Reckless (8 page)

Kellan’s fingers paused on his track pants. Roused from my melancholy thoughts, I glanced up at his face. He was frowning. “Am I making a mistake?” he whispered over the sound
of the shower.

With no frame of reference, I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Seeing my lost expression, Kellan clarified. “Making an album, going on tour . . . am I making a mistake?” The
room filled with steam as I hopped off of the counter. Kellan grabbed my hand when I stepped in front of him. “All I want is a quiet life with you,” he continued. “What I just
signed up for . . . isn’t exactly a quiet life.”

Wondering how to comfort him—when I often thought the same thing—I reached up and ran my thumb over his healing wound. “Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what
you do.” He laughed at my reference, the confusion on his face lifting. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. “You belong on a stage. It’s what you were
born to do.”

Even though it was contradictory to the peace and quiet we both wanted, I knew without a doubt that my statement was true. Kellan was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was living out
his destiny. But that didn’t have to mean that we would give up on a peaceful life together. It just meant we had to be flexible. Giving him a soft kiss, I murmured, “We will just have
to find moments of quiet in the chaos, and we’re pretty good at that.”

Kellan returned my soft kiss. “Yeah . . . we are.” Tilting his head toward the shower, he raised an eyebrow in question. I knew what he was asking:
Want to join me?
A large
part of me wanted to say yes, but we had important things to do today, and I had two ever-watchful parents downstairs that we were trying to impress with our restraint. And I was pretty sure there
wasn’t near enough hot water left in the tank.

Shaking my head, I gave him a final kiss, then gathered up his laundry. He frowned at me, then shucked off the rest of his clothes and put them in my arms. “Thank you for the pep
talk,” he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek.

I tried to keep my eyes on his face, I really did, but I couldn’t resist a peek or two at his body. “You’re welcome.”

My cheeks flushed as I watched him step into the shower. He swished the curtain into place and started humming a song. I paused with my hand on the doorknob, listening to him; I could listen to
him all day. Suddenly, he sucked in a sharp breath and swore. I glanced back at his shadow through the pale curtain. “You okay?”

He stuck his head out; his messy head of hair was completely slicked back and looked darker than it usually did, almost as dark as Denny’s. “Yeah . . . damn scratch
stings.”

I wanted to frown at the pain that bitch had given him, but the petulant look on his face was so adorable that I ended up giggling instead. He wasn’t amused by that and ducked back into
the shower. “I could set some bandages out for you if you like?” I asked, a merry lilt to my tone.

Kellan let out a loud exhale. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Big baby,” I mumbled, opening the door.

Mom was coming up the stairs when I emerged into the hallway. Her face brightened as she saw me. Her long, elegant finger pointed to a section of the glossy magazine that she had in her hands.
“I just found the most beautiful bouquet in the world. You have to take a look at this.”

Arms full of Kellan’s sweaty clothes, I tossed on a smile. “Sure, Mom . . . no problem. Let me just get these in the laundry first.”

She nodded enthusiastically as she followed me into the bedroom.

When were she and Dad leaving again?

I was in the guest room with my mom when Kellan finished in the shower. She was explaining the pros and cons of having an all-white bouquet. Mom was so absorbed in her debate,
she didn’t notice Kellan walking into our bedroom with only a tiny towel around his waist. Then again, seeing him wouldn’t have changed the conversation any.

For a moment, I wondered if I should ask Kellan to come in here so he could give his opinion on the floral arrangement. I didn’t, though. For one thing, he needed to get ready to go. And
secondly, I didn’t think Mom really cared about his opinion. She certainly hadn’t asked him anything about it so far. For some reason, all of the wedding details were being heaped
solely on me, like only I had a say.

That wasn’t true, though. I didn’t have a say. I’d told Mom multiple times that I wanted a simple, short, private ceremony . . . if I had to have one at all. My impromptu
marriage at Pete’s was perfect, and I was fine with going to the courthouse to casually sign the papers that would make it official. Then we could have a small, quiet reception with a few
friends and family. Mom wouldn’t hear it, though. She was deadset on a gigantic shindig.

Kellan came into the guest room when he was dressed. He was reading something on his phone and grinning ear to ear. Mom stopped telling me that wildflowers weren’t really classy enough for
a wedding and looked up at Kellan. The scratch from Joey looked better now that his skin was clean and full of moisture. The red line was unmistakable, though, and Mom looked over at me after
spotting it.

Ignoring her silent question, I asked Kellan, “What is it?”

His smile still huge, Kellan tucked his phone in his pocket. “That was Gavin. His plane is just about ready to take off. He wanted to thank me for meeting with him . . . finally, and let
me know that I could visit him anytime I wanted.” He let out a small laugh and looked at the floor. “He said he . . . he loves me.”

Kellan peeked up at me and his brows were furrowed, like he couldn’t comprehend why anyone on this earth would love him, especially a parent. Being loved was still a new experience for
him. Or at least, accepting the fact that he was loved was new. Kellan had known love—his band certainly loved him, Denny loved him—but Kellan’s view of himself was so skewed for
so long, he hadn’t recognized the love right in front of him. It took me entering his life and turning it upside down for him to see it, for him to really feel it. But a lifetime of feeling
unwanted was hard to shake, and he still struggled with it on occasion.

Standing, I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Of course he loves you. You’re his son.”

The small smile slipping off of his face, he whispered, “That doesn’t mean anything.”

My heart breaking, I brushed a damp strand of hair off of his forehead. Leaning up, I murmured into his ear, “I will always love you, Kellan. Your heart is safe with me.”

Kellan pulled me into a hug and let out a long, shaky breath as he held me. “Promise?” he whispered.

I squeezed him just a little bit tighter. “I promise.” Pulling back, I rested my forehead against his. “Not loving you isn’t possible. Trust me, I tried.” Kellan
smirked, then gave me a soft kiss. Our tender moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Kellan and I both glanced over at my dad standing in the doorway, watching us.

“Something going on?” he asked, trying to keep his voice casual. But I could hear an undertone of disgruntlement.

Kellan let go of me and shook his head. Answering Dad, he locked gazes with me; the midnight blue depths were warm and untroubled. “Everything’s fine . . . just getting ready to
leave.”

Dad brightened and clapped him on the back. “Well then, anything I can help you with?”

Kellan chuckled at his answer as he kissed my head. “No, I’m good, thank you.”

He clapped Dad’s shoulder as he walked around him and back into our room. I raised my hands at my father in disbelief. Seemingly perplexed, Dad glanced back at Mom. “What? I
can’t offer to help my future son-in-law?”

Sooner than I would have liked, the four of us were driving to Pete’s bar. The band was meeting there for their send-off. Kellan refused to let me see him off at the
airport anymore. He said watching the plane pull away with him inside was too dramatic.

Kellan sighed as he shut off the engine to his beloved Chevelle. He even gave the steering wheel a loving caress before glancing up at me. Eyes narrowing, he handed me the keys with clear
reluctance on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. “I know. Be good to her, use the best gas, go slow. I got it.” I snatched the keys out of his fingers, and
Kellan frowned.

He cracked open his door. “We’ll have to see about garaging her when you come join me. I don’t want to leave her alone in the driveway for that long.”

I cringed at his comment and looked back at my dad. I hadn’t told him I was leaving Seattle. Dad’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Join him? Join him where?” he asked
me.

I quickly opened my door. “I’ll fill you in later, Dad.”

“Wait, Kiera . . .”

I shut the door on Dad’s argument. Kellan gave me an apologetic shrug over the top of the car as Dad popped out of the back. “For how long, Kiera?”

I sighed, really not wanting to discuss it with my parents right at that very moment. Luckily, an excellent distraction pulled up. Griffin’s Vanagon parked in the spot right next to the
Chevelle. Anna climbed out of the passenger’s side. She held on to the doorframe like she was going to explode if she moved too fast. The rear door slid open, and Matt hopped out. He waved at
us, then extended his hand back into the vehicle and helped his girlfriend, Rachel, out of the van.

I still found it hard to believe that Matt and Griffin were related. Matt was more like me: quiet, reserved. Griffin was more like . . . a genuine d-bag. I sometimes wished my sister had hooked
up with Matt instead of Griffin. Okay, I often wished that. But Matt was happy with Rachel.

Matt greeted me with a courteous nod, then clapped Kellan on the shoulder. Griffin walked around the van to join where our group was congregating behind the vehicles. He sidled up behind Anna,
grabbed her hips, and pulled her into him with an unmistakable thrusting motion. Dad’s face turned an unflattering shade of red, and he immediately forgot all about the conversation
he’d been trying to have with me.

As he walked over to stop Griffin from dry humping his eldest daughter, Evan’s car pulled up. The engine shut off, and both doors opened simultaneously. Hand in hand, Evan and Jenny walked
over to where we were gathered.

Evan and Jenny were Kellan’s and my best friends. Kellan loved all of his band members, even Griffin in an odd way, but Evan was the one he opened up to the most. The tatted, pierced, and
buzz-cut rocker was one of the sweetest men I knew. We’d bonded from the very beginning. Jenny was my closest friend and confidant. She was cute as a button, blond, and perky, the kind of
girl men noticed. She also had the biggest heart; her sweetness rivaled her boyfriend’s. Out of all of the couples I knew, Evan and Jenny were the ones I didn’t have to worry about.
They were going to make it together; they were too perfect not to.

I told Jenny everything, even things I probably shouldn’t tell her. But she’d always accepted me, good and bad, and she’d stuck by my side through all of the ups and downs in
my life since I’d moved to Seattle. I was going to really miss Jenny when I was on the road with Kellan.

As she approached me, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t told her the good news yet. I was beaming as she and Evan joined us. Her lips compressed when she noticed my elated expression. I
usually wasn’t peppy when Kellan left me. I was usually sullen, downcast, depressed . . . a real buzz kill. And I
was
a little sad about him leaving soon, but my news was too
exciting to keep me melancholy. I was bursting at the seams with joy.

I didn’t say anything to Jenny, just held up my left hand. She saw my ring and understood immediately. She squealed, startling my parents, and left Evan’s side to wrap her arms
around me. We were both hopping up and down while the men looked at us like we had suddenly lost our minds. Curious, Rachel peeked her head over. The girl was shyer than even I was, but she gasped
and hugged me too when she figured out what all of the fuss was about. Anna joined our circle, and they all examined my wedding ring. It sparkled in the sunlight, its glimmer matching my cheery
disposition.

Rachel sighed as she held my hand. “You’re engaged.” Her eyes drifted over my shoulder to Matt, before quickly refocusing on my ring.

I shook my head. “No . . . we’re married.”

Jenny snapped her head up. “What? You got married? Without me?” Jenny’s hurt expression matched my mother’s, and I was sure I now had two wedding planners.

Anna snorted. “Relax. They exchanged rings at the bar. They’re not really married.”

My parents were a little behind Anna, and I could clearly see a tiny smile form on my dad’s lips. Kellan was next to them, and he frowned at Anna’s assessment of our relationship
status. I did too. “We’re married in our hearts, where it matters. The legal stuff will come later.”

Griffin broke away from a suddenly pale Matt to join our conversation. Just like Anna, he snorted. “Please, you guys aren’t married.” He crossed his arms over his chest and
glared at Kellan. “No bachelor party, no marriage. That’s the law.”

I matched Griffin’s posture. “That is
not
a law, Griffin.”

He swung his head around to look at me. “Well, it should be. No T and A, no ball and chain.” There was an annoying smirk on his face, and I really wanted to smack it off of him. I
resisted, though.

Anna helped me out by smacking the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes at her. “What? It’s a fair sacrifice. If you’ve got to be with one chick for the rest of your life,
then you should at least get to go out with a bang. Or two. Or three.”

Anna raised a perfectly arched brow. “Really? Would you want some jackass to do that with our daughter?” Her hand caressed her belly, and Griffin’s eyes shifted to where his
child was peacefully growing.

“Fuck no. I’ll chop the little bastard’s balls off if he tries that kind of shit on my girl,” he scowled.

“Hmmm.” Smiling, Anna kissed his cheek and let the conversation die. I could tell Griffin was still pondering what she’d said, though. And he clearly didn’t like the
scenario he’d imagined for Kellan when it was applied to his child. I shared a secret smile with my sister. Maybe there was hope for Griffin yet.