Forever, Jared

Jared

People rushed in and out of the sliding glass door, frantic voices and movements swirling like a storm. Barry barked orders to the security guards and some of his people. Marla shouted into her cell phone. A mob of reporters and photographers tried to push their way onto the balcony but were denied by security. Several physical altercations broke out as security pushed back against the frenzied crowd.

Katie was vaguely aware of the chaos as Jared continued to cradle her in his arms. Jared's gaze remained fixed on hers, his expression soft, his embrace strong and comforting. His lips were close to hers.

"Thought I lost you there for a minute," he breathed.

Barry patted Jared on the back. "Jared, you can put Katie down now."

"Katie, Katie..." Jared whispered her name softly, over and over, like a prayer.

Almost reluctantly, Jared lowered Katie's feet to the balcony floor. She stood up and found her balance. Jared kept one arm protectively around her waist for support. Katie's mind was still spinning. She ran through the sequence of events that just occurred. Too much to process.

Barry hollered, "Shannon, he's over there." Barry pointed in their direction. Another young man ran up to Jared and threw his arms around him. Katie recognized him as one of the band members. He was handsome with cat-like hazel eyes rimmed in black eyeliner. He bore a resemblance to Jared.

"Thought you were a dead man," Shannon said as he embraced Jared. "Saw you run into the crowd. You're fucking crazy."

"I held my own."

"Don't scare me like that again. Or I'll kill you." They both laughed and separated.

"Katie, this is my older brother, Shannon."

"Older and better looking."

"Fuck you." Jared playfully shoved Shannon's shoulder.

Katie reached out to shake Shannon's hand, but he did not reach back. Instead, he glared at her with his cat eyes. Katie looked down at her feet, wracked with guilt. Hot tears welled up in her eyes. The press event turned into a riot, Jared almost got killed, and it was all her fault.

"This is a disaster," moaned Barry. "A total shit show."

Marla sidled up to Barry. "Everyone's fine, even the guy with the heart attack. He was talking to the paramedics when they rolled him out the door."

"Where's Matt and Tomo?" Barry asked anxiously.

"Safely upstairs in their suites."

"Thank God," Barry sighed. "I'm so sorry, Marla. Never in my twenty-year career has anything like this happened. I'll find a way to make it right."

While they waited for security to clear the floor of every last reporter and photographer, the group took seats on a set of teak patio furniture. Barry and Marla sat on one sofa, Jared and Katie on another, Shannon solo in an armchair. A wall of security guards stationed inside blocked the view of the group from stray paparazzi.

The view of the city was breathtaking, but no one seemed to care. No one spoke. Barry and Marla tapped away on their cell phone screens. Shannon smoked several cigarettes and stared off into the distance.

Jared sat close to Katie. He held Katie's hand, silently exploring it with his fingertips, sweeping the soft flesh on the back of her hand with his thumb, tracing the lines on her palm, stroking the length of each finger. There was an intimacy in his explorations, as if he was trying to learn who she was by the touch of her hand. Jared wore fingerless leather gloves. Katie realized it was his hand that grasped hers in the middle of the crowd, the reassuring hand that tried to lead her to safety.