AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wh-what?” He stopped walking and stared at me. “What are you talking about, Z?”
“I’m talking about a potential paternity suit. You telling Aurora that we blew off that journalist in Minneapolis last year, knowing why she was asking, and then not thinking about coming to me?”
His mouth fell open. “Are you serious right now?”
I held up a hand. “I’m not going to argue with you. I just want to make sure we’re clear. It’s not your job to protect me from life. From a dozen fans swarming me backstage after a show? Sure. But the big stuff? Stuff that goes beyond what we do professionally? I don’t care if you have to come to me every other day to tell me I might’ve knocked someone up. If there’s a question, a thought, a rumor—you come to me. You understand?”
“I…” He looked shaken but then took a breath. “You’re right. I apologize. She made it sound like it was bullshit.”
“You know damn well she and I hook up sometimes. I have a feeling there was some jealousy involved there, and part of your job—if you decide you want to keep it because hers is on the line—is to make sure I don’t get blindsided. Ever. This isn’t just a business. This is supposed to be a family. We’ve already got a problem child in the band, so I don’t have the energy to be caught with my pants down.”
“Understood. You have my word.”
“Thanks.”
We started to walk again. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes, but then he said, “So, is there a kid?”
“There is a kid. We don’t have DNA yet, but there was a condom issue, so I’m pretty confident he’s mine.”
“It’s a boy.”
I nodded.
“Jesus. Have you talked to her? The mom?”
“Her name is Presley. And no. Not yet. I’m waiting for the results. I was kind of a dick last time I saw her, so I’m guessing it’s going to be a stressful conversation.”
“What’s his name?”
“Jeremy.” I was about to yank out my phone to show him the picture but decided against it. I didn’t know for sure yet. There was still a possibility that this was all a mistake.
Yeah, right.
Even the voices in my head knew better.
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping we can come to an agreement without lawyers, but I’m going to support him. Them. She’s only twenty-two—well, I guess twenty-three now? Turning twenty-three soon? I don’t know when her birthday is.”
“Young.”
I nodded, wishing I could make this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach go away. It wasn’t because I was afraid that Jeremy was mine. In a way, the moment I’d seen that sweet little face in the photo, I’d already accepted that he was. The problem was that I’d treated Presley badly, and though I’d never admit it to anyone else, I’d thought about her a lot. I didn’t have a lot of regrets in my life, but the way I’d lashed out at Presley the morning after we’d been together was one of the few. She hadn’t done anything to warrant my behavior.
Looking back, I hadn’t even given her the chance to explain. I’d been annoyed with my mother, worried about Carter, and stressed about the tour. Instead of taking care of business, I’d taken out all my frustrations on the only person who’d had the misfortune of making a mistake.
She hadn’t asked me for anything, much less an interview. Hell, as far as I was concerned, she’d done all the giving because making love with her had been sweeter than sweet and hotter than hell. No doubt she should’ve found a time to tell me who she was. We’d had a connection and talked for hours. At some point in the evening, she should’ve come clean. It wouldn’t have changed anything, but for whatever reason, she hadn’t. I could only hope that once we talked again, we could sort it out and move on. If nothing else, we needed to get past it for Jeremy’s sake.
If he was my son, there was no chance whatsoever I wouldn’t be in his life.
* * *
My lawyer forwarded me the results of the expedited DNA test three days later.
It was a 99.99 percent match.
He was mine.
I had a son.
