Page 21 of Shy Girls Can’t Date Celebrities (Shy Girls Sweet Romances #6)

Dr. Fincher had a final check in with Wyatt, plus Erika and Lexy have been in and out with their respective assistants. With all the chatter, Wyatt was glazing over as he rubbed the ache from his temples.

When he held my hand, he told me this morning’s headaches were worth it.

It was all leading to him getting out of this place.

“Morning,” Savanna says, pushing a wheelchair into the room.

Wyatt frowns. “What the heck is that thing doing in here?”

Savanna taps the brakes. “It’s time for you to leave us.”

“In that?” Wyatt winces. “Nuh-uh. No way.”

“Please indulge me,” Savanna says, patting the wheelchair. “Just to get you downstairs and into the parking garage. Once you’re at the hotel, you can use either the frame or the cane.”

Wyatt blows out a breath as his eyes roll upward. “Sounds way better.”

Savanna chuckles under her breath. “I know. They have some geriatric connotations, but you’re still in a stage of your recovery where you need the apparatuses. I don’t want you overdoing anything and hurting yourself.”

“I know. I won’t.”

Savanna gives me a knowing look. “Can I trust you to keep an eye on him?”

I nod. “I won’t take my eyes off him.”

Savanna grins. “Excellent.”

“Wyatt.” Erika strides into the room with Randall on her tail. “The cars are waiting downstairs. Are you ready to go?”

Wyatt slides off the bed, gingerly stepping across to the wheelchair in his white sneakers. “Let’s do this.”

“Easy, champ,” Savanna says, watching his movements. “You got this.”

He sits in the wheelchair, giving Savanna a questioning stare. “I really think I can walk out of here.”

“Not happening,” Savanna says, tapping the brakes. “If anything, I’d like you to stay in the chair until you get into your suite.”

Wyatt clicks his tongue. “Ugh. You’re changing the rules.”

“Is that the best thing for him to do?” Erika asks Savanna. “We’ll make sure he stays in the wheelchair if it helps him improve quicker.”

“It just saves any mishaps,” Savanna replies. “You never know when there’s a spill on those tiled floors, or something else that could trip him up.”

Erika gestures at Randall. “Got that. Wyatt’s in the wheelchair until he’s in the penthouse.” She glances sideways at Savanna. “And what about when he’s in the suite? ”

“He should be fine,” Savanna says optimistically. “He’s been getting around this room without a walking aide.”

“Uh, I don’t...” Wyatt stops himself, slumping in the wheelchair with a sigh. “Never mind. Let’s get outta here.”

I step toward him, to ask if he’s okay, but Erika gets between us.

“Randall.” She snaps her fingers. “Help Wyatt to the elevator.”

Wyatt lifts a hand, leaning away as Randall moves in. “I got it.”

Randall gets behind the wheelchair and turns it toward the doorway. “It’s no problem, Mr. Hayes. We’re eager to get you out of here and back to your normal life.”

Wyatt stretches out an arm. “Josie?”

I rush to his side. “I’m here.”

Wyatt waves off Randall. “I have her.”

Randall glances at Erika and shrugs, stepping away from the wheelchair.

Wyatt smiles up at me. “Having you by my side is the only thing that feels normal.”

Sparks burst inside my chest. “Let’s get you outta here.”

Erika and Randall march ahead of us, and along with security, we move into the hallway.

Wyatt looks around the hospital floor. “Where are my parents? I haven’t seen them all morning.”

“We thought it was best that they wait for you at the hotel,” Erika says, tapping the elevator button. “You didn’t need any unnecessary distractions this morning.”

As I stand behind the wheelchair, I watch Wyatt flinch as much as I do.

Unnecessary? Distraction?

They’re his parents.

Shaking it off, we move into the elevator, exiting onto one of the garage basement levels. In front of us, three shiny, black SUVs lie in wait. As we move toward the vehicles, Lexy comes into view, along with her assistant, Thea, who I met earlier this morning.

“Okay, Wyatt,” Erika says, moving toward Lexy, who yammers on her phone. “You’ll ride with me and Lexy, and we’ll prep you on...”

Wyatt winces. “Nuh-uh.”

Erika deadpans him. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not sitting in a car with you two.”

Erika blinks at him and Randall fidgets uncomfortably, waiting for Erika to explode.

Lexy lowers her phone, flicking her eyes between everyone. “What’s happening?”

“Wyatt,” Erika huffs, planting her hands on her hips. “We need to get you to the hotel safely.”

Wyatt motions at the security team waiting in front of the SUVs. “I feel safe with them.” He swallows hard and then glances at me. “And with Josie.”

“Randall will ride with Jose,” Erika says when Lexy goes back to her phone conversation.

“There’s no way,” Wyatt says defiantly. “I’m only getting in a car if it’s me and Josie.”

Erika huffs. “Wyatt, we...”

“I’m not going with you,” Wyatt blurts with only the slightest of stutters.

Erika frowns, glances at Randall, and then throws her palms up. “Fine, it’s your call. But I really think you should at least have Lexy by your side to prepare you for life outside the clinic.”

“I-I’m going to a fan-fancy hotel,” Wyatt says, pulling himself out of the wheelchair. “I think I’ll be fine.”

As he stands, Erika and Randall rush toward him, and Lexy snaps her fingers at her assistant to react. All just making Wyatt recoil.

“I don’t need your help,” he stammers. “I’ve got Josie. ”

I catch dagger-filled stares in my direction before they quickly dissolve. But as if I care about their jealousy. I’m the one getting the ultimate prize of being in Wyatt’s company.

Wyatt motions for me to follow him when the security team shows him into the middle SUV. As he slowly slides into the backseat, I spy Erika and Randall taking the front car. Lexy and Thea move into the rear car.

When I get in the SUV with Wyatt, a security member gets into the front seat. “Ready to go, Mr. Hayes?”

“I, I guess.”

I grin at him. “Now’s the part where you get to be excited.”

He smiles back. “I’m so glad we’re away from everyone else. Once we’re in the hotel, I’m giving them all the boot.”

I sink in my seat. “But they’re still paying for everything, right?”

He shrugs. “I dunno. Is it my money or theirs?”

I shake my head. “I really don’t know. But I think they’ll want to talk to you about money. Erika was saying something about her and the finance guy needing you to make some decisions.”

“My first decision would be to get rid of them all. They’ve been getting in my head since I woke up in that clinic.”

Our car pulls out of the parking garage, one black SUV in front and another behind us.

The mid-morning sun breaks through the tinted windows, and I’m about to smile until we exit the garage to a swarm.

Either side of the car, people with signs, phones, and cameras, crowd the three emerging vehicles.

“What the...” it tumbles out of Wyatt as his name is called between the camera flashes.

His hand grounds on the seat between us, and I’m quick to plant mine over it.

He turns from the tinted window and meets my eyes. He sucks in a breath and his chest squeezes as he exhales .

“It’ll be okay,” I whisper.

He takes another inhale and nods.

The SUVs pull onto the road, and car horns honk behind us. Through the rear window, we see Wyatt Hayes fans flood into the street with no regard for oncoming traffic.

“Holy crap,” Wyatt murmurs, blinking at the chaos.

My hand plasters over my mouth. We were so close to seeing a full-blown calamity. Thank goodness there was security already on the scene, holding back the crowd. They manage to corral people back onto the sidewalk as our convoy of vehicles drive away.

Wyatt blinks at me. “They... They were... there to see me?”

I nod slowly. “You have fans, Wyatt.”

He shifts in his seat, having trouble settling his gaze somewhere in the car.

I clutch his hand, and whisper, “It’ll be okay. You’ll readjust. It’ll just take some time.”

His mouth opens and shuts a few times before he’s finally able to mutter, “How do they all know me? This is insane.”

“I know it must be scary, but I’ll help you get through this.”

The corners of his mouth curl upwards. “I kn-know people have be-been saying I’m fa-fa-famous,” he stutters as his grin spreads. “But I... I guess I never really believed it before seeing all those people.”

“You’re smiling,” I say blankly. “Are you okay with this?”

He turns to me with bewildered excitement. “I, I mean... Who wouldn’t get chills, finding out they’re famous?”

My stomach flips, hoping he truly is adjusting to the idea of his celebrity life. “Well, I’m glad you’re not flipping out.”

He puffs out a laugh, hanging a thumb over his shoulder. “I still don’t get why they’d all be into me. Es-es-especially don’t get why they’d camp out in front of the clinic.”

I mumble a giggle. “They might think they’re superfans, but I think I’ve officially risen to the top. They’d all kill to be in this car with you.”

Wyatt smiles, combing his fingers through his soft, sandy hair. “Never gonna happen. The space beside me only belongs to you, Joze.”

My heart throbs as tingles send me into a toe-curling shiver.

Wyatt lifts my hand and kisses it softly. “I can handle my new life because I’ll have you with me.”

I nod with glee until realization twists and cramps my stomach.

My parents want me to come home. I won’t be able to stay with him.

I just have no idea how to tell him we have an expiration date.

I give him a warm smile, suppressing the thought.

I’m here right now, and that’s all that matters.

Even if we’re not in the same room, the same town, or the same state, I’ll still help him through this.

No matter our separation, we can still be in contact.

It won’t be like last time. This time he won’t wipe me from his memory.

“Hey, maybe Devon will be at the penthouse,” I say with hope.

He tilts his head, recalling the name. “That’s my, my assistant. Right?”

“Mm-hmm.” I nod excitedly. “I can’t wait to meet him.”