Lessons To Learn (chapter 45)
Chapter 45
"Brent?"
She said as she turned around to find him standing before her. He was older now, he looked more... man, and his voice had a more mature feel to it
"I saw you when you entered and I couldn't help but think of how long it's been"
Kate smiled "yea, it's been quite a while"
"They have a really beautifully rooftop garden here, want to take a walk?"
Kate thought about it. It wouldn't mean anything right? It was just a walk with an old friend and Rick was doing fine talking to her dad. They were both getting a little drunk, not too much and they were having fun. So she said "yea sure"
They walked in silence for a while until Kate asked "so how's Maddie? We lost touch after everything that happened in senior year"
"We broke up" Brent said
"Oh, I'm sorry" Kate said, shocked at the news. Brent and Maddie were a thing, a thing that took Brent away from her during the time Kate loved him too. But that felt like ages ago.
"What happened?" Kate asked
"I realized I made a mistake... I wasn't really in love with her, at least not the way I loved you"
Kate went stiff. She suddenly felt like running far away from this spot. Running from where this was going.
"Brent.."
"I still love you Kate... I never stopped" he said as she stood in front of her
"Brent... I'm with someone... and I stopped loving you a long time ago"
"I don't believe you... I think..." and before he could finish the sentence, he leaned in without warning and kissed her.
Kate's heart stopped. But not because of the kiss, rather at how wrong it felt. She pushed him away, lightly enough to try not to catch anyone's attention, and hard enough to tell him he's a fool to think that would work.
"Brent, get away from me" she said sternly. And he realized his mistake and walked away. Kate turned around and one pair of eyes met hers, they were cold and hurt and angry. Rick. What was she thinking? Her lips parted in an attempt to say something, but he was far away, physically and in thoughts. He finished up the drink he had in hand and then walked briskly towards her
"Rick... I can explain..."
"Save it." He said when he was near her, but then she realized he hadn't stopped, he was following behind Brent.
"Rick..." she called, but he seemed determined.
And before she knew it, he had tapped Brent's shoulder, and when Brent turned around, a punch came flying at his nose, enough to throw him to the ground.
"Fuck" Brent exclaimed.
Kate had reached them now, and stood before Rick, holding him back, her palms on his chest
"Rick, stop it, please, let's go back downstairs..." he looked at her, and then took her hands off him, and walked away. She followed behind him briskly, knowing she owed him a big explanation.
But the minute they entered the party hall again, her mother pulled her away to introduce her to some friends, and Kate looked on over to him while she was being dragged away and saw that he had gone back to the bar.
When the time came for the throwing of the bouquet, Johanna Beckett had pushed Kate into the crowd of eligible women, just for the fun of it, and Kate ended up catching the bouquet. But when she saw that the crowd of guys gathering up to catch the garter didn't include Rick, she wanted to throw the bouquet into another woman's hand and just go hug her boyfriend and tell him she was sorry. She just wanted this night to end.
Rick was standing beside an old couple who was watching Kate dance with the guy who had caught the garter and the man spoke to his wife.
"That's Katherine Beckett, Jim Beckett's daughter"
"She's a beautiful young lady, pity she hasn't found the right guy yet, she would have made a man real happy"
Rick, kept his gaze on her... he loved her, she made him happy, always did, but then why did he suddenly feel like he wasn't enough for her.
Johanna and Jim Beckett were leaving tonight soon after the party, and so before going home themselves, Kate and Rick dropped them off at the airport.
Rick shook hands with Jim Beckett and then embraced him and said "it was a pleasure getting to know more about you tonight Mr. Beckett"
"The pleasure was ours" Jim said.
Then Rick placed a kiss on Johanna Beckett's cheek and said "Mrs. Beckett, I never got to tell you, but I can't let you go without letting you know, Kate got all of her good looks from you"
Johanna laughed and looked at Kate "you really got yourself a handful here" Kate chuckled. But Rick didn't look back at her and it made her feel a little bad.
"Thank you Rick and I hope you're not just saying this because you're drunk"
"I'm more truthful when I'm drunk" he said with a charming smile. "Have a safe journey" he wished both of them and then walked towards Kate and said "I'll be in the car" and he walked away.
Kate walked on over to her parents and embraced both of them and said
"I did something stupid today. And he's angry"
"I noticed" Johanna said.
Kate said goodbye to her parents and when she hugged her mom, she said
"I was thinking of what you said, and it made me doubt stuff, and I wanted to talk to him, but we had a misunderstanding..."
"Just take him home, and be with him"
Kate nodded, she waved goodbye to them and walked on over to the car.
As Jim and Johanna walked on into the airport, Jim took his wife's hand and said "he told me he wanted to buy a ring"
"I hope he still wants to." Said Johanna
She found Rick in the passenger seat going through things on his phone.
"My place?" she asked him
"No actually, I want to go home" he said, not taking his eyes off the phone.
She started the car and drove on towards his place
When they reached, he unbuckled his seat belt and she wanted him to invite her upstairs, or at least kiss her goodbye, or maybe even a smile, but nothing. He was going to get out of the car and walk onto his place without a glance at her, and she knew it would hurt. So she spoke up
"Can I come up with you?"
Chapter 46- Link here- http://caskettastic.livejournal.com/13869.html