Page 26 of Loved Out Loud
“Get the fuck back!” Adam’s voice booms out.
A warm arm slips around my waist as Stone blocks the group of yelling men from my line of sight. “You good?” he asks, pulling me flush against him.
I nod, even though I’m not good at all. Not a single bit. Stone helps me up into the SUV while Adam holds the crowd back. I follow Jade into the third row and watch as she angrily types out a text.
“Who the hell told them I was here?” Stone asks no one in particular.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Jade murmurs. “If it’s anyone from our camp, I’m going to be pissed.”
I stare out the window as photographers try to get a shot of the interior of the SUV while the driver pulls away. Stone reaches back and lightly wraps his fingers around my ankle. He doesn’t speak, but he does exchange a look with Adam. If I weren’t in a daze from the signing and then the group of photographers, I’d probably find that look between them suspicious. But as it is, I’m just happy to be in a quiet vehicle on my way back to the hotel.
My bed and room service are both calling my name. There’s no way I’m doing anything but rotting in bed and eating the best bad food. Finding a Pilates studio for a workout sounds a lot like a problem for tomorrow’s Hazel.
I woke up to a phone full of a ridiculous amount of notifications. Like an obscene amount. I’m surprised it hadn’t exploded while I slept off my evening of extroversion.
I decide to open Sierra’s text first, even though Greg sent me several as well as Mom and Grams.
Sierra: Do you have something to tell me?
Me: Not particularly.
She sends an Instagram post from an internet tabloid with a series of photos of Stone wrapped around me while helping me into the SUV last night. I scroll through them, unsure of how this can possibly be newsworthy until I get to the last one. The angle makes it look like his hand is on my ass.
Truthfully, I don’t remember him touching me at all, though I know he did when he stepped between me and the swarm of photographers. But if he did touch my ass, I’m sure it was just a coincidence.
Sierra: Is that a rock star with his hand on your ass?
Sierra: Talk about an upgrade from Greg
Me: It’s just the angle the of the photo
Sierra: Maybe, but even if he didn’t touch your ass, he was definitely looking at it
Holy fuck.
She’s right.
But why?
Me: He was probably just making sure I didn’t slip as I got into the SUV
Sierra: Babe.
She sends a screenshot with two arrows pointing from his eyes to my ass.
Me: He’s a rock star, maybe he can’t help it. Put some ass in front of him, and he’s going to look
Sierra: Maybe
Me: The signing went amazingly well last night
Me: How are you feeling?
Sierra: I’m so glad! Better, but I am sorry again for missing it
Me: Jade came along, so I wasn’t alone
Sierra: So did Stone
