Home.
“People seem to notice you’re getting very thin, Amelia. Care to talk about the topic everyone is concerned about? Are you okay?” he yells out, sounding closer.
I feel anxious. Wiping my clammy hands on my leggings, I let out a raspy breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. They cloud my eyes, preventing me from seeing properly.
Why do they always bring that up? I understand it’s all over every tabloid, but bringing it up to my face, like we’re chatting away about the weather, is completely wild to me. Why would someone bring up something this personal like it’s nothing? Do these people not have souls? I guess this is what I get for leaving at night by myself.
My brothers are going to be furious when they find out.
I now realize this was a huge mistake. I’ve never had to fight them off myself, and the fear of getting swarmed, kidnapped, or robbed makes me almost take off into a sprint. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears, and my body flinches slightly when a flash goes off behind me.
“Amelia, look over here!”
“Let us see your beautiful face!”
“Amelia, are you seeing anyone?”
“Amelia, just one picture!”
They yell all at once, making my entire body stiffen with terror.
“Please move,” I practically beg them once they all crowd around me.
Keeping one hand across my eyes, I reach for my phone with the other. A cry leaves my mouth when a camera comes an inch away from my face. Temporarily blinding me.
“Stop! Please,” I rush out, blinking past the dots in my vision as I push the man who’s now halted in place, looking down at his camera.
I’m sure that’s a beautiful picture.
The white flashes become quicker now, blinding me and making me feel like I’m going to die from claustrophobia.
God, this isn’t how I’m supposed to die.
Most days, I act like a tough big sister, but all I need right now are my brothers. I need them to protect me. I need them to defend me, for them to yell, scream, and punch.
“Do you have anorexia, Amelia?”
That’s what does it, what makes me feel so small, see-through. My heart clenches in my chest, and I hope my hood is not betraying me by letting them see what they’ve done to me.
“Don’t touch me!” I yell out, panicking, ripping my arm away when I feel someone grip my elbow.
I yelp as my hood falls back when I’m suddenly pulled into a door. I lose my balance and fall to the floor and land on my knees because whoever just fucking grabbed me is so strong.
I’m going to die. All because I needed a stupid pack of gum.
Pain shoots all the way up my leg, making me grit my teeth in agony. Damn, this floor is hard. I twist around, and I’m pretty sure my jaw drops all the way to the floor when I see who is standing above me.
“Levi?” I breathe out. “What the hell are you doing here? Are you following me?” I demand, not getting how he’s here right when I needed someone.
“Following you? Why would I want to do that? I’ve been here for hours. I just heard the commotion outside and decided I didn’t want to witness a murder,” he scoffs, rolling his gorgeous eyes.
His eyes are too pretty for someone as jerky as him.
“You really have a way with words,” I deadpan with a straight face. “You’re making me blush.”
“What the hell is going on out there?!” a bartender yells when the paparazzi try to burst their way through the door.
Levi holds it closed with his fist as he rolls his eyes at the paparazzi. But they only continue to snap photos of us, and a second later, a curtain rolls down and shields us from the madmen outside.
