He rolled his eyes, but the unease in his expression didn’t budge as we slid the door open and climbed out one by one.
The heat hit instantly, thick and relentless, the sun burning the back of my neck. I waited for my team to follow, Maya and Calvin taking their time to get out. My shirt was already sticking to my back before we fell into step, moving as a group towards the hotel.
“See? This is so much better.” Chloe looked over her shoulder, flashing a smug grin. “I couldn’t take another minute on that bus.”
I tried to force a smile, but I could only manage a weak one. I tried to keep up with her, needing some contact, to figure out if she was aware of what exactly was being said.
“We really need to work on your impatience,” Calvin said dryly. They continued bickering like it was second nature, and I let them, not wanting to interrupt. Chloe kept glancing back, her green eyes locking onto mine, like she was making sure I was still there.
“You guys are so cute,” Zackary said beside me, his voice laced with amusement. “No wonder it’s gotten so much traction online with the memes, and the fanfiction. ChloNes trends every time you guys are spotted together.”
My stomach twisted, finally realizing how big this had all gotten. Swallowing, I finally built up the courage to ask, keeping my voice to a whisper so the conversation wouldn’t be overheard: “And the negative comments? Are we doing anything about those?”
Zackary looked concerned, as if he knewexactlywhat I’d seen. “I’m still keeping an eye on it,” he said. “There’s been a few negative mentions here and there, but nothing we can’t delete or report. People will twist anything to suit their own unhappiness.”
I wanted to believe him, but the serious look across his face did nothing to ease the wariness washing over me. I knew they were strangers on the internet, but if their words hurt me, what would it do to Chloe if she saw?Did she already know?
But as we turned the corner to the hotel entrance, I realized exactly how much they cared.
“THERE THEY ARE!”
A single high-pitched scream split the air, and then, chaos.
A wave of fans rushed at us, bodies pressing in before we could even react.
“OMG, I LOVE YOU GUYS!”
“YOU ARE SO CUTE!”
“CAN I GET A SELFIE?”
Zackary’s arm hooked around mine, practically hauling me forward as the crowd swallowed us whole. Hands grasped at me, tugging at my bag, my clothes, my wrist. The sheer force of it stole my breath.
But even as Zackary pulled me away, my focus was somewhere else. Chloe. I craned my neck, searching for any sign of her or Calvin, my chest tightening with urgency.
Then the voices turned cruel.
“WHY ARE YOU WITH HER, INÉS? YOU COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER!”
“CHLOE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE STRAIGHT?”
I felt the words like a slap, sharp and cutting, but there was no time to dwell on them.
Suddenly, a path opened up, hotel security forcing their way through the mob, creating a break in the chaos.
I shoved past grabbing hands, breaking free as Zackary propelled us forward. In a blur of movement and pounding hearts, I caught sight of Chloe, and with relief fueling me, we ran towards the hotel entrance, the doors closing behind us with a rush of cool air.
The crowd stopped at a wall of security guards, but their voices didn’t. They kept screaming, their phones pointed at us, capturing every second.
I glanced across at Chloe, my heart still hammering, trying to check if she was okay without giving them more to film. But she looked steady, her calm facade in place, as if this was any other day.
And maybe, for her, it was.
But the attention online had just become real. It had happened before; Cincinnati had been bad, but this was worse. The crowd was bigger, wilder, their energy out of control.
“We need to do something about this,” I cried, once everyone on our team was accounted for. I could barely find a full breath in my panic as we headed through to the lobby.
Calvin was already storming ahead. “I’m calling Dad, Chloe. We need proper security for the rest of the trip.”
