Ugh, I was too exhausted. And was officially swearing off stairs for the next ten years.
“Hey,” I reached for Zane. “Are you okay?”
He jerked away from me. “Don’t.”
Jaymeson sighed a curse and helped me to my feet. “I’ll take you home.”
“No!” I pulled away. “I’m worried. This isn’t normal!”
Demetri winced and shared a look with Alec before nodding his head at me. “Jay’s right, Fallon, is it?”
I hung my head. “Yeah.”
“Nothing about this is normal.” Lincoln said under his breath before reaching for Zane’s arm, but Zane refused to get up. Instead, he crossed his arms and sat on the grass like a petulant child.
“This is stupid.” Glaring, I pointed at Zane. “You need to get off your ass and get in the house. They could be taking pictures of this.”
“Good point,” Jaymeson added. “The guys will get him inside, and I’ll take you home.” This time, he reached for me.
“I drove.” I took a step back and stared at Zane, waiting for him to respond.
He looked right through me, angry, like it was my fault.
“Zane, you need to get up.”
“Go to hell.” He finally stood on wobbly legs while Jaymeson came up beside him.
“Excuse me?” I lunged for him, but Lincoln Greene, movie star Lincoln Greene, held me back by the arm. “This isn’t NORMAL! What aren’t you people getting?”
“Welcome to Hollywood,” Zane said in a bitter tone and marched off while Lincoln pulled me against his chest, probably afraid I was going to chase after his friend and launch myself against his body. But I had no strength left, even if it did sound like a really solid plan.
“He doesn’t mean it.” Lincoln finally released me. “He’s just going through a hard time.”
I pressed my hands to my face and took a few deep breaths. “He had a meltdown.”
Lincoln winced.
“Because he forgot a freaking marshmallow.”
Jaymeson stepped forward. “Fallon, you should go.”
“But—”
“Now.” His steely gaze said there was no room for arguing. “Go to the press about this, and I’ll not only sue your family, but make sure your parents lose everything including their house…over a crush.”
My mouth dropped open.
Mine wasn’t the only shocked expression of the group.
Alec and Demetri looked ready to pass out while Lincoln cursed. “Jackass,” under his breath.
Tears clouded my vision as I shoved past everyone and made my way to my car.
As luck would have it, my Jetta refused to start.
Which meant, I was walking.
A knock sounded at my window scaring the crap out of me. I quickly wiped my cheeks and rolled down the glass. “What?”
Alec held up his hands. “Whoa, I’m not the enemy here. I live down by the beach. I’ll take you home. That is, unless you want to stay here sobbing in front of the house because a privileged rock star just yelled at you?”
I smiled at that. “I’d rather not.”
“Didn’t think so.” He opened the car door and led me over to a brand new black Range Rover. “Hop in before he apologizes.”
“Yeah right.”
“In three, two, one—”
Jay came running out of the house.
I hopped in the SUV so fast that my elbow hit the side in an effort to slam the door.
“Good choice.” Alec started the engine and flashed me a devastating smile. “We have ten minutes with Seaside traffic. Start at the beginning.”
Chapter Sixteen
Zane
“EVERY TIME,” GRANDMA WHISPERED in her frail voice. “Every single time you get sad or scared…know that I’ll always be with you.” Her knotted arthritic hand touched my face. “I love you, Zane.”
“But…” I sobbed against the blankets, the blankets that smelled like her vanilla perfume and roses. “How will I know you’re with me? How will I know if I can’t feel you!” She was dying. And it was my fault. She always gave me her food. Every single time. She said I was a growing boy. And I was always hungry, but she needed meatloaf too! I told her so all the time, but she said she was fine with just a few bites.
She always gave me the bigger portion.
And watered down her own milk so I’d have some for dinner.
It was one of my favorites. Cold milk.
Memories of better days assaulted me.
I was only seven.
She took my sisters and me in when our parents abandoned us for drugs.
And now she was leaving too.
Why did everyone leave?
Sobs wracked my body as Grandma hugged me with all the strength she had—it wasn’t much, and I knew the time was close, the doctor said her heart was too weak after the last attack.
“Zane, look at your grandma, right now, young man,” she ordered in her strict voice.
My lips trembled as hiccups escaped between them. “Y-yes, Grandma.”
“That’s my boy.” She nodded, then reached behind her and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. “I’ll always be in your heart…but sometimes, we need reminders of the happier things, yes?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She dumped a handful of marshmallows into my hand then a handful into hers and knocked fists with me. “Even when I’m gone, we’ll always have the marshmallows, and every time you’re sad, or afraid, or nervous, you eat a marshmallow and know your grandma is eating one with you—in heaven.”