She Will Love You Through All The Lies

Brian took his wife’s hand in his and walked up to the familiar maroon door. He knocked on the door with his empty right hand, still keeping his wife's hand clasped in his left. Moments later the door opened revealing a very happy looking Matthew Sanders. He welcomed them in and closed the door behind them. "Hey Kate, how have you been?" Matt wrapped his arms around Kate in a friendly, protective hug. She smiled and took in his scent; he was still the same Matt that she had known back in high school.

"I've been better, how've you been?" Matt pulled away and smiled at her after looking into her eyes. He was always the protective one of the group. He made sure no one messed with his friends, especially the girls.

"I've been good, but it's good to be home, and sleep in my own bed." Kate nodded her head in comprehension. Matt looked at Brian and smiled, "hey man." He gave him a quick hug and then led the couple further into the house.

When Brian and Kate got to the living room they noticed that Val, Leana, Jimmy, Lacey and Johnny were already there. They were just waiting on Tara and Zacky now. Val jumped up and ran towards Kate. She wrapped her arms around Kate as Kate herself soon followed. They stood there for a few minutes, still hugging and whispering to one another. Val pulled back for a moment to look at Kate only to notice that Kate's eyes held extra moisture just like her own. She wrapped her arms around her tighter again until a voice interrupted them.

"Okay, Val, stop hogging her! You're not the only one that missed the girl," Kate let out a light laugh as she looked past Val's shoulder to see Leana standing there, with her hands on her hips and a large smile on her face. Val shook her head as she let go and Leana wrapped Kate up in her own arms.

"No, but I missed her the most!" Val protested as she whipped a tear from her eye.

"No, clearly I did!" Kate let out a laugh and turned to look behind her.

"Always fashionably late, Tara," Kate smiled.

"You bet hun," Tara's faint southern accented voice replied before she took off towards Kate. They locked each other into hugs and didn't let go for twice as long as her and Val. "I missed you so much Kate. It's just not the same when you're not around," Tara mumbled into her shoulder. Kate had always been the taller of the two, well; she had always been one of the tallest girls as she was basically the same height as her husband.

"I missed you too," Kate paused. "We need a lunch date, we need to talk and really catch up."

Tara nodded her head as she pulled away, "tomorrow at noon!"

Everyone else got around to hugging Kate and she soon felt like she was the one who had gone away. Lacey had apologized for not getting together as much as they should've. She had realized that her and Kate were very much in the same boat and needed one another. Kate told her that it was fine and that she completely understood the circumstances, but desperately wanted to confess that no one but she and Brian truly understood what was really going on between the two.

She found herself between Brian and Tara. Her husband had his right arm draped around her shoulder as her and Tara caught up and talked about what they had been doing the last few months. "So, what all exciting happened to you?" Tara asked as she smiled at her best-friend.

Kate frowned and looked down at her lap. "Nothing. I followed the same routine for months, barley left the house." She didn't want to say anymore, in fact, she didn't want to admit what she had been feeling like to anyone but at the same time she refused to lie to her best-friend.

Tara frowned too and set a hand on her friends' knee, "I'm sorry hun. We'll have a day together tomorrow."

Kate and Brian didn't talk much to one another during their time at Matt's. Kate was sure people noticed but just didn't want to say anything, but at the same time, they were probably all too lost in their own conversations that they were too busy to notice. Kate shook her head and stood up. "I'll be right back," she excused herself as she walked towards the front door.

She stepped outside and sat on the top cement step. She wished that she had a cigarette at that moment, to drain all of her tension, but had quit some years ago. The front door opened and she looked up to notice that it was Zacky. He jumped when he saw her and then smiled. She smiled back up at him and moved over so he could sit down next to her.

"I knew you were out here, but I expected you to be on the porch swing." Kate shook her head as Zack sat down next to her. "So, how come you're out here?"

Kate bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "I just needed fresh air," she mumbled. Out of her peripheral vision she noticed Zack shake his head; he knew she was lying through her teeth. She was always really close to him, but she didn't want to bother him with her problems.

"Kate, I know what you're thinking now, and you're not bothering me." He sighed, "I know something is wrong, and I'm out here for a reason. I want to help you, you deserve to be happy. You should be in there enjoying Brian's presence along with everyone else and there used to be a time where that's all you wanted to do and now you're out here, what's going on?"

Kate noticed her hands begin to shake. She tried to settle her nerves, but there was only one thing that could do that. Zack dug into his pocket and pulled out a package. He shoved it into her face, Kate's eyes lit up when she noticed what it was. She took it from his hand and pulled out a cigarette and passed the package back to him. Zack lit the end of her cigarette as she placed it between her lips, starting one of his own right after.

Kate sighed, "We’re having problems." Zacky nodded his head in understanding. "We've been having problems for the past few years, but never lead on to anyone that we were. I don't know why, maybe, because everyone always talked about us being perfect for one another and then it just began to fall apart." She felt a weight beginning to lift off of her shoulders.

"When you guys left for tour this time, he didn't even ask if I wanted to go. He used to always ask me to go months ahead of time. He kind of just packed and left, he said goodbye as he walked out of the door and said he'd be home in a few months. He rarely ever called and when he did it was always short until a few days ago. I was ready to pack and leave and as I decided that it would be in my best interest he called and said he wanted to fix things; that he loved me, and he messed up. He said that he missed how we used to be and began to cry as he was looking at a picture from when we were 16."

Kate shook her head, "he came home early so he could see me. We went out to dinner and it was more then awkward. When we got home it was fine, and today was fine, until we came here. I don't know what's with him. All I know is, it's hurting me more that I can't even communicate with my husband the way that I should be able too. I fucking hate it, Zack."

"He never cheated on you," Zacky told Kate as he stared in front of him. He turned and looked at her, "I just want you to know that. He was never once unfaithful, and if he ever was, you'd know right after any of us found out, of course, after I beat the shit out of him." Kate smiled at Zack and nodded her head. "As for everything else, I don't know what's going on with him. He was really different with us for a while, and then a few days ago he just softened up and that's when he called you. Then a couple days later he flies back out here because he didn't want to have to wait any longer to see you, and now he's different again." Kate looked up, "I mean, he's quiet now. He usually isn't like this. I feel like I'm kind of loosing my best-friend. I don't know what's going on with him either, so I understand the hurt and confusion you're going through to a degree."

"Nothing is wrong Zack. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed is all," she smiled, her thoughts of what their conversation could've been playing in her head. She inhaled the fumes from her cigarette and cursed herself for not telling Zack what was really going on.

Zack frowned; he knew that Kate wasn't telling him the truth. He knew she was in fact overwhelmed, but he knew Brian had a rather large part in her unhappiness. He couldn't be angry with her though, he would be doing the same thing she was if he was her too. Just as he was about to open his mouth, to tell her something he felt was very important, the door opened to reveal Brian.

"Ready to go home, babe?" Kate gave a sideways glance at Zack. He half smiled and stood up, he looked behind Brian to see Tara walking towards the door. She raised her eyebrows at Brian. Zack looked away and helped Kate up. They both sighed and threw their cigarettes out on the sidewalk as they walked towards the door.

"Let me just go say goodbye to everyone first," Kate mumbled and walked back into the house with Zack.

Kate hugged everyone goodbye and made her way back outside to meet her husband. Brian stood in his same spot, leaning against a poll on the porch. He had a marlboro placed between his lips as he waited for Kate. "Ready?" Kate asked in a small voice, still feeling insignificant to her husband. He had really damaged her the past few years; it was going to take a lot to get her to open back up to him.

Brian frowned at her voice and nodded his head, taking her hand in his. He walked her to the car and opened her door for her, closing it once she was in safely. He walked around to the driver's side and got in the car himself. He put the keys in the ignition and turned the car on as he began the fifteen minute drive back to their home.

They walked into the house in complete silence. Kate half expected Brian to grab a beer from the fridge and head to the living room to watch television, but, as she reached their bedroom that seemed more like just her own, she noticed him walk in behind her. He took off his shirt, socks and his pants, leaving him only in his boxers. He threw his clothes in their laundry hamper.

Kate stood on the other side of her bed and removed her shirt the same time as her husband. She suddenly felt very self conscious around him, like it was her first time being in the same room with him only in a bra and pants. She tried to shake the feeling, but didn't succeed. She tore a shirt out of her closet, not caring what shirt it was, and pulled it on quickly. She removed her jeans and quickly pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants.

As Brian was undressing himself, he noticed how self conscious his wife had become. He felt a pang of guilt run through him, knowing that he had caused every change in her. He walked around their bed so that he stood in front of her. He looked deep into her eyes and searched for anything, something, but all he found was hurt and hollowness. He wrapped his arms around her body and held her close to him. It took a few moments for her to finally relax against his body, but once she did, they both felt relief run through them, even if it was for a few moments.

Kate laid in bed, on her left side as she faced her closet. Brian turned off the light and walked back to the bed and crawled in. He snuggled up to his wife, wrapping his right arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. He kissed her shoulder, "I love you, Kate."

Kate squeezed his hand that was secured under her own. "I love you too, Brian."

At that moment, both of them began to wonder if one another truly meant what they had confessed. Did they really, after all these years and forgetfulness, still love one another, or were they just too afraid to leave one another and find true happiness and love with someone else?