Once the cheers and shouts died down, Kellan and I pulled apart from each other. Looking overjoyed but tired, Kellan mumbled, "Can we lie down now?"
Seeing the discomfort on his face, the tightness in his jaw, I nodded and started leading him back to his bed. He started to follow me, then paused as something outside the window caught his attention. Hoping he wasn't too faint, since falling to the ground would not be good for his stitches, I glanced out the window too. The candle cups outside were frantically being waved back and forth as the fans celebrated our union. I could even hear faint cheering as our room quieted.
Smiling, Kellan changed his direction and stepped up to the window. Wanting to support him, I went with him. The faint cheers grew to loud screams when the people got their first unobstructed view of Kellan. He had tears in his eyes as he waved back at them.
"See how loved you are?" I whispered.
He turned his attention solely to me, and his gleaming eyes sparkled with unashamed adoration as they shifted over my features. "Yes, I do." In full view of his loyal followers, Kellan leaned over and gave me a tender, but passionate kiss. It was one that made my heart beat faster. One that reminded me of tangled limbs and glorious releases. One that made my breath quicken. One that made me curse the fact that I had to wait six weeks to officially consummate my marriage.
It was going to be the longest six weeks of my life.
When Kellan pulled back from our kiss, his eyes were simmering with desire, and I knew, without a doubt, that we would never make it the full six weeks. We'd just have to be very, very careful. Good thing Kellan was an expert at keeping things slow and steady.
Then he flinched, and I remembered his current situation. Putting steamy thoughts aside, I returned him to his bed. He exhaled in relief when he was back to his prone position. I crawled into bed beside him as people huddled around to congratulate us. I'm sure it was the oddest wedding any of them had ever been to. I also thought it was probably the most romantic. But then again, I was a bit biased.
My mom was sobbing as she filmed herself hugging me. Then she reached over me, nearly squishing me, to hug Kellan. My dad gave Kellan a firm handshake. I'd never seen my dad look so proud, and I knew that he'd finally let Kellan into his heart. He was family now, and my dad would protect him just as passionately as he protected his girls. I'd never cried while smiling so much in all my life.
Anna was next, engulfing me in a jiggling hug that rattled my brain. She dashed around the bed to give Kellan an equally loving, but far more gentle, hug. Griffin was behind Anna, and when he stepped up to me, he checked his breath in his hand; that made me nervous. I raised a finger at him in warning. Griffin smirked. "Relax, it's not for you." Laughing, he lunged over me and planted a wet one on Kellan instead.
Kellan couldn't do much to get him away, since every movement he made hurt him. The entire room burst into laughter as Kellan finally shoved his bassist back. "Fuck, man," he scowled at Griffin as he wiped his mouth.
Griffin chuckled as he smacked Kellan's thigh. "Congrats, dude." Pointing at Kellan, he laughed and said, "Hey, you took my advice. You're getting better at the tongue thing."
My parents looked horrified and mystified by the conversation. I was laughing so hard my stomach was starting to cramp. Shaking his head, Kellan smiled at me as he flipped Griffin off. Surprising myself, I motioned for Griffin to hug me. He seemed surprised by that too. When he wrapped his arms around me, I whispered in his ear, "You be good to my sister. I sort of love you two together."
Pulling back, Griffin gave me a devious smile. "You love me."
My smile faded some. "I didn't say that."
Nodding, Griffin released me. In singsong, he said, "But that's what you meant. You totally love me!" Standing, he put his hands up in the air so everyone would look at him. "Kiera totally wants me!"
Matt shoved him back as he took his place. As I gaped at Griffin, Matt muttered, "I think he was dropped a lot as a child." Matt gave me a modest hug while I agreed with his assessment. He gave me a light kiss on the cheek as he pulled away from me. "I'm glad you and Kell made it. I really have never seen him happier than when he is with you." He frowned. "Plus, he gets really grumpy when you guys are apart."
I smiled over at my husband. Three nurses were wishing him well on his marriage. By the seductive smiles they were flashing him, I highly doubted they meant it.
When Matt stepped away Evan took his place. Slinging his arms under me, he lifted me up off the bed and twirled me around. Jenny giggled from behind him. Stopping us when we were facing Jenny, he bent down a little so she could hug me too; her cheeks were just as tear-stained as mine. "I love you, Kiera," she gushed out.
I wanted to tell her I loved her too, but the boisterous pair were squishing me between them. When Evan set me down, finally letting me breathe, I gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. "I love you guys too."
When they left me to go say their congratulations to Kellan, Denny stepped up to me. I inhaled a deep breath as I stared at him. He seemed so much older, wiser. Our separation had somehow matured him from a boy to a man. I could only imagine the internal struggles he'd gone through while he'd being healing from our breakup. He'd been put through the fire, but it hadn't turned him brittle, it hadn't turned him hard. He was just . . . stronger. Looking at the man in front of me now, he seemed so different from the boy who'd driven me across country to start our new life together. I'd never imagined then that our relationship would crumble so fast. I'd thought we'd be together forever. But I supposed we still would be, in a way.
The smile on his face was peaceful as he stared at me. When he opened his arms, I wrapped him in a hug. He would always be my friend. We would always care about each other. Folding his arms around me, he whispered, "I really am happy for you, Kiera."
I nodded into his shoulder as tears streamed down my face. "Thank you. And thank you for being here. You don't know how much it meant to me, to us."
He rubbed my back. "I wouldn't miss my best friend getting married."
I wasn't sure if he meant me or Kellan in that sentence, and it made me really happy that I didn't know for sure. Pulling back, I smiled up at him. "Well, don't think I'm missing your wedding. When is it, anyway?"
His smile grew absolutely radiant as he looked across the bed at his fiancee giving Kellan a hug. "Abby picked Valentine's Day." He laughed. "She's really got a thing for holidays. She even made us go out to a nice French restaurant to celebrate Bastille Day . . . and neither one of us has even been to France."
I laughed at Abby's adorable quirk. Releasing him, I said, "Well, you know I'll be there for your wedding. Kellan and I both." I gave him a crooked smile. "And if you need a band, I think I know a couple of guys who would play for you."
Denny looked around the room, amusement in his eyes. "I might take you up on that." His expression more serious, he turned to me. "Before we leave, Abby and I want to talk to you and Kellan about something. Okay?"
Confused, I nodded. "What about?"
Denny glanced at the line of well-wishers behind him. "Later." He started to turn away, then looked back at me. Voice low, he told me, "For the record, I always thought you were gorgeous. I'm sorry if I didn't make you feel that way."
His frown broke my heart a little, and I gave him another quick hug. "It wasn't you. It was my hang up. It was always my hang up. A by-product of having a perfect ten sister." I shrugged.
Denny gave me his world-famous grin. "I always thought you were better looking than Anna." His eyes flashed to Kellan. "And I'm not the only one." Heat flooded my face as Denny laughed and walked away.
Justin congratulated me next, then Kate. Incredibly flirtatious glances were being passed back and forth between the pair, and I was pretty sure they'd be an official couple by the time Kate flew back home. After them, Rachel, Abby, Cheyenne, Hailey, and Riley gave me big hugs, and Hailey made Kellan promise to visit Pennsylvania soon. Deacon, along with the rest of Holeshot and Avoiding Redemption, gave us well-wishes next, and I thanked Deacon for playing so beautifully.
After he stepped away from our bed, Kellan and I were approached by Gavin. Kellan's father was clearly touched by the level of emotion in the air. His deep eyes, so similar to Kellan's, were brightly shining. As I watched Gavin struggle to keep it together, I wondered if Kellan's emotional, passionate nature was hereditary.
"I'm so happy for the both of you. Savor this moment. Remember this feeling, because it won't always be like this. You'll have ups, you'll have downs." He laughed. "You'll drive each other crazy. But it's worth it if you stick through it. I had so many good years with my wife before she died."
His amused smile settled into a peaceful one; it was also eerily similar to Kellan's. I didn't condone what Kellan's mother had done to him, but I could understand how being around Kellan had been difficult for her-he looked so much like his natural father.
Kellan grasped Gavin's hand with both of his. "Thank you, Dad."
Gavin's eyes widened. Kellan had never called him anything but his name before. Maybe not wanting to break the moment, Gavin simply nodded his head. Or maybe he was too choked up to speak. I know I was.
For the reception part of our wedding, chairs were brought in for everyone to sit on, and we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Even though it was my idea to get married on Thanksgiving, it was humorous to me, and I had a serious case of the giggles when the nurses started bringing in trays of turkey dinners complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry salad, and green bean casserole. And for our "wedding cake," we had pumpkin pie. I guess a potluck with baked beans wouldn't have been so far off the mark after all. But the food didn't matter-just the company did.
Gavin and my father had done an outstanding job with securing the meal. The turkey was tender and moist, the potatoes were rich and buttery, and the pie was to die for. Everyone was celebrating as they ate-celebrating our marriage, and celebrating a day for thanks. Mom and Dad were chatting with Anna and Griffin, Mom securely holding Gibson. Gavin was alternating between catching up with his son and talking to Carly, who seemed very interested in everything Gavin had to say. Evan and Jenny were cuddling in side by side chairs while they ate. Rachel and Matt were sitting next to each other, both of them all smiles. Abby and Denny were discussing something in the corner, while Cheyenne asked Hailey and Riley about the Avoiding Redemption concert. Kate and Justin were sitting on the windowsill with their heads close together as they talked and flirted; their food looked like it hadn't even been touched. Kellan wasn't eating much, but in between giving me a peck or two, he was taking small bites of the potatoes.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
But eventually the good feeling and camaraderie had to end, and people started filtering out. Gavin gave Kellan a warm hug before he left with Hailey and Riley. "As I've said before, son, my home is always open to you. Maybe after your tour is over?"
Hailey bumped his leg. "You promised," she reminded him.
Kellan laughed at his sister. "That would be great. Kiera and I would love to do that." I nodded in agreement when Kellan looked at me. A quiet vacation sounded nice after all of the craziness we'd had lately. Gavin looked happy and at peace as he left Kellan's room. I couldn't be sure, but just outside Kellan's door, I swear I saw Carly writing down her number for him. It made me laugh a little. He was so much like Kellan.
My bridesmaids were next to leave. Giggling, Jenny, Rachel, Kate, and Cheyenne descended on Kellan and me all at once. We were swarmed by arms, hair, laughter, and tears. Jenny gave me a kiss on my head. "Don't you ever wind up in a hospital again, got it?" She looked over at Kellan. "Either one of you."
Kellan's lips curled up in a devious smile. "Guess you're having the baby on the bus, babe."
Jenny's eyes bulged so far I thought they were going to pop out of her head. I immediately reached over and smacked Kellan's arm. "I'm not pregnant! He's joking!" Nobody believed me, and I spent the next several minutes convincing them I was not going to have a baby in nine months. Mom even threatened to make me take a pregnancy test right there at the hospital. Kellan was in a lot of pain as he struggled not to laugh. Served him right. Jackass.
Evan and Matt eventually pulled the girls away. Just as they started ushering them toward the door, Justin said, "Hold up, guys. I'll come with." Kate's topaz eyes sparkled with delight at the idea of spending a few more moments with her rock-star love interest.
Walking up to Kellan and me on the bed, Justin extended his hand to Kellan. "I'm glad you're doing all right, man." As they shook hands, Justin's face grew more serious. "What the label did to you with Sienna was crap. Pure crap. I wouldn't blame you if you dropped 'em." Kellan didn't answer him; I don't think he'd decided what he wanted to do yet. Seeing an answer in Kellan's non-answer, Justin smiled and added, "Next tour, when the D-Bags are headlining arenas, we'll open for you." He pointed over at Deacon and Holeshot as they were leaving the room with the other members of Avoiding Redemption. "We'll both open for you."
Kellan smirked at him. "I'm all for going on tour with you, but we're not going to be headlining stadiums anytime soon."
Justin laughed as he ran a hand through his wildly layered hair. "You sure about that? The D-Bags are on top of the world right now. I'd say your days of playing anything but the large venues are long behind you."
Kellan shook his head, but told him, "Yeah, let's make it happen." Satisfied, Justin headed out with Evan, Matt, and the girls; his fingers were entwined with Kate's as they left the room.
Yawning, exhausted from the day and probably the tryptophan in the turkey, my parents left next. Anna and Griffin went with them. They really didn't have much of a choice, since Mom wasn't relinquishing their child. Anna complained about it as she tried to get Mom to put Gibson into her car seat before they headed downstairs. "Mom, if you hold her nonstop, she's going to get used to it, and I'm never going to be able to put her down!"
Mom rocked Gibson back and forth, clearly not going anywhere near the car seat yet. "She'll be fine, Anna, and I have to hold her. I just have to. I don't get to see her as much as you."
Griffin nodded as he agreed with my mom; I never thought that would happen. "Babies should be held. It helps them form bonds and shit."
Aside from the swearing, I thought he made a good point. But Anna's point was good too. For the first time maybe ever, I wasn't sure which one of the two parents was right. Grinning at Kellan, I was grateful that I didn't have to deal with any of those kinds of questions yet.
After the five of them left the room, closing the door behind them, Denny and Abby were the only ones remaining. Noticing how late it was getting, I asked him, "You guys heading back to the hotel soon?"
Relaxing back in a chair, he nodded as he grabbed Abby's hand beside him. "Yeah, in a minute. Now that everyone is gone, there is something that Abby and I wanted to talk to you guys about."
Remembering what he'd said earlier, I sat up on the bed. "What is it?"
Denny opened his mouth to answer me, but Kellan's phone started ringing. I was going to ignore it, but I recognized the personalized ringtone that meant Sienna was calling him-it was the song "You're So Vain." I'd programmed it into Kellan's phone after the last time Sienna had called him, when she'd ticked us off by refusing to help quell the rumors. Kellan thought it was funny, so he'd left it that way. Plus, I'm pretty sure he didn't know how to change it.
We all looked over to the nightstand where I'd stuffed Kellan's belongings. "Sienna," Kellan muttered. "I wonder what she wants."
Standing up, I hurried around to the other side of the bed. I wondered what she wanted too. Finding the phone in Kellan's plastic bag, I quickly answered it before it could go to voice mail. "Sienna?" I asked.
"Oh, is this Kiera?"
A little bit of heat seeped into my voice upon hearing her accent. Aside from the flowers, this was the first we'd heard from her. "Yeah, Kellan's a little out of commission right now, so I answered his phone for him."
Her voice was instantly remorseful. "I am so sorry. So very, very sorry. I never meant for anything bad to happen to him, to you." She sniffled, and my anger faded a bit.
"You played with people's heads, drummed up a juicy story that wasn't even real. What did you think would happen?"
I heard the light sounds of crying, and my heart softened. "I just wanted to make a splash. I just wanted a little bit of a spotlight. I never wanted him to be chased or hounded. You have to believe me. I never wanted this."
I sighed. I did believe that she didn't want him hurt. I did not believe that she "never wanted this." The circus that we'd found ourselves in was just what she'd wanted. "Hold on, Sienna. I'm going to put you on speaker."
I switched the sound setting on the phone as I placed it on Kellan's lap. "Go ahead," I told her.
Her tinny voice immediately started gushing. "Kellan, love, I'm so sorry about what happened to you. I feel awful, just awful. I don't even know how to fully express how horrid I feel."
Kellan smirked at the phone. "Yeah, I got your flowers," he dead-panned.
Sienna sighed. "Look, I know you don't understand, but everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you, for the both of you."
Denny looked thoughtful while Kellan narrowed his eyes. "You're right, I don't understand."
Voice soft, she told him, "You will never have to worry about being manipulated by me again. I give you my word. And you won't have to worry about Nick either. My contract was up after that last album. I've threatened to walk if he bothers you again."
Shocked, Kellan looked between Denny, Abby, and me. "You . . . what?"
Sounding more put together, Sienna added, "I also spoke with the president of the label, Nick's father. He's none too happy about how his son has been handling things lately. He doesn't want the label associated with scandals. You calling the label out on the radio got his attention. My admitting to him what Nick helped orchestrate . . . well, let's just say that Nick will probably have to get permission to take a piss from now on."
Denny laughed at her comment; Kellan was still floored. I was just . . . confused. "Why would you do that?"
Sienna took a moment before answering. "Because I wronged you-both of you. And I'm trying to make it up to you. I've been stewing about this for days, but I'm going to give a public apology. I'm going to confess my part in what was done to Kellan."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stared at the phone, shocked. "You'll lose fans. They'll turn on you. Your career . . . ?"
"I'll bounce back. I always do." Her tone was so sure that I believed it.
"Well, thank you for helping us," I murmured.
In a quiet voice, she confessed, "If you knew everything I did to hurt the two of you, love, you may take that back."
I shook my head. "It's probably better that you never tell me, then."
A throaty laugh escaped her. "Agreed. But I give you my word that I will completely leave your relationship alone from now on."
Kellan frowned at Denny, and I knew the two boys were wondering what I'd already wondered. Had she orchestrated every seemingly random event that had led us to where we were now? I didn't want to give her that much credit, but I knew she was behind a lot more than she'd led us to believe. I highly doubted that any of those photographers who had randomly found us were really random.
As the room processed that, Sienna said, "Is your book done, Kiera? May I give it to my agent?"
I bit my lip. That was a really big question. One I'd been pondering during my brief moments of peace when I could think about my life and what I wanted to do with it. Did I want help from Sienna? She probably could get me places, and it was all about who you know, after all. But, like before, I wondered if that would bite me in the ass. She said the games were over, and she wasn't playing us anymore, but for how long? Walking away from her help felt like the right thing to do. Like Kellan, I wanted to succeed or fail on my own merits. With a knot in my stomach that was surely causing internal damage, I told her, "It's finished, but I, uh . . . I want to do it on my own."
Kellan and Denny both beamed at me. Sienna seemed genuinely shocked. "Really? You think you'll get anywhere that way?"
Happy with my decision, I laughed and said, "I don't know . . . guess we'll see." Maybe I was making a mistake by not letting her crack open a door for me, maybe not. But either way, success or failure, at least I would feel good about the journey.
Clearly not understanding why I would turn down her help, she murmured, "All right then. Well, if you change your mind . . ."
"I know where to find you," I finished for her.
Still clearly mystified, she said, "Good luck, Kiera."
"Yeah, you too."
She said her goodbye to Kellan, then he disconnected the call. Smiling at me, Kellan murmured, "Look at you, turning down an offer from one of the biggest stars on the planet."
My stomach felt so tight I was sure I'd never be able to eat again. "Crap, did I just make a huge mistake?" I looked between the two men whose opinions I valued the most.
They both glanced at each other, then simultaneously said, "No."
Kellan laughed once then sucked in a quick, pained breath and bit his lip. Denny gave him a sympathetic smile, then turned to me. "You'll get there your own way, Kiera, and you'll feel great about how you did it. I may not have read your story yet, but I've read your papers, and you're brilliant. I know you'll get there."
I gave him a soft smile. I'd need to let Denny read it before I did anything with it. It was too personal for both of us to not get his permission before I published it. But just having his support meant the world. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."
When the room quieted, a sense of expectancy filled the air. Kellan and I looked at each other, then looked over at Denny. He'd wanted to say something before Sienna's interruption, and by the look on his face, I was pretty sure he still wanted to say it.
Releasing Abby's hand, he leaned forward on his knees and clasped his palms together. For a second, he reminded me of how Nick looked when he'd made us an "offer of a lifetime." Unlike that moment, though, I had no qualms or terrors in my stomach. Not when it came to Denny. Aside from Kellan, he was the one person I wholeheartedly trusted.
Denny's dark brown eyes took in Kellan and me sitting very closely together on the bed. "Abby and I have been discussing something recently. We've been discussing it a lot actually."
Brows knitted, I tried to read Denny's expression for some clue as to what he was thinking about. I had no idea. I couldn't read him anymore. "Discussing what?" Kellan asked.
Denny smiled and looked over at Abby. Not missing a beat, she pointed at Kellan. "You, mate."
Kellan looked bewildered by that, and Denny laughed. "You and your band," he clarified. His amusement faded away and seriousness darkened his features. "Abby and I both feel that you are being poorly represented. The band isn't being looked out for. The people who are supposed to be protecting you aren't." He gave Kellan's hospital bed a pointed glance. "That much is clear."
Indicating himself and his fiancee, he continued. "We both have a lot experience in marketing things, people, brands, creating positive PR." Pausing, he leaned back in his chair. "If you're interested, we would like to manage you. We would speak for you, be your voice to the world. We would protect you." He jerked his thumb behind him at the large window showcasing the dark world outside. "And crap like what happened with Sienna wouldn't ever happen again. Not to that extent, at any rate."
Kellan looked like Denny had just confessed that he was actually his biological father. I understood the reaction; I was pretty shocked myself. "You want to be the band's . . . agents? You would do that for us?"
Denny's lips curved up into a warm smile. "Yes, of course we would."
I shook my head at them, amazed. "But, your jobs . . ."
He shook his head. "The D-Bags would be my only clients, and I don't anticipate you needing my help full time." He indicated Abby with his head. "As long as we're able to, we would continue with our jobs on some level." Leaning forward again, Denny set his hand on Kellan's arm. "But you would be my top priority, and if you needed me, I would be there for you. I would be honored to be the one standing up for you."
Kellan feebly nodded his head. "Yeah, okay. I mean, I'll need to run it by the guys, but . . . yeah, let's do it. I'd be honored to have you guys represent me." He stuck out his hand and Denny shook it, then Abby did. Everyone was all smiles. It warmed my heart. "And we'll pay you, of course."
Denny laughed. "We'll talk about that part later." He indicated the IV dripping fluid into Kellan's body. "Maybe when you're not on drugs."
We all laughed, and I marveled at how far we'd all come. We were so different from the people we were when we'd all started living together-stronger, more confident, more secure in ourselves. And yet, we were still exactly the same. We cared about each other. We supported each other. We looked out for each other. And now that the sting of betrayal and guilt was only a dull ache in the background, the three of us were what I'd always hoped we would be-the best of friends.