Chapter
24
After everyone
got over the joy of winning the trial and having Katelyn move in with Brian's
parents, they all began to focus on something else: Brian and Leighanne's
wedding. It was set for September 2nd, which was only a few weeks away.
The week
before the wedding, which was to be in Lexington, Leighanne and her family flew
to Lexington to spend time with Brian and his family. Over the week, more and
more of both Leighanne's and Brian's relatives flew in for the wedding. Brian
was very excited about it. Leighanne, however, was acting very strangely
lately. She didn't want to talk to him much lately, and she seemed so distant.
He just figured she was nervous, and didn't bring it up with her.
***
One afternoon,
four days before the wedding, the phone rang at Brian's house. Brian and
Katelyn were eating lunch together in the kitchen. Brian hurried to the phone
and picked it up.
"Hello?"
he said.
"Brian,
it's me, Leigh. Meet me at the church in a few minutes. I have to talk to
you," said Leigh.
"Sure,
honey. I'll be there," Brian replied. Leighanne hung up. He hung up
slowly.
"What was
that all about?" Katelyn asked, looking at the perplexed expression on
Brian's face.
"It was
Leigh. She wants me to meet her in front of the church. She said she has to
talk to me," Brian said.
"What
about?" Katelyn asked.
"I have
no clue," Brian said. "I'm gonna find out though. I'll be back later.
"
"Bye!"
Katelyn called as he grabbed his keys and hurried out to his car. She frowned
as she saw him speed off. She had a feeling that something was not right.
***
AN: Just warning everyone, I make Leighanne act
like a total bitch in this part. In real life, I respect her and know she would
never act this way, but I just had to have her be this way for the plot of the
story.
When
Brian got to the church where he and Leighanne would be getting married in four
days, he saw Leighanne's rented car parked in the parking lot. He saw her
sitting on the front steps. She didn't look too happy. He jumped out of his car
and raced over to her.
"Baby,
what's wrong?" he asked, putting his arm around her. She shook it off.
"Do you
love me, Brian?" she asked.
"Yeah, of
course I do. You know that," Brian said.
"What
about Katelyn? Do you love her?" Leighanne asked, staring at him coldly.
"What?!
Katelyn?" exclaimed Brian. "No, not like I love you. Katelyn and I
have gotten close over the last few months. But we're only friends. I love her
like a sister, but no more. You and I are meant for each other. I thought we
knew that," Brian said.
"Brian,
you have been spending way too much time with her!" Leighanne cried.
"What about me? What about your commitment to me?"
"Leighanne,
do you have any idea how selfish you sound?" Brian asked, his voice rising
angrily. "Don't you know what that poor girl has been through. Her life
was like a living nightmare! I'm trying to make her life better. And yes, I do
spend a lot of time with her. But she needs me too. Plus, you have a whole
other life out there with your acting thing. You aren't always around."
"And what
do you and Katelyn do while I'm not around?" Leighanne asked, her blue
eyes as cold as ice.
Brian's mouth
dropped open. "Leigh, do you actually think Katelyn and I are seeing each
other behind your back or something?" he asked, hurt and shocked.
"That's
the way it looks to me!" she shouted. "I always see you with your arm
around her, and she is always hanging around you!"
"That's
because I was comforting her!" Brian yelled back. "I told you what
she has been through. She has been scarred, not just physically, but
emotionally. She can't get through this alone. She needs me! Can't you
understand that? Can't you stop worrying about yourself for one minute and
actually care about someone else?!" Brian was outraged now. How dare she
do this to him, especially four days before his wedding?
"Well,
fine! Maybe I will just go care about someone else! His name is Pierce, and I
met him in England!" Leighanne shouted. Suddenly her tone softened.
"Goodbye, Brian," she said. "I hope you have a nice life. It was
fun while it lasted, but face it, we are over. No more wedding." She gave
him a smug smile and flounced off to her car, as Brian stared after her,
completely in shock.
***
