Bubbly //a Wesley Stromberg fanfiction//

Chapter 9: Shattered

Wesley's POV

     The show had ended and I had stopped over at Smoothie Heaven to visit Kat. She wasn't there. Kenny approached me, confused, and told me she had gone to see me play. I grabbed my phone and immidiately called Drew, who told me that Dean was in the area and Callie had gone to lunch with him earlier that day to talk. That's when I freaked out. I got in my car and sped over to Rachel's praying she'd be there and that she'd be safe. Sure enough, the minute I approached the apartment door I could hear her and Rachel from the hallway. I slammed the door open and they both shot around to look at me."What? Go where? Wes, how do you know?" Kat asked me, trying to hide her mascara stained cheeks from me.

      "Kat, it was Callie." I yelled. I was filled with guilt and anger. Callie did this to me...to her.

    "What?" Kat asked, horrified.

     "Callie found him and she told him where you were. Here in California. I'm so sorry, but listen..."

     "Wait, what? Why would she do that?" Kat asked. Rachel stood behind her and even though I thought she would've decked me by now, her face was sympathetic towards the both of us.

     "She didn't know he was a dick. She just did it to make me jealous and now everyone's in danger because of her. So we have to go." I shouted, going for her hand. Kat pulled away

     "Rachel..." She said, turning to face her best friend.

   "Just go with him Kathy. I'll text you." She said, nodding. I was shocked by but accepting of Rachel's sudden trust in me. I think part of her knew that Dean would come here first looking for her and that Kat was better off with me. I nodded at Rachel, and she did the same back as Kat looked back at me. She swallowed hard and then went for my hand, interlocking her fingers with mine.

     "How did you find out about this?" Kat asked as we walked down the hall to the stairs leading out of the complex. 

    "Drew." I said.

     "Who?"

     "Drew! He's an old friend who knows Callie and she's got a big mouth. Let's just take the elevator." I said, frantically as I pulled her over to it and pressed the down button.

     "What else does he know?" Kat asked, her blue eyes wide as they stared nervously into mine, awaiting my answer with caution. I took a deep breath.

     "That he's in town and he knows you live with Rachel and are dating me. That's why you can't stay there or at my place right now." 

     "So where will we stay?"

     "At Drew's. It's the safest place right now, baby." I said, pulling her into me and planting a kiss on her freckled forehead. The elevator doors opened up then, and we both got in.

Katherine's POV

     Everything was happening so fast. It was like one minute, my life was perfect, and the next, everything had hit the fan. Just when things become comfortable something goes terribly wrong and your car flies off the road. And right now, I had no idea how to get it back in to drive. I looked at myself in the mirrored wall of the elevator, trying to calm myself down as Wes pressed the floor level button. He reached for my hand, then, and I turned to look at him. He pressed his body against mine, holding me tight as he kissed me quick. "Wes...I'm scared..." I whispered.

    "Don't be, Kat, you'll be fine. I promise."

     "Wes you don't get it." I added.

     "Babe, trust me, I'll protect you!" He said, his voice growing heavier.

     "Wesley..." He cut me off, now yelling as he pulled away from me.

     "Katherine I swear to you I won't let a single fucking thing happen to you!" I saw his fists clenched and shaking a little, his face red, and his veins protruding. I knew his anger wasn't directed at me, it was at Callie. It was at Dean. He loved me, and he cared so much about me. I just wish he understood. I walked closer to him, putting my hands over his fists in an effort to calm him down.

     "Wes..." I whispered. "It's not me you should be worried about." I felt him tense up even tighter as he pulled away from me, placing his hands on top of his head out of frustration. He turned away from me, looking up. Wes let out a large defeated groan as he wound his fist up. Before I had the chance to stop him, it collided with the mirror, shattering it completely.

     "Fuck!" He screamed, holding his fist as he held it against his chest. I glanced at the blood stained shards of broken glass on the floor, and then up at the white empty wall of the elevator where the glass once was. The doors opened up then.

    "Are you okay?" I asked Wes as we stepped out. He was biting his lip as he nodded. I stopped him and grabbed his hand. "Wes you're bleeding like crazy! You're gonna need stitches!" I cried.  

     "I'm fine Kat let's go...it's getting late and..."

     "Wes, please. I meant what I said. It's not me you should be worried about. Dean was never purposely violent with me. And that's what scares me the most. I mean, just look." I said glancing down at the shards of glass still stuck in his swollen knuckles. I went to pull one out and he pulled away.

     "Stop! Ouch, Okay, I'll stop and get it looked at on the way to Drew's. But Kat, you need to understand I would do anything to keep you safe. Anything."  He looked at me really seriously, to the point where it sent chills down my spine. A laugh escaped from my mouth then. As serious as the situation was, I couldn't hold it back.

     "What? Kat, why are you laughing? This isn't funny..." Wes said. The more I chuckled though, the harder it became for him to hold back a smile. "Kat...I don't..." He started to laugh, too. And suddenly we were both sitting there, scared and broken in the doorway of my apartment. But we were so in love.

    "I love you." I said, looking into his hazel eyes. I felt safe inside of them.

    "I love you too." He said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. He leaned down and planted a kiss on my lips. "Now, what's so funny?" He asked, smirking at me.

     "You punched a mirror..." I said.