying to figure out what I did wrong, when I see Alexia walking over with a bounce in her step and a happy little smile on her face. When I go to step towards Katy, Alexia launches herself onto me and rubs against me, causing me to cringe. "Oh Liam, honey, I couldn't wait to come see you." She smiles slyly at me.

             
I shove her off me and growl in frustration. "Alexia, we've been over this."

             
She smiles what I think is supposed to be a flirty grin and turns her attention towards Katy. "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?"

             
My breath is coming out in huffs of anger as I stare between the woman I love and the one I'd like to punch right now. This crush or whatever she has on me is doing nothing but causing me trouble.

             
"Right Katy?" Alexia clasps her hands together and looks from Katy to me.

             
"You know what? You want him so bad, you can have him," Katy responds angrily and takes off at a dead run.

             
I growl at the back of my throat and get in Alexia's face, "You are walking a thin line. You have no right to act like this. As far as I'm concerned, from this moment on, you don't exist!" I quickly shove past her and take off running in the direction I saw Katy run. I'll be damned if she is going to leave me again, and especially not over the likes of Alexia Dalton.

             
I see her ahead of me so I pick up speed. I grab her and press her against the closest wall, trying to catch my breath as I look into her eyes. "You are NOT leaving me again. I don't care if you’re pissed, or if some 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!”

             
She closes her eyes and I close mine as she runs her fingers through my hair.  "She came to me last night, told me about the women, alcohol, and  hotel rooms the studio was providing for you. Then seeing her all over you like that, I just--it brought up bad memories," she whispers as she leans her forehead against mine. Those memories are keeping a wall between us; I just hope I can find a way to knock it down.