Page 31 of Little Monster
The guys exchange handshakes and fist bumps, and then Dex, Sebastian, and I head toward the exit.
chapter 11
WE DESCEND THE STAIRS TO the back entrance, Sebastian wobbling a bit as he goes, and after we receive our coats and my bag from the coat check, we step out the door and into the cool January night.
All at once, the darkness explodes with light.
The flashes are blinding, and I stumble down the step and onto the sidewalk, holding up a hand to shield my eyes.
“Fuck,” Dex mumbles behind me.
“Ugh, not these guys.” Sebastian steps out of the club last, looking drunk and exasperated. “How’d they know we’re here?”
“Dex! Dex!” the paparazzi scream, and the rapid clicking of their camera shutters makes my head spin.
I’m still blinded by the lights, and the chaotic energy makes it difficult to tell up from down. The flashing is going to make me sick.
But then an arm slips around my shoulders and pulls me close, shielding me from the light. When I glance up, Dex is looking down at me.
“Don’t make eye contact,” he says, guiding me up the sidewalk to where the Rover is parked.
I couldn’t make eye contact if I wanted to; the flashing cameras are so bright that I can barely make out the horde of figures pressing in around us.
“Who is she?” someone yells, and the paparazzi start following us along the sidewalk, some running into the street to get ahead of us.
“New girlfriend, Dex?”
“What happened to Serena? Is it really over?”
“Does Serena know you’re out tonight?”
The questions make my stomach clench. They’re referring to Serena White, Dex’s most recent high-profile ex. All I know is they broke up, or so the tabloids and internet posts say.
“Hey, wait for me!” Sebastian calls from behind us. I don’t turn around, but I imagine he’s stumbling drunkenly along the sidewalk, failing to keep up with Dex’s pace and long strides. Even I have to almost trot along with him, he’s walking so fast.
The paparazzi continue screaming questions at Dex, and he continues ignoring them, his arm still firmly around my shoulders, my body tucked safely into his side. When we get to the Rover, he leads me around to the passenger’s side and opens the door, ushering me in and blocking some of the camera angles with his body. Then he closes the door, and the world gets quiet, the flashes now dimmed through the dark tinted glass.
Dex gets in on the opposite side at the same time Sebastian finally makes it to the car. The open doors let in more light and sound, and I turn my face away and close my eyes until the doors close and lock.
“Fuck,” Sebastian says, his head falling back against the headrest. “I think I’m gonna puke.”
“Donotthrow up in here,” Dex snaps. “I will kick your fucking ass.”
Sebastian just groans.
Dex starts the Range Rover and has to pull out slowly to avoid running over the paparazzi, who are now swarming alongside the vehicle. Finally, we get free of them, and silence settles for a few minutes as we cruise through Downtown LA.
“I’m sorry,” Dex says suddenly, one hand on the wheel and his narrowed eyes trained straight ahead. “I’d hoped they wouldn’t bother us tonight.”
“It’s fine,” I say, though a headache is starting to blossom behind my eyes from the flashing lights. I was still feeling drunk and a little high while Dex and I were dancing, but now I’m sobering up, and fast. “Do they do that a lot? Chase you around?”
He lets out a quiet sigh, and his hand tightens on the steering wheel. “All the time.”
Dex drives right past the recording studio, and I realize with a jolt that my car is still parked there.
“My car,” I say in passing, spotting it in the lot under the streetlamps.
“I’ll bring it by tomorrow.” He glances over at me, and the stern expression on his face softens. “I don’t think you should drive.”
