Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(52)

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Giggling to himself as the people walking past looked at him oddly, he muttered, “Oh thank God, it’s the phone. I thought my cock was ringing.”

As my cheeks flamed bright red and my hand slapped over my mouth, Kellan dug his phone out of his pocket and answered it. Upon hearing his greeting, I instantly wondered if Kellan should be speaking on the phone in his condition. I also wondered who could be calling him…most of us were already here, or on our way here.

“Yo, talk to me,” he spouted merrily, sitting back on a hip. Shaking my head at him, I rolled my eyes. Lord help whoever he was talking to. I figured out who that was a moment later. His face dropping in complete surprise, Kellan loudly exclaimed, “Dude! Denny, man! You have, like, f*ck-tastic timing. Tonight’s my last show and Kiera and I were just—” My eyes widened and I immediately tried to take the phone from him.

Of all the people for Kellan to talk to drunk, Denny was the worst one.

There were way too many delicate topics he could accidentally start talking about.

Glaring at me, Kellan twisted out of my reach, stumbling back a step.

“Relax, Kiera, I wasn’t going to tell him that you just blew me off.” My mouth dropped open; he’d just said that directly into the phone and it sounded really, really bad. His hazy mind registering what he’d done, Kellan blinked and quickly covered with, “Oh, Denny, not that she actually blew me or anything, she didn’t, she doesn’t really hang out down there, if you know what I mean,” he paused to giggle, “and I guess you do, huh?”

Reattempting to snatch the phone away before the idiot told Denny everything that he didn’t need to hear, I watched Kellan frown as he batted me away. “Sorry, man, you probably don’t want to hear shit like that.” There was a pause from Kellan as Denny spoke, then Kellan laughed. “Yeah, well, at least I didn’t say you caught us in the middle of doing it… that would have been awkward.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Idiot. Joking or not, Denny really didn’t need to picture Kellan and I together. I heard silence and peeked an eye open at Kellan; he was frowning. “Denny? You still there?” After 146



another second his frown lifted to a medicated smile. “No, the tour starts tomorrow, we’re livin’ it up for our last night in Seattle.” Sighing, I grimaced. I hadn’t realized that Kellan had told Denny that he was leaving for a few months. I could just imagine what Denny thought about that. Denny probably wouldn’t say anything directly, but I was sure, in his head, he was making some comparisons to when he’d left me.

Wondering how to get Kellan out of saying something stupid to his friend, potentially ruining the tenuous relationship that they had, I tried for the phone again. Kellan held me back at arm’s length as he blabbered on. “Yeah, I know. Six months, Denny. On a bus, man! An actual tour bus, can you believe that shit?” Kellan paused, then tilted his head.

“Yeah, I’m seriously buzzin’…why?”

Taking advantage of Kellan’s brief moment of confusion, I snatched the phone out of his hand. Denny was laughing when I put the cell up to my ear. “Hey, Denny, it’s me. Sorry about that, he’s been…celebrating.” Still chuckling, Denny murmured, “I can tell. Hey, how are you?” I knew he was asking about Kellan’s upcoming departure, but I answered like I didn’t know he was asking that. “Oh, I’m doing great.

Work’s busy and school’s crazy, but I’m getting by.” There was a pause and I studied Kellan. He’d crossed his arms over his chest and was tapping his foot like a petulant teenage girl. I bit my lip to not laugh. After the silence, Denny seriously said, “No, Kiera, I meant with Kellan leaving.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the phone. “Yeah, I know that’s what you meant. I’m fine…really.” Opening my eyes, I smiled at Kellan; he smiled back, wobbling a bit on his feet. “This is a big moment for him. I’m not going to ruin it by…” I bit my lip, not wanting to say it to Denny.

Sighing, I heard him fill in the blanks. “By breaking up with him so he gives up everything to rush back to you…even though it’s too late.” 147



Swallowing, I turned away from Kellan. “Denny…” Clearing his throat, Denny sniffed into the phone. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to go there. I really didn’t, Kiera.” Sounding uncomfortable, he cleared his throat again. “Look, I’ll call back later when he’s sober. I just wanted to wish him good luck on his tour.” He laughed softly. “Not that he’ll need it.”

I smiled a little, looking back at Kellan who was leaning against the far wall, staring at the exit sign at the end of the hallway. “Yeah…I’ll tell him later.” Tilting my head, I shook it. “Thanks for calling, Denny. I know it means a lot to Kellan.”

A brief silence, then, “Yeah…goodnight, Kiera.”

“Goodnight, Denny.”

Shutting the phone, I held it in my hand a moment before turning back to Kellan. He was staring at me again, blinking slowly. When I walked over and held the phone out to him, he numbly took it, still expressionless. Shoving it in his pocket, he finally grimaced. “I’m hungry…do you want to split some fries with me?”