Russell returns with the doctor after a few minutes.
“You should be in your own bed.” He scolds while pointing towards Shiloh.
“I told the nurse to bring my bed in here,” Shiloh replies with a light laugh. “She walked out, so I figured she was getting my bed.”
The doctor shakes his head. “I guess I should just be happy that you’re lying down.”
He then sighs while moving to our side. “How are you feeling, Chloe?”
“I feel like I was punched.” I snort.
“You two are a riot.” The doctor breathes out sarcastically before he reaches to open my eyelids while shining a bright light into my eyes.
After a moment, he leans back. “You seem to be alright now. Your nose wasn’t broken, and your lip will heal. The only issue you’re going to have is the bruising. That might last for a week or more.”
Looking up at Shiloh, I raise my brow. “How bad is it?”
“Both of your eyes are black and blue, and your lip is bruised and swollen.” He answers honestly.
“When can we get out of here, Doc.?” Shiloh then asks.
“I’ll release you this afternoon as long as you stay in bed.” He replies sternly.
Before anyone can say another word Mickie and the guys run into the room with us. Marshal pushes his way past everyone before stopping next to me.
“You scared the hell out of us, Chloe.” He breathes out.
“She’ll be just fine with a little rest.” The doctor assures.
“Can I speak to you outside, Doctor? I’m going to need details, so I know what to say when I speak to the reporters waiting downstairs.” Mickie presses.
The doctor nods, and they leave the room together.
Micah moves closer along with Dante, Max, and Lucas.
No one says a word as they stare at us with a mixture of emotions showing on their faces.
“We’ll be alright, guys.” Shiloh snorts.
Sighing softly, I look at Marshal. “Did anyone actually get a hold of my parents?”
“Mickie called and left a message, but no one has called back yet.” He replies gently.
I nod and then sigh again. “What are the social media sites saying?”
“Most of the posts are fans who are worried about you,” Micah answers before continuing. “There are a ton of fans downstairs waiting to see you walk out of here. A lot of them have cards and flowers.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to face any of our fans yet.” I breathe out.
“You won’t have to do it alone.” Marshal insists while grabbing my hand.
He holds onto it for a few moments before releasing it. “No matter what, none of us are letting you out of our sights again.”
The whole group grunts in response.
I laugh softly and shake my head. “I love you guys.”
“Even us?” Lucas questions with a hint of amusement while wrapping his arms around Dante and Max’s shoulders.
“Yes, even you three,” I reply.
Lucas hoots in excitement before moving to the side of the bed. He pushes Marshal out of the way playfully before leaning down to kiss my cheek.
Once he stands up straight again, he points towards Shiloh. “If you break up with her, I’m going to break your neck.”
“I have no intention of breaking up with her,” Shiloh replies before kissing my forehead.
“Good,” Lucas replies.
“Guys, why don’t we leave these two alone so they can get some more rest?” Marshal sighs.
They nod in unison before leaving the room one by one.
Marshal remains behind with Russell. It was obvious neither one of them wanted to leave me even for a moment.
“If I need you, I’ll yell, okay.” I insist.
They nod in response.
“We’ll be just outside the room,” Marshal replies.
Without another word, they walk away.
Chapter 11
“We should take a picture for our fans,” Shiloh whispers as he pulls his phone from his pocket.
As our faces appear on the screen, my heart gets lodged in my throat. I looked absolutely horrible. Over half of my face was bruised and swollen.
Grabbing Shiloh’s hand, I force him to lower the phone before he could take a photo. “I’m not ready for anyone to see me like this yet.”
“It will be better for them to see us now rather than on camera for our interview tomorrow.” Shiloh insists.
“I completely forgot about that.” I breathe out.
“How about this; I’ll get Mickie to find an awesome makeup girl so she can hide some of the bruising, then we’ll take and share some pictures,” Shiloh suggests.
It wasn’t the best plan, but it was better than the way that I currently looked.
Instead of answering Shiloh, I pull away from him. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“It’s down the hallway. Do you want me to come with you?” He replies as I sit up.
Shaking my head, I stand and then grab the cart, holding the IV bag that was attached to my arm. Without a word, I hold my gown closed while slowly making my way to the door.
As soon as I step out, Marshal rushes to my side. “What are you doing, Chloe?”
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I reply before moving forward.
“It’s this way. Let me walk you there.” He replies while wrapping his arm around my waist.
Together we walk down the hallway before moving into the extra-large bathroom. Marshal hesitates inside with me as I move to look at my reflection in the mirror above the sink.
My vision blurs as I raise my fingertips towards my eye.
“Chloe…” Marshal whispers as he moves to stand behind me.
As I continue to stare at myself, my hands begin to shake uncontrollably.
“Just leave, Marshal…” I scream abruptly as tears begin streaming down my cheeks. “Leave me the hell alone.”
Before he can react, I turn and shove him out of the bathroom before slamming the door shut in his face. I didn’t know why I had acted out like that, but I didn’t need him looking at me the way that he was. It brought up too many emotions that I wanted to ignore.
A sob falls from my lips as I step back until my back hits the wall.
I then slide down it as I fall apart.
****
“Chloe, can I come in?” Shiloh questions while slowly opening the bathroom door.
I cover my face as he moves further inside.
After a few moments, he kneels in front of me with a low groan. He then pulls my hands away from my face before placing his hand against my cheek.
“Come on; let’s get out of this place.” He urges.
“I don’t want to go back to the hotel.” I whimper.
“Where do you want to go?” He asks while searching my eyes.
“I don’t care as long as it’s not anywhere near the hotel,” I reply.
“Alright, we’ll find somewhere else to stay.” He replies before grabbing my hand in his. “But right now, let’s get you up off of this floor and back to your room so you can get dressed.”
I nod once and then let him pull me up to my feet.
With his guidance, we slowly move back to my room.
As we walk inside the room, Mickie smiles. “There’s my girl. Let’s get this IV taken out so we can get you dressed and then back where you belong.”
I nod and then watch as he steps out of the room for a brief moment before returning with a nurse. The nurse quickly pushes me to sit down on the bed before she gently removes the IV from my arm. She smiles while placing a bandage over where the tiny tube had been.
“There that should do.” She states while patting my arm sweetly. “You can remove the bandage in about an hour.”
“Thank you,” I reply.
She nods and then leaves the room as quickly as she had come in.
Mickie claps his hands together. “Now, we just need to get you dressed, and then
we can leave this place behind.”
With that, Mickie and Shiloh move towards the door.
Before they leave, I speak. “Shiloh, please stay.”
He shares a look with Mickie before Mickie leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
Shiloh then turns and walks back over to me before sitting down on the edge of the bed. He doesn’t make a sound as I reach for the clothing that Mickie had laid out for me.
Glancing down at myself, I pull off the gown before tossing it onto the bed beside Shiloh.
“You are beautiful,” Shiloh whispers as he stands up.
“Even with the bruises…?” I whisper shyly.
“Yes.” He replies easily while placing his hands on my hips.
Leaning closer, he tenderly kisses my cheek before then kissing my forehead. He then smiles while taking a small step back. He grabs the jeans from the bed and then motions for me to sit on the edge.
I sit and then let him slip the jeans over my feet before pulling them up as far as he can until I stand up. Once the jeans are in place, he fastens them before grabbing my shirt next.
After slipping it on, Shiloh pulls me close again while pushing my hair away from my face and behind my ear.
He searches my eyes. “I really am sorry, Chloe. As long as we’re together, I will never put you into a position again where you could get hurt.”
“I know you won’t,” I reply.
“Good, now do you want me to get a makeup girl in here to help you cover up some of that bruising?” Shiloh asks while tenderly touching my cheek.
“No, I’m going to face everyone like this,” I reply.
“Are you sure?” He presses.
“Not really, but I don’t feel like having someone touch my face,” I reply honestly.
“How about wearing some sunglasses; that would cover up your black eyes without having to use makeup?” Shiloh suggests.
I nod. “That would work, but where are we going to find a pair of sunglasses?”
“Andy always has a pair,” Shiloh replies. “Just give me a second to find him, and I’ll be right back.”
Without another word, he quickly leaves the room.
After what feels like forever, Shiloh returns with a bright smile while holding up a pair of sunglasses.
“I found Andy.” He announces before stopping in front of me. “He gave me two pairs of sunglasses; one for you and one for me.”
Without waiting, he places the sunglasses in his hand on my face before taking a small step back.
His smile grows. “That’s perfect. All you can see is your split lip, and it looks like the swelling has already gone down quite a bit.”
“Good.” I breathe out in relief.
Grinning, he slips the other pair of sunglasses on before holding his hand out towards me.
“Are you ready to go?” He then questions.
I take a deep breath and then nod. “I am.”
“Then let’s go.” He replies before tugging on my hand while moving towards the doorway.
As we walk down the hallway, Mickie, Andy, Marshal, Micah, Russell, Dante, Max, and Lucas follow behind us while Mitch and two other men move in front of us.
Before we reach the exit, Shiloh stops to look at me. I stare at the glass doors as my heart pounds wildly in my chest.
“I’m right here.” He reassures while squeezing my hand.
I nod and then take a deep breath before moving forward.
The second the glass doors open, cheers fill the air. I plaster on my best smile while glancing towards Shiloh. He grins back at me as we walk outside.
My heart swells as girls hold out stuffed animals towards me while shouting how much they loved us. Every one of them were holding signs of encouragement.
One small girl that appeared to be around eight slips through the barricades suddenly.
Mitch rushes to stop her as she holds a teddy bear and a get well card in my direction. I stop and then release Shiloh’s hand before moving towards Mitch and the girl.
“Let her go, Mitch,” I demand while kneeling.
The girl instantly runs forward to hug me.
“I love you, Chloe.” She whispers into my ear as I wrap my arms around her.
After a moment, she pulls back to hand me the card and teddy bear.
I take them and smile. “Awe, thank you, Sweetie; you have no idea how much I love this. It means the world to me.”
Her smile grows. “You’re welcome.”
I glance towards Mickie for a moment before turning my attention back towards the girl. “Is your mom or dad here with you?”
She nods and then points towards a young woman in the crowd. “My mom brought me. That’s her right there.”
“How would you like to come to one of our concerts as a special guest?” I ask.
“I would love it.” She squeals.
“Good. I’ll arrange it.” I reply.
The girl quickly hugs me again before turning her attention towards Shiloh as he moves closer.
“Can I hug you too?” She asks.
Shiloh chuckles and then kneels. “Of course, but be careful.”
She nods and then quickly embraces him as I watch with a bright smile. We laugh as she releases Shiloh and then runs towards the others.
Once she hugs everyone, she rushes back to her mother, who lifts her into her arms.
I stand and then turn to Mickie.
“I’ll take care of it.” He states before moving towards the woman.
Glancing around at the crowd, I smile even more.
I move towards the crowd again and reach out to take cards from them and whatever gifts that they had brought for me. Shiloh and the guys do the same while thanking everyone that they could.
Once my arms are full, I step back into the middle of the barricades. Marshal raises his hand into the air, and in an instant, everyone grows quiet.
“I would like to thank every one of you today for your support. It truly means the world to me, Shiloh, Cyclones Lies, and Lucky August. We have been overwhelmed by all of this support. I wish that I could thank each of you personally.” I pause briefly while struggling to hold my emotions back. “I can promise you that we will be okay. Our wounds will heal, and we will be back as fierce as we’ve always been.”
I pause again as Shiloh wraps his arm around my waist.
“We love you guys,” Shiloh states loudly. “Stay awesome.”
The crowd cheers as Shiloh pushes me gently to go. Our time here was over. We were both beyond ready to get some more rest.
We climb into the back of a limo and then wait for the others to join us.
Once everyone is in the limo, it takes off.
“That was perfect, Chloe,” Mickie exclaims. “I couldn’t have staged a better way to leave the hospital. The fans love you even more now than ever.”
I hadn’t done any of it to gain publicity. I had done what my heart had told me.
Andy grunts in response while staring down at his phone. “She’s trending along with Cyclones Lies and Lucky August. There are a ton of photos of both Shiloh and Chloe hugging the girl.”
“What are they saying?” Shiloh asks curiously.
“They’re calling you two the sweetest rock couple of all time.” Andy answers. “They are calling Chloe the ultimate rock goddess too.”
“That’s better than we could ever hope for,” Mickie replies.
“Our ticket sales for the next show are going to go through the roof.” Andy hoots.
The guys all smile as silence fills the limo.
Sighing softly, I rest my head against Shiloh’s shoulder while glancing in Marshal’s direction. He had his head bowed.
After a moment, his head rises slightly just enough for his eyes to meet mine through his dark hair. Seconds later, he closes his eyes while scrubbing his hand over his face.
“So, where is the next show going to be now that we had to cancel this one?” Marshal questions.
“We’
re planning on doing something close so that those who missed the show can travel to the next one instead of us having to give out a ton of refunds,” Mickie answers before continuing. “We were planning on stopping in your hometown.”
“Seriously…?” Micah and Russell blurt with excitement.
Of course, they would be happy to return home; they had family that they could spend time with. Marshal couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes either. His parents loved him. Every chance that they could, they called or texted him.
I envied all of them.
“Yes, we’ll be going home in two days. We still have interviews to do before we go.” Mickie replies.
“I guess I’ll get to see where you grew up.” Shiloh states with a grin.
I inwardly groan. It wasn’t going to be anything like he would expect.
Once again, silence fills the limo as the guys pull out their phones to contact their loved ones. Instead of reaching for my phone, I stare through the window absently.
There was no one for me to get excited about seeing.
Chapter 12
“For the past few days, all eyes have been on the world’s most loved young and upcoming rock couple. They have been the top topic of conversations since they first shared the stage.” The show host states as she speaks to her audience. “And today, we get to share a few moments of their time.”
The audience cheers and claps before becoming quiet again.
My heart beats wildly while Shiloh and I watch from the side.
“Now, many of you know that Chloe and Shiloh were attacked just yesterday in their hotel. The authorities have released a statement that eight girls have been charged in the attack.” She then states inciting boos from the crowd.
My hands shake slightly as a stagehand quickly checks my microphone.
I was beyond nervous for this.
The other two interviews had been on the radio, but this one would be on TV.
“We’re all hoping that justice will be served. It is unimaginable that there are such cruel people out there.” She adds.
She pauses for a few moments before peaking again. “Now, before I bring out our guests, I must warn our viewers that Chloe has visible injuries that may distress some of our younger viewers, so viewer discretion will be advised.”
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