Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
One of the security guards snickers to himself before quickly trying to wipe the grin off his face, and with that, Ezra’s hand slips into mine, pulling me along. The security team crowds around us, and the moment the paparazzi see movement within the store, their blinding flashes start all over again.
There are more people crowded outside than I could have ever expected, all of them surrounding the three blacked-out SUVs that are parked outside the store. There are even more security guards outside, already working crowd control and making a path for us to get through.
“You okay?” Ezra murmurs, leaning into me as we approach the door.
I shrug my shoulders, quickly glancing back to make sure Dylan still has Madds. “Not really,” I tell him. “It’s not exactly a story I ever wanted to get out.”
“We’ll handle it. When you’re ready, we can talk it through with our PR team to see what the best way to handle this would be. You can say as little or as much as you want, set the record straight with a statement, or if you’re not ready, we can just lay low until it blows over.”
I shake my head. “Laying low isn’t an option, not with you guys heading back out on tour in two weeks. We need to handle it before we head to Portugal. We can’t have this shit hanging over our heads.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah,” I say, leaning into him.
His hold tightens around my waist as his security reaches for the door, pulling it open. “You ready?” he asks, looking at the mob ahead. “Just keep your head low and ignore everything they say. They’ll be brutal about it in the hopes of getting a reaction out of you, so just keep your cool, and then you can fall apart once we’re in the car.”
Fuck.
“Okay.”
With that, we make our move.
The security team falls out around us, shoving the fans and paparazzi back as they try to mob us. “MISS STONE,” someone screams right near my ear. “IS IT TRUE? DID YOUR FATHER RAPE YOU?”
Another voice comes from the opposite direction. “RALEIGH, OVER HERE. OVER HERE, PLEASE!”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Tune them out,” Ezra says, clutching my hand, squeezing it tighter than ever as the flashes from the cameras blind me. “Just focus on me. I’m right here. I’ve got you, Rae.”
My whole attention becomes laser focused on the feel of his hand in mine, and as we slowly make our way through the mob, the noise around me turns into a distant blur.
The security guard opens the car door, and Ezra quickly ushers me in before diving in after me, and one by one, Madds, Dylan, and Rock follow. The moment the door closes behind Rock, peace washes over me. We’re not out of here yet, but we’re one step closer to freedom, and that’s all I can hope for.
Ezra pulls me into the warmth of his body, holding me close as everyone seems to watch me, waiting for me to fall apart, but now that the guys are here and I feel safer than I ever have in my life, the need to crumble isn’t as overwhelming as it’s been in the past.
I’m okay. Truly okay.
The security team works on clearing the crowd, and inch by inch, the SUV begins to roll down the street. “Fuck,” Dylan says. “The paps haven’t been that bad since news of Axel’s death broke.”
“Oh sure,” I mutter under my breath. “Just while my brain is reliving the hell my father put me through, let’s throw in a reminder of my brother’s death.”
Dylan’s face turns white, his eyes widening like saucers. “Shit, Rae. I didn’t mean—”
“Chill. I’m screwing with you,” I tease, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “I’m fine. I just wanna get back home and pretend like none of this ever happened.”
“Home?” Rock asks. “Where exactly is home?”
“Uhhhhh . . .” My brows furrow. That’s a damn good question. My gaze shifts to Ezra’s, and he looks at me as though the answer has been staring me in the face this whole damn time, and as I pick up what he’s throwing down, my eyes widen in horror. “Woah. Back up. Are you suggesting I move in with you?”
“Ummm . . . what?” Madds grunts, peering around Dylan to look between me and Ezra. “Did we just skip seasons three and four? How did we get here? I thought we were figuring out where they were going to dump us for the night.”
“You’ve belonged right by my side since you were thirteen, Rae,” Ezra says, ignoring Madds. “We’ve spent years apart from each other, and now I’m done waiting. I want to build a life with you, just as I should have done all those years ago. I want you with me. I want you in the home I bought for us. I want you in my bed. My life. My whole fucking world. I want to wake up every morning and the first thing I see is you. The first thing I feel is you. The first thing I hear—you. It’s always been you, and unfortunately for your stubborn ass, I’m not taking no for an answer.”