I beg him to go back to the hotel or take Kennedy to practice, but he refuses. “I’m staying until you’re done, and that’s that.”
I think it’s silly, but whatever. Ihave two more hours of filming, and Ido my best to temporarily push him out of my mind to get back in character. When I’m finally done, Iam physically and emotionally drained. Ihave six hours until Ihave to be on stage tonight in front of thousands of Jett’s screaming fans. Itell myself Ican handle anything, but then Isee Jett.
He’s sitting on the steps of my trailer with his head in his hands.
“Jett? Jett, what’s wrong?”
He looks up at me with wet, anguished eyes, and Iwant to cry without even knowing why. Idon’t need a reason; it’s just been that kind of day.
He stands up, grabs my bag from inside the door, and rushes up to me, linking my arm with his, pushing us off the lot. He promises to tell me when we make it to the car, and Iknow it’s bad because TMZ is crowded around our ride. I’m shaking as we make it through the crowd, and the door finally closes behind us.
“What the fuck, Jett?”
“Cover my fucking mouth, Baby.”
My eyes are wide, and my hands are shaking, but Ido as he asks. As soon as Iclamp my hand over his mouth, he lets out the loudest guttural screaminto my palm. Every nerve in my body frizzles at the ends until I’m trembling everywhere.
All Ican do is wait, and finally, he talks. “As a result of you and me acting reckless, and Lily being the world’s biggest cunt, your life and Mickie’s will never be the same.Fuck!”
He slams his fist on the leather seat over and over again. Ilean over to rub his arm until he stops, “I’m sorry, Inever should have taken that video.”
I’m frozen and shaking at the same time. Ifeel like there’s ice in my veins. My eyes are wider than a full city block. “Thevideo?” Iwhisper.
A tear slips from his eye, and he pulls me against his side. “You didn’t know it, Baby, but you left our phones with the worst possible fucking person.”
Panic spreads through every system in my body. “I-I thought it was encrypted and couldn’t be shared.”
“I knew Lily’s brother was one of the best hackers in the country; Ijust didn’t know he had trainedher,as well.”
My stomach lurches and threatens to spill everything Isnacked on at craft services. NowIscream into my hand as a fat tear rolls down my cheek. “She shared the video? Oh my God! TMZ has the video?!”
His voice is not even a whisper as he squeezes my thigh in a death grip. “Everyone’s seen the video, Baby. I’m so, so sorry. My team is currently working on scrubbing it from social media; they’ve got it mostly off.”
Jett holds me tight as Icry into his shoulder, how massively we’ve fucked up, crushing me under the weight of it all. “Did Mum and Dad?”
Jett sighs into the shell of my ear, and Ishiver. “Lola confiscated their phones before they could, thank God, but they know the details. They know how bad. They said it broke the top ten, if you know what that means?”
I sob and hiccup. “Top ten biggest messes we’ve ever had to clean up as a family.”
“Fuck!” Jett growls, slamming his fist into the seat again. “What the fuck was Ithinking?”
“What the fuck wasIthinking? Iwasn’t! That’s the problem, Ilet her get into my head, and Ifucked everything up.”
“I’m the one who was stupid enough to film that and keep it on our phones, Baby, this is my fault.”
By the time we’re near the hotel, Jett's poor shoulder is soaked from my tears. Iwas so devastated by the death of my reputation and surely my career that Iforgot to reallyfeelhow devastated Mick must be until now.
“I have to talk to Mickie!”
Jett shakes his head sadly. “She won’t speak to anyone right now, not even Sy, and definitely not us. He’s at the bar, and she’s locked everyone out. Ineed to get you upstairs and put you in bed with Mum and Dad to rest. Iordered your siblings not to say one fucking word to you, and fuck, okay, the entrance is surrounded.”
My throat is so thick with sorrow for Mickie and embarrassment for myself that Ican’t swallow, and Ican barely breathe. There are Jett fans mixed with photographers everywhere as our car pulls up. The driver pushes the crowd back enough to open the door, and Jett tries to shield me, but Istill hear crazy shouts of shit likeMaddy, did Jett force you against your will?And his fans give me the death glare, and of course, there’s thehate her, freak,andslut.Ican’t, or don’t want to, believe my ears, let alone believe my life right now. Icling to Jett for dear life, and once we’re in the lift, Icrumple in his arms.
“We’re…” Ihiccup. “We’re freaks, aren’t we? Everyone knows now.”
“Ilovebeing your freak, Baby. The gags and group sex are shocking to the vanilla crowd, yeah, but Ithink this will blow over.”
“Oh, like Kim K’s sex tape? People still talk about that! And ours is twice as scandalous.” Here comes the water works again. “Maybe thrice. I’m never going to live this down, my life is ruined, Jett.”
