Putting his emotions out there wasn’t something he was comfortable doing, and now…he released his hold on her and jammed his fingers through his hair, they caught on a tangle, and he yanked them free.
Biggest fucking mistake of my life, sharing my feelings with her.
He had no idea how they moved on from here. If they even could. He could’ve handled her not repeating the words ‘I love you’, but her distress over the entirety of his confession…yeah, biggest fucking mistake of my life.
“Tend to Faith or don’t, that’s your choice.” He’d spend time with his daughter tomorrow, like he did every day, until then the fucking nanny he hired could take care of her. “I’m going to bed.”
He didn’t wait for Fallon to make a choice, but slid beneath the covers and rolled to his side, putting his back to her. “Get the lights when you get a chance.”
Sleeping would be near to impossible thanks to what’d started out as one of the best evenings of his life, but had deteriorated without any forewarning.
No idea how to handle Jase’s confession, Fallon knew she’d blown it by his behavior. His coolness should’ve frosted the room. If that hadn’t been telling enough, the pain in his eyes said all she needed to know. She’d hurt him. That made her feel like a heartless bitch.
He was a good man, but she didn’t know what to do with his love. Logically, this should be very simple. She loved him too, but there was one huge problem…she didn’t trust him to care for her heart. Not to cheat on her. Not to toss her aside when he got bored with her. And, really, how long could a woman of her innocence keep a man of his caliber interested? He had needs she had no idea how to satisfy. His antics in public were eye opening. She figured the behind-the-scenes antics were worse, but that wasn’t what bothered her, not really.
She’d taken his confession of his bi-sexual encounter in stride, without any surprise really, and without a stitch of judgment. What bothered here was one simple question…how can I be in love with a man and not trust him?
Trust was the very foundation of any relationship.
Sighing, she walked quickly to the bedroom door, hit the light switch, and exited. Maybe holding Faith would clear her head so she could think clearly. But an hour later when dawn began to break the horizon, she still didn’t know how to handle his confession.
By the time Fallon got the nerve to confront Jase, and admit to her insecurity, he’d vacated his residence. That’d been two days ago. She knew he showed up at some point because clothing was strewn across his room. That meant he could only be dodging her. The sadness that entered at that knowledge ate at her.
“Have you seen Jase lately?” She’d just fed Faith and was sitting at the bar in the kitchen watching Sam cook, while Big Al rubbed against her ankles. Convincing Jase’s sister she was good with a piece of toast for breakfast was as easy as convincing Jase she didn’t want any part of his money.
“Nope. He’s been working on some beats for the upcoming album. Keys texted to let us know Jase was at his house, got drunk last night and he didn’t want him driving, but that he should be back sometime today.” Sam peeked at Fallon as she stirred a boiler of grits. “Wanna go shopping after breakfast? Omega’s coming. We’ll make it a diva day.”
Diva she was not, but from what she’d read and seen of Sam and Omega, they both qualified. While she wasn’t much of a shopper, neither did she possess the cash to enjoy the pastime—because she’d be starving before she dipped into that bank account Jase gave her—but sitting in Jase’s house feeling sorry for herself while he avoided her wasn’t high on her agenda either. Neither did she want to bump into him by accident while he suffered from a hangover.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind Faith coming along. I gave Helen the day off.” No point in having a nanny full-time when she had no plans or job.
“Heck, naw, I don’t mind. It’ll be fun having her.”
The paparazzi nabbed them at the first retailer. “Fallon! Sam! You two are looking beautiful today. Omega, you’re a smart one always with the ladies.”
“I always look beautiful,” Sam smiled.
Rain stepped to Fallon’s side and a little to the front as if to block them from getting too close. His look was intimidating enough to halt anyone that wanted to invade her space.
Implanted between her and Sam, Omega slid his arm around their shoulders as Fallon adjusted Faith’s bonnet to safeguard her face from photography.
Omega’s cultured voice oozed honey, but she could feel the tension in his lean frame. “If we stop and give you all a moment, will you let us shop in peace?”
“Yes,” they agreed in a unified rush.
“You’re known to be a ladies man, Omega—”
“A refined trait of eligible billionaire bachelors,” he said in a tone that implied that was a no-brainer.
“Doesn’t hurt you’re hot,” a female reporter spoke up.
Omega grinned at her.
“—so which one of these lovely ladies are you with today?”
“It’s a threesome diva kind of thing. Raising hell, clothes shopping, diva talking kind of day, right, Sam?” he peered down at her, his shades hiding his eyes.
“Rock on, beastie.”
Chuckles circled the pap.
“Sam, are you looking forward to your wedding to Fang?”
“Hell, yeah. I sent invites to a few of y’all, but ya’ gotta promise to behave better than I do.”
More laughter. Fallon wondered how many were thinking of Sam’s past escapades. She gave Sam credit for mocking her rebellious ways, which worked at diminishing the significance of them in the media’s estimation.
“Fallon, what are your plans for the future now that you’re with Jase?”
“Any marriage plans?”
“Baby number two?”
“Trouble in paradise?” the sole female asked, and Fallon could hear the hope in the woman’s voice.
Crushing on my man much? As soon as the thought slithered through her head, jealousy sucker punched her. Claiming the man whose heart she’d just crushed made her feel one-foot tall.
“Gee, y’all let her answer one question before ya’ throw another out there.” Jase’s sister peered around Omega to look at her.
Feeling a little more in control after the night they were hounded at the tattoo parlor, Fallon answered the questions. “No marriage plans, we’re just taking things one day at a time, and getting to know one another. Definitely no baby number two. This one”—she pat Faith’s back—“keeps us busy enough with her nightly feedings and diaper changes.”
“Don’t all celebrities have a nanny?” the chick journalist once more.
She glared at the woman. “I’m not a celebrity. Jase is. And, yes, we have a nanny, but she’s only on duty when she’s needed. I prefer to take care of my daughter myself.”
“I commend you on that choice, Fallon. They grow up too fast, and you don’t want to miss out.”
“She’s the love of my life,” Fallon agreed, but couldn’t identify the reporter who’d spoken. “Every moment is precious to me.”
“I wish y’all could see Jase with her,” Sam added. “He’s in love with her. Never seen him so happy or infatuated.”
Fallon cringed inside. Jase was infatuated with and happy to have his daughter. He was unhappy enough to avoid her for two days and counting. Thanks to my inability to handle honesty.
“Fallon, any thoughts from you about Jase and his relationship with your daughter?”
She smiled, thinking of the text Sam had sent her the day she went back to work of Faith asleep on his chest. The moment she caught him dancing and singing to Faith. The times he tended to her in the middle of the nights, or when he took the initiative to change her diaper, or bathe her. The other times he’d picnicked with her on the lawn, walked with her while pushing the stroller. The rock star god had never balked at a single chore that came with an infant. Instead, he seemed to cherish those moments as much as she did.
“Yeah…Jase is
a great dad. I caught him dancing with her and singing one of Hot Wired’s songs to her.” Her chest burned with the love she felt for him. She’d never stop questioning how she could’ve pegged him so wrong.
Sam grinned. “Wish I could’ve seen that.”
“Seriously, Sam, it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Sam crossed her eyes and groaned. The journalists laughed.
A few more questions were lobbied and fielded, and then Omega called a halt to the Q&A, leading them off and down the streets of Rodeo Drive to continue their diva day.
An hour into their shopping spree, her bodyguard, Rain, was loaded down with a couple of bags when they stopped by the seamstress so Fallon could give her final measurement for her bridesmaid dress and for a final fitting on Sam too. Omega sat beside Fallon on the sofa while they looked at Sam in her wedding finery. The ivory color was fabulous against Sam’s olive skin tone. The formfitting, strapless dress flared at the calves creating a stunning effect. It was covered in lace and diamonds. It was just…“Gorgeous.”
“What she said.” Omega nodded at Fallon. “Fang is going to have one thing on his mind when he sees you wearing that.”
Sam giggled. “That’s the plan.”
“You slut,” he accused, his tone teasing.
“Uh…yeah,” Sam shot back, her pitch saying he was an imbecile if he thought otherwise.
Fallon shook her head. Sam and Omega’s relationship was unique, but they got along like the best friends they were.
“So…” Omega turned his sights on Fallon, and instant foreboding was injected into her nervous system. “You give my acting gig any thought?” She peeked at her daughter sleeping in her arms, but Omega went on before she could reply. “Or is that jackass, also known as Sam’s brother, cockblocking your dreams?”
Despite the fact Jase was not speaking to her, making slurs against him irritated her. “He won’t give me his opinion, but supports my decision.”
“Annnnd…your decision is?”
“I don’t even know if I can act. Seriously shouldn’t you see what I can do first?”
“I’ve picked up a few pointers over the years. I’ll teach you if you’re rusty, Scarlet.”
She shot Omega a glare. “Don’t call me that.”
He ignored her. “I’ll make it easy for you. No need to audition, you already have the part if you want it.”
Her surprise had to be evident on her face. “Is this even the normal way things are done?”
“Nope.” She caught Sam’s eyes in the mirror. “But this is Omega’s pet project, he wrote the script, and is funding-slash-producing it, with the help of his dad, so he can do whatever he wants.”
“Having the backing of my dad’s production company doesn’t hurt.” He grinned. “The benefits of being an only child of a billionaire. And Dad already approved you as the lead lady if you want the part.”
He sounded so forlorn about his birth she knew he teased. Fallon decided he was as bad as the Hot Wired gang when it came to getting his way. “What’s the script about?”
“Does that matter?”
“Yes, if there’s sex in it.”
“Not in this part.” He took a sudden fascination in the removal of nonexistent lint from his jeans.
“This part?” She narrowed her gaze on him. “That means there’s a part two that does have sex in it? I’m not getting naked for film, Omega. Hard limit for me, buddy boy.”
“Scarlet, you’re such a movie-virgin.” Omega winked at her, and she couldn’t decide if he teased or flirted. She went with teasing because that was easier for her to handle. “I can get a stunt double for that. There’s ways around it. You might have to kiss a guy or two, but how hard can that be?”
“Jase will not like that.” That’d popped out of her mouth before she’d thought it through.
“I knew you were going to cave to him. Jase’s fucking girlfriend.” He scrunched his nose and pantomimed gagging. “FYI you’ve got rotten taste in men.”
“Don’t know that I can be called his girlfriend when he’s not even speaking to me.” Why’d I admit to that?
“We’ll get back to that in just a second.” Omega held up a finger as if to say ‘hold that thought’. “I’ll pay you two hundred thousand dollars, plus a percentage of the movie’s profits.”
Fallon’s jaw dropped.
Two. Hundred. Thousand. Dollars? Oh my God! Was he kidding? In her low-income world that was like hitting the jackpot in Vegas. Next to Omega and the Hot Wired’s bank accounts, it was pocket change, but it’d be life altering for her and Faith.
Omega wasn’t finished talking. “I can’t guarantee you there’ll be a part two. I’m almost finished writing it, but this is a movie no one in Hollywood wants. It’s the underdog of scripts, but I believe in it, Fallon. My dad’s agreed to finance it to give me my one shot at producing movies. Kind of been a dream of mine. And he’s already signed off on you as the lead lady if you agree. If it bombs, then that’s the end of my short-lived movie-making career. If it does well, that percentage I’m willing to give you works out to a huge profit for you and we all win.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Thinking was almost impossible as she continued to try to process the amount he offered her.
“Yes is a good starting point.” He toed her foot with his.
“Give her the script, Omega. Let her read that and decide,” Sam suggested. “If she doesn’t like the storyline, she might not want to join your cast.”
That was a good start. Omega seemed to agree too because he nodded his head and demanded Fallon’s email address. After she gave it to him, he punched some stuff into his smartphone and then said, “Sent.”
Two hundred thousand dollars! She tried to tally up how long she could live off that if she kept her expenses modest.
“The other thing.” Omega adjusted his position so he could face her. “Spill the details of Jase and why he’s not talking to you.”
“It’s nothing important.” She adjusted Faith’s dress even though there wasn’t anything wrong with it.
“Bullshit.” Sam’s beastie nudged Fallon’s foot again, harder this time. “Come on, girl, fess up.”
She glanced between him and Sam. “It’s private, and I don’t think he’d like me telling anyone.”
“That makes me want to know even more.”
“I’ve seen him get blowjobs, fuck women, give oral, and get women off a thousand times over. Jase and I don’t have a private relationship.” Sam shimmed out of her dress and shut the door to the dressing room, Fallon presumed so the seamstress wouldn’t eavesdrop. “And Omega dislikes him a lot, so he won’t spare your feelings.”
“You need to talk to someone, Scarlet.”
Fallon gave up on bitching about the nickname and decided tolerating it was her best option.
“I’m one for one on relationship advice. Got Sam and Fang together.” His chest puffed out, and he tossed Sam a satisfied smirk.
Sam rolled her eyes and yanked off her strapless bra. Omega didn’t even blink when her breasts were exposed.
Yeah, I so don’t get their relationship.
“He’s not bad at advice. I’ll give him that.” Instead of bothering with a bra, Sam pulled on a tank top in lieu of the undergarment.
Omega prodded Fallon’s leg by poking her with his fingertips. “I like you, you’re honest and genuine. Trust me, that’s hard to find in Hollywood. Not to be harsh, but I haven’t seen any of your friends around.”
Fallon winced. She’d lost contact with her friends after she got pregnant. Her inability to party had put a crimp in her sorority sisters’ fun, and she really hadn’t had any friends in high school either. She’d been too dedicated to her studies to form many, and none that were lasting. After Faith’s birth, she’d been too busy struggling to make ends meet to seek out any of the college friendships she’d made.
“Everyone needs a friend to confide in, let us be that for you. We don’t invite
many into our inner sanctum—”
“We haven’t invited anyone into our ‘inner sanctum’,” Sam interjected.
“There is that,” Omega agreed. “But we like you, so we’ve adopted you as our newest beastie.”
“Is that like a bestie?” Fallon was confused on that terminology.
“Sort of…but it involves friends with benefits and unless I’m mistaken, that won’t happen between us thanks to the jackass brother. So you’re an honorary beastie.”
“His name is Jase. I don’t like it when you call him jackass.”
“Isn’t she cute taking up for him?” He made gagging motions again, this time at Sam.
“He’s a good guy. Took me in when he didn’t have to. Took responsibility of Faith without hesitation, and he defended me to the press when he didn’t have to. He. Is. A. Good. Guy. Respect him for that.”
He shrugged. “You have a valid point. I’ll call him Jase instead of jackass, but only if you insist.”
She nodded. “I insist.”
“Now spill all so we can help.”
Sam tugged on a shirt over the tank top, while Omega stared at Fallon waiting patiently for her to get busy spilling the drama.
Pointers on how to handle Jase would be helpful. But this was his sister and his enemy. “You promise you won’t give me bad advice just because you don’t like him, Omega?”
He squeezed her hand. “You deserve to be happy, that’s not for me to kill simply to spite him.”
Maybe Omega wasn’t half bad after all. At least that comment seemed to suggest he had a heart.
Sure she was about to make the worst mistake of her life, she exhaled slowly. “You two promise you won’t tell Jase I said anything.”
“Not a word,” Sam agreed as she settled on a footstool beside her friend, propping her elbows on her knees and her chin in her upturned palms.
Omega made an X over his heart with his pinky finger. “Pinky swear.”
She’d have rolled her eyes if she weren’t so nervous. But she really did need some expert advice. Who could hand it out better than his sister?
Lost in the Beat Page 25
