Dedicating this chapter to _cLoVeR_. Well, thanks for being sooooo awesome. I've nothing much to say except... well... you deserved it. :) Stay Awesome. :*

Dedicating to my amazing supporters, like the one above. :)

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CHAPTER - 36

COMPLETELY LOST

"I'm here!" Veronica's chirpy voice made me drift back to reality from my thoughts; thoughts that have been keeping me occupied since yesterday when I came back from Miami; thoughts that were doing nothing good for me or for anyone else.

"Let's go," I told her as I got up from the couch of her apartment. I started moving towards the main door, but noticed that I couldn't hear Veronica from behind me. To keep a check, I turned around and saw her fixed at her spot and looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. "What's wrong? Not in a mood for dinner?"

She shook her head in response and took steps towards me. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, once she reached me.

"Huh?" was all I could ask.

"You didn't complaint even once and you waited for a good one hour for me to get ready without saying a word. You didn't compliment me on how sexy I'm looking in this lavender dress. You didn't even look at me properly like you usually do." She pouted as she kept her hand on my shoulder. "You're not being... you," she finished, looking into my eyes with slight concern.

I heard her patiently but I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I waited for a complete one hour while she got ready. How in the world did I not complaint or entered her room during this long wait?

Maybe it was all because of my thoughts that have been wandering and going back to everything that happened in Miami two days back. Or maybe it was because I still couldn't believe that so much had happened in less than a week. Or maybe it was because I still couldn't wipe off Kim's expressions when we had finally pulled away from the hug; her expressions that were a constant reminder of each and everything. I don't know for how long we were like that, holding each other tightly. All I know is that pulling away from that hug was the second most difficult thing I had ever done in my life. First one was watching Kim turn away with tear stained cheeks and a smile on her lips; and not being able to do anything about it.

"Keith?" Veronica's voice brought me back, once again, from the thoughts that had held me from two days.

I shook my head slightly to clear it from all the mess and asked, "I didn't?" She shook her head, pouting those red lips that I had kissed uncountable times. I stared intently at her from toe to head while taking steps towards her and smirked as I told her, "Maybe it's because you look gorgeous as ever." I stopped right in front of her and snaked my arms around her waist. She was quick to lean into my touch and quicker to take my 'a*s saving dialogue' seriously.

I leaned towards her and kissed her red lips.

Nothing!

The reaction that my body used to give to her kisses and touches was not at all there. There was nothing and this realization made me back off slightly from the kiss.

Veronica looked at me with surprise and I, to cover up my shocked expressions, smirked and told her, "We're getting late for dinner." This made her giggle as the restaurant we were going to was a very high class and posh restaurant - her favorite.

My mind that had not been at its place since last two days decided to go back to the memories that were a harmful territory to think about, and no matter how much I tried to make it understand, all it could think about was a certain brown eyed brunette. Throughout the drive, I clenched and unclenched my jaw or gripped and unwrapped the steering in a death grip.

I side glanced towards Veronica when we stopped at a red light and saw that she was already smiling at me. We had earlier decided to not meet at all till our wedding that was on coming Sunday but I asked her to go out with me today. I had to do this. My mind and heart was a complete mess and I had thought that meeting Veronica would make me feel better. I had thought that seeing her would be successful in taking my mind away from the dangerous territory called Kim but I was so wrong. I had thought that maybe meeting Veronica would remind me of everything I had loved about her in this past year, but nothing came to my mind as thoughts of Kim were overcrowding it.

"What's wrong?" Veronica's voice snapped me out of my thoughts again. I blinked in response as I was pulled out again. How could I think about someone I used to like five years back when I was sitting with a girl I was about to marry in hardly five days? This was so wrong! I was a mess... a pathetic mess!

I shook my head at her and answered, "It's just that... that I missed you." My diplomatic side was in complete mode today. I was saying exactly the things she wanted to hear as she smiled and gave me quick peck. This is what I needed. I had to get rid of all nuisance thoughts about Kim and focus on Veronica, like I had done in the last one year. We had had our final closure. I was going to be a happily married man and soon, she would be married too. It was good that Kim was no more in the picture. It was good for Veronica and me... and Kim.

'Good! It's good!' I kept repeating in my head.

The rest of the ride was comparatively light as Veronica talked about how she was happy that our wedding preparations were going on at par but she was still worried, which I thought was quite natural and obvious.

We took our already reserved table and Veronica, like always, looked around with a bright smile on her face. The restaurant was one of the most famous restaurants in New York City. Every rich and high class person could be seen here almost once a week and it was Veronica's favorite, for obvious reasons. It was no secret from me that Veronica loved fame. I knew her too well and I had accepted her like that. I knew that she loved me and I loved her. According to me, that was enough. But, then why it felt like something was lacking between us. Or maybe, it was just me. I guess, it was just my messed up thoughts.

Veronica picked up the menu and started going through it. I kept staring at her as I tried to stop the laughter that was threatening to erupt from my lips. I perfectly knew that she was just wasting her time. After about a minute, she gave up and pushed the menu towards me with a pout. She complained, "I really don't know why I even bother to go through this thing when I perfectly know what I have to order."

In normal circumstances and in my normal state of mind, I would have found her adorable and chuckled at her. But, even if this was a normal circumstance, I was definitely not in my normal state of mind. Her words reminded me of the day at the mall five years back when someone had used almost the same words in the same situation; her words reminded me of Kim. My laughter died in my mouth.

"Keith!" A voice interrupted my speechless and laugh less stance.

My head snapped towards the owner of the voice and to say that I was shocked would have been a huge understatement. My eyes slowly shifted to the person standing beside him. She was looking at me with huge eyes. She was still so sexy and beautiful.

"Josh!" It was Veronica's chirpy voice that reached my ears and made me look back at her.

Josh grinned and hugged Veronica lightly when she got up from her seat. "Veronica, it's so nice to see you."

"Likewise." She beamed and her eyes drifted towards Kim, who was now staring at the marble flooring. With confusion in her eyes, she looked back at Josh and asked him, "And she is?"

A huge smile made its way on Josh's face when asked about Kim and he stepped back to move right next to her. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to himself. "Kimberly, my fiancée." His smile was so huge that for a moment, I thought that it would split his face apart in two parts.

"Wow!" Veronica breathed, looking very happy as she eyed Kim, who was dressed in a blue knee length dress, looking all prim and proper. To me, she looked so... un-Kim. "You're so pretty. I must say, Josh, you both look incredible together," she complimented them and turned to look at me. "Don't they, honey?"

It took me a second to realize that she was talking to me and two seconds to realize that I had been completely speechless since Josh greeted me. "Completely incredible," I breathed out as I stared at Kim who was now looking directly at me.

She really was incredible.

And, she was Josh's.

"I hope you'd a great time in Miami, Keith," Josh said, looking completely happy and over the moon. Of course, he was happy. The entire shoot had been wrapped up on time.

I shot him a smile while standing up from my seat and said, "Yes, I did." My eyes, on their own accord, shifted back to Kim at the mere mention of the place - Miami. She, too, was looking solely at me with completely blank eyes.

"You both should see the pictures," Josh said to Veronica and me. He looked at Kim lovingly and added, "She has done a wonderful job, like always." Kim looked at Josh and smiled at him, but her eyes were still blank.

"You were there too?" Veronica asked Kim in surprise.

"I was the photographer," Kim answered almost robotically, looking at Veronica.

"That's so cool," Veronica cooed and continued her interrogation, "So, you know Keith?" She moved towards me and snaked her arms around my neck.

Upon being asked this question, Kim looked at me with something strange in her eyes and answered, "No! I was just the photographer. But, who doesn't know him. He is the one of the most famous sportsperson we've." There was absolutely nothing in her voice. It was plain and lacked any type of emotion or maybe I was too deaf to hear anything deeper. Her eyes looked blank, but yet it looked like there was a whirlwind of emotions going through them and I, couldn't point out even a single one. Everything was so confusing.

Such were the times when I hated her warm brown eyes.

But, I couldn't hide the hurt that I felt when I felt the huge slap she hit me with her words. She was clear in saying that she didn't know me. She wanted us to act like strangers and I was not the one to go against her wish.

Josh looked surprised at what Kim said as he knew that we knew each other from earlier, but he didn't say anything at all.

"It was nice working with you, Miss Kimberly Jones," I told her in the most emotionless and cold voice I could manage to voice out.

She slightly flinched as she heard me say this but covered it up quickly and nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Likewise, Mr. Warren," she replied in her own emotionless voice.

Veronica was completely oblivious to the immense tension in the air. She tightened her hold on me and asked from Kim, "Isn't he just so amazing?"

Kim looked at Veronica and smiled slightly after a second; her genuine smile. "Yes, he is."

My fiancée was undoubtedly pleased with her response as she pecked my cheek. "I believe that you both are coming to our wedding, and I don't want to hear a no," she told Josh and Kimberly a bit sternly.

Josh let out a chuckle and said, "We'll definitely be there. You both carry on with your dinner. We'll see you on Sunday."

Veronica giggled at this and said, "Sure!"

Throughout their conversation, Kim and mine eyes were locked on each others, there was so much going on between us that was unsaid and unexpressed; and yet, there was nothing at all that was going on. Life had never been so confusing and messed up.

We sat down on our seats once they went away. To say that I was completely lost after that would have been the understatement of the century. How ironic could life be? Just when I thought that I had to focus solely on my gorgeous fiancée as Kim was not in the picture anymore; Kim came out of nowhere and again made me lose all my focus. What the hell was happening? Nothing was making sense. Most of all, I was not making any sense to myself. So much for taking Kim out of the picture!

"You seem lost," Veronica complained as she pouted.

Shaking my head, I replied, "No babe. I'm fine."

I shot her a smile, which she seemed to buy. She covered my hand that was resting on the table between us with her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Miami seems to have taken a toll on you," she said with light humor.

A chuckle escaped my lips at how true she was and I nodded my head without saying anything.

Miami definitely had taken a huge toll on me; not just two days back, but eight years back as well.

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A/N (Do read)

Wattpad Prize 2014 entry. Please VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW & spread a word about this story if you like the story. :)

Also, I had asked for suggestions for Keith & Kim theme songs. I got a few suggestions from a few lovely people :) & if any of you have any suggestions, please comment the same. I'll make a final choice soon. :)

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter & let me tell you that this meeting between the two couples was EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Wanna know why? Well, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to know that. :P :D I like being evil sometimes. :D

Thank you! <3