A/N: I know y'all are smart - so do you now understand Colin's name?? If you're still having trouble - this might clear it up. Dedicated to PCGirl and a happy homecoming! :) Until 16!! xox-G
Chapter Fifteen
He was ready to leave. Days had gone by and short of asking around about her - Colin couldn't find Kate. It was better this way. She didn't need a complication like him and he didn't need people to start asking questions. It was just a matter of time before his father found him and that would just mean heartache for everyone. Especially everyone here.
He spent most of his time in the coffee shop, since he'd found her there once before. He'd been there for hours and nothing. This seemed hopeless. He might as well go. Chances of all of this working out were slim to none anyway. She'd be better off with out him.
Unbeknownst to Colin, someone did care that he was here. Someone, besides Kate wanted nothing more than for him to stay around. Kevin looked up from his paper, still stunned to see his grandson up close. He looked so lost and Kevin wanted nothing more than to console him, but he was a stranger. If it wasn't for the pictures Livvie sent to him periodically he'd have no idea what his grandson looked like. As it was, the last one she'd sent was more than a few years old.
For a million reasons he wanted to talk to him. It would make him feel closer to Livvie and it would give him a chance to get to know Colin. From what she told him, Kevin knew that Colin was by no means Caleb's biggest fan. That one fact in particular would give them something in common right off the bat.
Colin threw away his cup and eased out the door. Though he wanted to follow, Kevin knew he could do nothing more than just watch him go.
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"Lucy. Please. This doesn't need to be an elaborate gala. She's going to be eight." Alison sighed.
Lucy shook her head and nearly pleaded. "Alison. Come on. Let me do this. My girls are all grown up - and I miss all this stuff. Please. It'll be so much fun."
"Don't spoil her rotten - though - Lucy." Her voice was serious. "Her brother and her father already have that covered. I don't want her to expect this every year."
"Of course. And don't worry about that. Becky is the sweetest thing ever. But I understand. I promise it will just a cute little tea party. Not too over the top, but it'll be fabulous. Where is the birthday girl anyway?" Lucy looked around.
"Ballet class. Katie's picking her up now."
"How is she?" Lucy asked.
"Katie?" Alison smiled. "She's surprisingly fine. Somehow this thing with Danny really hasn't been that bad. She's been going out and though there were some tears in the beginning, overall she's fine. Now - Grant?" She sighed. "He's breaking my heart."
"Chloe?" Lucy said softly.
Alison nodded. "Yes. Chloe. Those two. Everyone else in the universe can see they belong together except the two of them. It's heart wrenching to watch them." Alison searched for a pen in a drawer. "But you know…I really just think it's because they're so young. They have their whole lives ahead of them, but right now. God, it's torture."
Lucy grinned. "They remind me of you and Rafe."
Alison grinned back. "Me too - which is why it's so frustrating. I know exactly how they feel."
With a glance at the clock, Alison joined Lucy at the table, flipping open her notebook to a blank sheet. "Now. Back to the one child I have who's too young to be in love. Let's get make a list before she gets home. Where do we start?"
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In a daze, Kate walked along the sidewalk. Three days had gone by and not a word from Colin. She sat outside the dance studio and stared at the keys in her hand. She was really early. She had done that on purpose. She hoped that maybe she'd find him somewhere in town. She knew she could go to the motel but she didn't want to be that obvious. He'd probably think she was like some pathetic groupie.
It was fun while it lasted, wasn't it? She thought with a sigh. It had been a great distraction to keep her mind off the fact that Danny dumped her.
And that kiss. The way he looked at her. She knew it was something different. Danny never made her feel like that - not in the whole time she'd known him.
Despite how he made her feel, Colin never promised her anything. She knew he liked to keep moving. It was probably better if she never saw him again.
He was afraid it wasn't true. As Colin walked over to where she sat, he kept expecting her to disappear. "Katrina?" He called out softly.
"Colin.." She breathed, her stomach filling with butterflies just hearing his voice. "Hi. I thought you might have left town."
"No. Not yet." He shook his head. "I was actually trying to find you."
"To say goodbye?" Kate asked, her voice sad. How was this possible? She felt worse thinking about Colin leaving than she did about catching Danny cheating on her. It was insane. Her heart was in her throat and she couldn't meet his eyes.
Colin moved to sit beside her. Knowing that he'd have to say goodbye eventually, he didn't want to answer her question. He decided to say what he'd been thinking since last Wednesday. "I needed to talk to someone. I - I needed to talk to you."
Something in his voice made her turn to look at him, suddenly concerned. He looked so sad. "What happened?"
"My mom called…" He began.
"OK." She placed a hand on his arm and urged him to continue.
"I thought you might understand. I mean - you said your dad was really strict. It must make you crazy. I thought you might know what it's like not to get along with your parents."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Kate weighed her words carefully, wanting to be truthful but not wanting him to stop talking to her. "I can't say that I do." She said softly. "My parents, my dad in particular, expects a lot of us. He can be overprotective. Very overprotective. But he has reason to be."
Kate took Colin's hand in hers without giving it a thought. It just felt like the right thing to do. She stared into his eyes. "They had a lot to go through before they finally were able to be together. They were in some very dangerous situations. You wouldn't know it to look at them now, but they fought unbelievable odds. Because of all they've been through - my dad worries - about all of us. He drives me crazy. He tends to go overboard and it makes me mad, but I know that he only does it because he loves us."
Colin should have expected this. Her face was full of love when she talked about her family. It proved to him once again that no one would ever understand. As she watched his face, Kate could sense him pulling away.
"Colin." She said softly, tugging on his hand when Colin tried to get up and leave. "Even if I get along with my parents, that doesn't mean you can't talk to me. I want to help you."
He shook his head no, wanting to get away. "You don't need to hear this. You wouldn't understand."
"Try me." She insisted.
"My father." Colin took a deep breath. "He's inhuman." And if you knew how much truth was in that statement you'd go running for sure. Colin thought to himself. What was he doing? He needed to get away from her. "This is insane. You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Never mind. Forget it. Take care, Katrina." He yanked his hand from her grasp and began to walk away.
"Colin." Kate began to get angry. "You can't do this. You can't make me care about you and then pull away. If you don't want my help, if you don't want to talk to me then maybe you should go. Pack up your bag and take your guitar and go run away again."
"What?" He turned around to face her.
"Run away. That's what you're doing. Trying to outrun your family. From what you've told me - which is very little, your dad is pretty awful. I'm guessing he sent you to boarding school to get you out of his hair. I'm thinking that you love your mother very much and can't believe that she's still with someone you obviously hate. Am I warm enough yet?"
"Katrina…" He tried to get her to calm down. It was amazing. She pegged him perfectly.
"So go." Kate stood up and stared at him as she shook back her hair. She didn't know why she cared so much. She didn't know why she was so angry but she couldn't stop herself. Her eyes were on fire and her voice shook with rage. "Get on a bus and go to some other place and find some other girl to string along."
"What are you talking about?" He stared at her. She was beautiful - always - and that didn't change when she was mad. He could not believe her temper. It made him want to smile but he valued his life.
Kate wasn't through. "You can't just waltz into town and kiss me like that and then go. I - literally - don't know who you think you are but despite what you might think I'm not used to being swept off my feet and then dumped on my ass." She was getting angrier by the second. She shoved him and he stumbled, falling back onto the bench. "Let me tell you something, rock star. No one does that to me and gets away with it."
How did he ever think he could walk away easily? To hell with his family. At this moment, he could only see her. He loved every mood she had - angry, sad, happy, whatever. Colin knew it was crazy but at that moment all he could think was that he wanted to spend a lifetime trying to keep up with her.
He stood and closed the distance between them. "I swept you off your feet?" Colin asked with a smile.
"Yes." She sighed at him. Her voice became soft and serious. "But don't worry. I won't ever let it happen again."
"No?" Colin asked with a grin, moving so that his face was mere inches from hers.
"No." She promised as she tilted her chin and stared into his eyes.
"So I guess this won't affect you then." He said as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.