That made Anna pause in picking up Gibson’s car seat. “Oh my God, you’re right. I owe Mom and Dad the biggest apology ever. Fuck.” I sympathetically patted her on the back.
The driver had long ago packed our bags in the car. He was dutifully waiting for us right in front of the main hospital entrance. I could see the sleek, black sedan as we walked through the hospital lobby. I could also see a swarm of ten to fifteen people that the driver was trying to keep away from the vehicle. Damn it. I’d forgotten all about the Kell-Sex fans that Kellan had warned me about. I was going to ask the driver to pick us up around the back, but it had slipped my mind. And honestly, I thought they would have left by now. I could tell by the pink cheeks and breathy exhales that it was frigid outside; it had to have been freezing last night. Did they come back this morning, or stay all night long? Either way, why would they do that? Surely they must realize that Kellan had another show and had long ago moved on from Philadelphia. Were they really here for me? Was I that interesting?
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.