“Hey, Kiera,” he answered, his accent warm. “You at a party or something?”
Plugging an ear so I could hear him, I shouted into the phone, “Can you hear the song on the radio?” I held the phone up to the front of the car, then pulled it back to my ear. “It’s Kellan’s song! He’s on the freaking radio!”
I started laughing and could just make out Denny saying, “Yeah! I’ve heard it. They’re playing it nonstop here.”
As the song ended, the driver turned the radio back down. Cell phone conversations quieted to soft chuckles and exclamations of wonder. Kellan clasped my thigh as he talked to his family. I could see the glow in his eye, and could just imagine his father telling him how proud he was . . . and how amazing those words probably felt to Kellan, since he’d never heard a parent say them.
Now that I could hear better, Denny’s words struck me loud and clear. “I saw the latest pictures running around. You, uh, okay with it?”
Wondering if Denny knew the public perception of Kellan and Sienna was unfounded, I told him, “They’re not together, you know. The gossip sites are wrong.”
Denny sighed, and I could easily picture him running a hand through his chunky, dark hair. “Yeah, that’s what Jenny says too, but, uh, she’s . . . in the minority. Most of the people I’ve talked to think Kellan and Sienna are hooking up. Sorry.”
I frowned at this news. “Why would I still be with him if he was with Sienna?”
Denny hesitated, clearly not wanting to answer. Eventually, he did, though. “Kellan’s . . . on the fast-track to becoming rich and famous . . . a celebrity. They assume you put up with it because of his status.”
I scoffed. “That’s not me. I don’t care about any of that. If anything, it just makes everything harder!”
“I know, Kiera,” he said soothingly. “That’s why I don’t really buy the rumors. Because I know you, and I know you wouldn’t put up with him cheating on you.” As guilt flooded me, he added, “We’re a lot alike in that way.”
Everyone else was finished with their conversations while I sat with my mouth open, not sure what I was supposed to say. In the end, I simply told him, “Yeah, I know.” After a moment of silence, I added, “I have to go, but I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay. Tell Kellan congratulations for me.”
“I will.”
Kellan was staring at me when I ended the call. Wrapping an arm around my shoulders, he said, “Gavin hadn’t heard it yet.” He let out a deep laugh. “I think he was just as excited as me. Hailey too.” He wiggled his fìnger in his ear, like it was ringing.
Smiling, I held up my phone. “Denny says congratulations. He heard it the other day.”
Kellan was all smiles, so I didn’t mention the rest of the conversation I’d had with Denny. I’d tell him later. For right now, I wanted him to enjoy his moment in the sun. He deserved it.
Chapter 12
Video Lovin’
Two weeks into the promo tour, we flew back to L.A so the guys could shoot the “Regretfully” music video with Sienna. There was a feeling of melancholy in the air when Kellan and I returned to our room at the record label’s house. And it wasn’t just because we were dead tired. We’d been so busy promoting the album that the video had happily slipped our minds, but now it was all we could think about. Neither one of us was excited about it. Kellan had to pretend to make love to another woman. And I had to watch it, so that my mind didn’t blow it up into some crazed, passionate porno. I’d always heard that filming love scenes was antiseptic and clinical. I hoped that was true.
On the morning of the shoot, I tried to alleviate the tension by waking up before Kellan and surprising him with a heart-pounding lovemaking session, but the reason behind the attack was all too obvious for both of us, and the intimate moment was laced with a fine layer of desperation.
Kellan was quiet on the ride to the studios. The rest of the guys were a bundle of energy and ceaselessly chatted about how excited they were to have an official video being produced. I was torn on the matter, both excited and full of dread.
The limo that Sienna had arranged for us took us right into a movie studio lot. Huge, long rectangular buildings were stretched as far as the eye could see. Each building had a number on it, and as the driver slowly made his way through the maze, I couldn’t help but wonder what masterpieces were being filmed all around me. Just the thought plastered a huge grin on my face that made Kellan chuckle. That made my smile even wider; being amused by me was far better than being sullen.