Page 95 of The Only Thing That's Real
When Rob sees me headed in his direction, he smiles like he’s just won the lottery. I’m giving the fucker exactly what he wants, but I don’t care, because it’s too late now, he’s released the beast.
“Get the fuck off her!” I yell when I’m close enough. Finally, security wakes the hell up and reaches Ryan as I do.
Rob releases her, innocently raising his hands in the air. Security closes in while Trevor snakes an arm around Ryan’s waist.
“She made it fucking clear she wants nothing to do with you.” I get in his face, close enough to hear him chuckle.
“Come on, man. Ryan’s too good between the sheets to walk away from.”
Rearing my head back, I slam it forward head-butting him. Pain erupts and stars dance before my eyes, but the shock written across Rob’s face is worth it.
Blood pours from his nose, but he doesn’t know when to shut up. “It kills you to know I had her before you.”
I draw back my arm to punch him in the face, but Ryan’s voice stops me. “Don’t! Knox, he’s not worth it,” she yells over the music as she tries to wiggle out of Trevor’s arms. “The crowd can see you! You’re being filmed!”
She shakes out of Trevor’s hold as security wrestles with Rob, dragging the bloody piece of shit away.
“Come here.” Ryan takes my face in her hands, our eyes lock and her chest expands with a deep breath, in and out. I follow her lead until I calm the fuck down.
“You okay?” I ask.
“He didn’t hurt me. How’s your head?”
“Fine.”
“Good, because you’re only halfway done. Get your ass back out on that stage.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.” She kisses me quickly, then pushes against my chest. “Go.”
“Where is she?” I ask Trevor, who’s on his laptop in the greenroom when I slam through the door.
She wasn’t waiting for me after the show and I can’t find her anywhere. I’m in a panic.
“Security took her to the hotel. She was pretty upset.”
She seemed okay when she urged me back on stage. What could have happened in the last hour?
“Did that asshole do anything else? Did he force himself on her again?”
“Nope, not that asshole. It was another one that sent her off.”
He slowly spins his computer so it’s facing me. A video plays showing the backstage incident. I watch myself storm off the stage; veins popping in my forehead as I rage at Rob, the head-butt and even the sweet moment with Ryan after.
“It’s everywhere. Fans were live streaming from the show. Others started filming when you dropped your mic. Not to mention the documentary crew, you’ve paid not to miss a moment. Let’s just say she wasn’t happy.”
“That fucker! How does he worm his way into everything?”
“He is a piece of garbage on the bottom of humanity’s shoe, but this is on you, buddy. You gave him what he came here for.”
I turn on my best friend, unable to believe the words coming out of his mouth. “He had his hands all over her. You expected me to just watch as she tried to push him off her?”
“We have security for that.”
“Well, where the fuck were they?”
“You head-butted a record exec in full view of a packed house at Madison Square Garden.”
