Reckless (Thoughtless, #3)(142)
Luckily, the driver’s imposing size helped keep the fans at bay, and there was a clear walkway to the car. Looking at the people outside, I suddenly felt like we were leaving a trial that had ended with an unpopular verdict, and we had to wade through the protesters to get away.
Anna noticed the crowd right as the first set of automatic doors opened. “What’s with the groupies?” She twisted to me. “Are they here for you?”
“They’re probably here for Kellan . . . I’m just a lucky happenstance.”
Anna held the car seat a little tighter. “Maybe we should have the driver go around.”
I was starting to think the same thing, but a couple of the girls saw us and alerted the rest. Every head swung in my direction. Every expression turned dour. It was quite clear that all of these diehards believed the gossip, and none of them were on Team Kiera. God, I hoped I wasn’t about to get stoned.
“Too late now. We’ve been spotted.” I met eyes with Anna. “We may as well get it over with.”
Anna glanced at her daughter as she chewed on her lip. “Yeah, okay.”
I waved at the driver, letting him know that we were coming and needed a quick getaway. The group hovering around the car started closing in on the door. I felt like we were in some old spaghetti Western as we stared each other down. Even though the girls were on the young side, if one of them had leaned over and spat out a wad of tobacco juice, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Well, maybe a little surprised.
Seeing the tension brewing outside, a couple of burly guys from the hospital escorted us out the main doors. They politely asked the group to stop loitering, but they may as well have been speaking a foreign language. The crowd invasively pressed in around Anna and me once we were outside. The awkward sensation of having strangers in your personal space made me uneasy as I hurried forward. A couple of brave girls shoved me into my sister’s side, but mainly the group was using their words to hurt me. And let me tell you, sometimes words cut as badly as knives.
“Leave Kellan and Sienna alone! They’re meant to be together! You’re nothing, a nobody! You’re not even worthy of breathing their air, ugly bitch! You should have never been born! You should just do the world a favor and kill yourself!”
Anna’s face turned bright red, but I squeezed her arm and helped her get into the car. I didn’t need her fighting for me while holding her daughter. Since Gibson was going into the middle of the backseat, I had to walk around the car to get to my seat.
The driver and the hospital guys helped me clear a path, and I noticed something I hadn’t before. A couple of photographers were in the crowd. They must have picked up on my location from the fans. The social media sites were probably buzzing with the news that I was here. While the photogs snapped every angle of my face that they could, the girls continued taking pot shots at me.
“You think you’re hot shit? You think Kellan gives a rat’s ass about you? He’s in love with Sienna, bitch! You’re just a worthless toy. Once he’s done with you, he’ll toss you aside with the rest of the trash. Disgusting little cunt!”
Tears were stinging my eyes, but I ignored their hatred and lifted my chin. They had no idea what they were talking about. They had no idea what the truth of the situation was. If nothing else, I could at least respect their devotion, although I would never condone verbally attacking a person with such malevolence.
I was shaking when I sat down in my seat. Some of the girls pounded on the glass while the cameramen captured it all. I discreetly locked my door. The driver said a few harsh words to the crowd and I turned my attention to Gibson. She was positioned backwards, and she was looking at me. She had the cutest, softest chubby cheeks. Ignoring the malicious girls outside, I placed my finger on Gibson’s palm; she immediately closed her hand around it.
As the car pulled away, the fans smacking it a few final times, Anna murmured, “Jesus. Are you okay, Kiera?”
When I looked over at her, a tear fell down my cheek. I was still shaking from head to toe. Pushing away the confrontation, I nodded at Anna and looked back down at Gibson. “My niece is holding my hand. I’m perfect.”
I felt Anna’s finger drying my cheek. After a moment of silence, she said, “I love you.”
I exhaled a long, low breath, and finally stopped shaking. “I love you too.”
The drive took a lot longer than expected. We had to stop a couple of times for Gibson. Once she needed to be changed, once she needed to be fed. We also hit some heavy traffic along the way—some accident that narrowed the freeway down to one lane. As we passed by the wreckage, I noticed that Anna wouldn’t look at it. Instead, she ceaselessly kissed her daughter’s hand. I could only imagine that she was thanking fate that Gibson was safe beside her . . . and that she hadn’t given her up.
By the time we got to the venue, the concert had already started. Anna and I were beat, so we didn’t go into the arena. Once we got cleared from security, we immediately headed for the busses. I wanted sleep. Badly.
Since all of the guys were inside playing, no fans or photographers were outside to bother us as we emptied the car. A good thing, because I didn’t think I could handle being yelled at again. It felt so good to be back on the bus, like we were coming home. All of the familiar sights and smells were there when we stepped through the doors—leftover beer bottles on the tables, crusty socks in the aisle way, Evan’s giant D trophy hanging from a noose above a window, and a bowl of half-eaten . . . something . . . on the couch. It was the cluttered mess that I had grown to know and love.