Reckless (Thoughtless, #3)(132)
Kellan sighed, then nodded. He started to turn away, but I cupped his cheek. Ignoring the incessant ringing in the room, I looked deep into his eyes. “Whatever happens from here on out, I want you to know that I don’t regret anything. Being with you, loving you, experiencing this with you . . . it’s all been worth it, and we’ll get through this together.” I smiled. “We’re a team. It’s us against the world.”
Clearly moved by my declaration, Kellan murmured, “Us against the world? That sounds like wonderful odds.” Our phones were silent a second then started ringing again.
I chuckled as I placed a light kiss on his lips. “It’s better than no odds at all.”
It took a minute for Kellan and me to disentangle ourselves. Somehow, we’d wrapped the sheet over us and under us. We were giggling when we finally got the mess sorted out. It made me happy that even though this chaos was being shoved down our throats, we could still find tiny pockets of levity. I quickly tossed on some fresh clothes while Kellan pulled on his boxers. Before hurrying to my phone, I took five seconds to fully appreciate the sight of Kellan’s tight abs and lean legs showcased by the silky black material. He was perfect, inside and out, and I really couldn’t blame the world for being obsessed with him.
Wondering which concerned loved one would get a hold of me first, I glanced down at the screen before picking up. I smiled when I saw Denny’s name. No matter what, Denny would always be on my side.
“Hey, Denny,” I said, bringing the phone to my ear. Kellan was across the room, also on his cell phone now.
“Kiera, you okay?” His accent around my name was just as warm, sweet, and caring as the first day I’d heard it. “Have you seen the news? Your face is everywhere. They know about you. They’re all calling you Kellan’s mistress.”
I sighed as I sat on the edge of the bed. “I haven’t seen it yet, but I knew it was coming. That creeper ambushed us yesterday when we thought we were alone.” Cringing, I asked, “So, how much do the Kell-Sex fanatics hate me?”
Denny let out a long sigh that said it all. “Well, let’s just say that some of them are very . . . passionate. And inventive. Just hope you don’t ever find yourself in any dark alleys with them.” I laughed at that, and Denny sighed again. “I hate to sound like a broken record, mate, but you could always come back home if it gets too rough.” Laughing a little, he added, “Abby even said she’d hide you in our closet if things got too bad.”
I let out an unladylike snort. “Yeah, fleeing back home and hiding out with my ex and his girlfriend—that wouldn’t be awkward at all.” Having heard my comment, Kellan smirked at me.
After a long stretch of silence, Denny quietly told me, “Fiancée. I asked Abby to marry me, and she said yes.”
Even though I’d been expecting it, my stomach dropped. This must have been how he felt when Kellan and I “got married” right in front of him. Swallowing, I pushed down the microscopic amount of hurt in my belly and fully embraced the epic amount of joy I felt for my best friend. “Denny, that’s . . . Congratulations. I’m so happy for you, for the both of you. You deserve a wonderful life, and I know Abby will give it to you.”
He exhaled, relief in his voice. “Thank you. I was . . . nervous to tell you.”
“Don’t be nervous to tell me good news. You and I are past that point in our relationship. I hope we are, anyway.”
“We are,” he agreed.
The second I disconnected with Denny, my phone rang again. I had a feeling I would be fielding a lot of phone calls today. I was really sick and tired of fielding phone calls. I grimaced as I glanced at the screen. Hitting the connect button, I brought the phone to my ear. “Hi, Daddy.”
I kept my voice as carefree as possible, but it didn’t work. My dad’s response was, “You need to come home now!”
Making myself comfortable on the bed, I spent the next twenty minutes convincing my father that I was fine, and Kellan was fine, and everything was peachy keen, so he had absolutely nothing to worry about. I hoped I wasn’t lying.
Kellan let Jenny and Rachel into the room while I was frantically trying to get off of the phone with my father; he was three seconds away from coming to Philly to collect me. Once I successfully disconnected, Jenny gave me a hug. “Hey, Rachel and I are heading to the airport now. I just wanted to say goodbye before we left.”
When Jenny and I pulled apart, I noticed that her normally bright face wasn’t as chipper as it usually was. Beside her, Rachel looked equally distressed. “I hate what the media is doing to you. They’re making you out to be some two-bit hussy.”
Kellan’s phone rang again, and sighing, he turned away as he answered it; he was still in his boxers. Rachel was purposely keeping her eyes averted from Kellan’s sculpted body; Jenny didn’t even seem to notice.
Sighing at Jenny’s comment, I peeked over at the bed. Kellan had brought me my laptop last night, as well as my overnight bag. While I’d been busy convincing my dad that there was nothing to worry about, I’d hopped online to find the story about me. It hadn’t been hard. The news page that the web opened up on was showcasing the drama in their “Top Story” section. There was something really weird about a couple of rock stars’ dating woes being splashed all over a reputable news site.