Front & Center (Book 2 of the Back-Up Series)
Page 16
“Says who?” My silence fuels his suspicion. “I think you are doing this for the wrong reasons. That bitch somehow got into your head and you are killing him with this.”
“Hunter.”
“She threatened you, didn’t she? You broke his heart because she threatened you?”
“She didn’t threaten me. She eluded that Jack is denying his child because of me.”
“She threatened you…that fucking bitch. How could you allow her to do this to him?”
“Hunter, I had to. She needed to believe we were done. I needed it to be convincible. I needed her to drop her guard and trust me. It was necessary.”
“Why?”
“It’s complicated.”
“I need to hear all of it.”
Sighing, I shake my head. “No.”
“Leila, I’m not leaving until you tell me what the fuck caused you to break his heart.”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Jesus Christ, Leila. Do you know what happened last night? I think he took something. I cut him off and I still had to practically carry him back to his room. This morning he called me in a panic. A chick, who had been hanging out with us at the bar, somehow came to his room and he slept with her. He’s a mess.”
I gasp and immediately well up with tears. I did this. I caused this. I cover my face with my hands, nausea taking hold.
“Leila, he doesn’t remember any of it. She claims he…”
Hunter stops abruptly and my heart stops beating. I look at him, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, I beg, “Hunter, please tell me what happened.”
“She gave him a blow job.”
“Oh my God.”
“Lei, he passed out. They didn’t have sex but it came really close. I’ve never seen him like this. I worry he’s going to do something stupid. He doesn’t want to perform tonight. He wants to cancel the show.”
Dropping my head back into my hands, I whisper more to myself than to Hunter, “I needed to protect him.”
As I sit on the edge of his bed, my heart breaks to see him like this. He looks awful. He looks like he’s been through hell, and I put him there.
Glancing around the room, an unused condom lays on the floor near the bed. The bile rises at the thought of another woman touching him and he touching her. Her lips were on him, her mouth wrapped around him. And yet, even knowing this, I can’t feel any anger. My Jack wouldn’t do that to me. This Jack is someone I don’t know.
If this is the damage I caused after only one day, I can’t continue with my plan to be apart for a week. I had given myself a week to try and figure out what she was truly up to. I haven’t even scratched the surface. Hopefully, Jack’s reaction was enough to appease her. If that bitch follows through with her threat and I broke his heart unnecessarily, I’ll kill her.
Unable to resist the urge to touch him, I run my fingers through his hair. He stirs slightly, mumbling my name. Eventually, he opens his eyes. “Lei?”
“Ssh, baby I’m here.”
“Am I dreaming?”
“No. I’m really here.”
“Why?”
“I have a lot to tell you.”
“Ev.” I can’t bear to say his name without breaking down.
“Lei? What’s wrong?”
“Jessa just called me. She’s claiming Jack forced himself on her and will play the victim unless I leave him.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I need to end it with him.”
“This will kill him.”
“I need her to believe I actually did it, and the only way is to actually do it. This will give me time to figure out what she’s up to.”
“He will never let you walk away. Look how he acted last time.”
“I know…so I plan on telling him the baby is only half of it. I’ll say you reminded me how I
gave up my dreams for him and I feel that you are right.”
“Well that isn’t a lie. I do feel that and I do believe that.”
“Evan…not now. Please.”
“So what is it you want from me?”
“He may call you. I need you to confirm that we spoke. Tell him you feel he’s toxic for me and it’s about time I listened. I’m calling Ace to get his help. I’ll fill you in after I speak to him.
“He’s going to hate me.”
“He’ll get over it. Please?”
“Fine. Lei, I hope you know what you are doing.”
“I do. It’s not going to be easy. But I need to do this. Don’t tell anyone.”
“Ok. Please be careful.”
“I will…I promise.”
“Ace, its Leila.”
“Hey, sweet girl. How are you?”
“I’m ok. Congrats on that baby boy of yours. I hear he looks a lot like you.”
“Yeah, he’s a total mini me. What’s going on? Everything ok?”
“I need your help. I don’t have much time to explain. I need you to investigate someone.”
“I’m all yours. Shoot.”
“Hi Lei, it’s Ace. My buddy Lee is on the case. He’s a really good Private Investigator who also runs a very successful security company.”
“Ace, I’ll totally compensate you and Lee for all of this. I promise.”
“Leila, I don’t want your money. I want you safe. These two are trouble. We’ll find out what they are up to.”
“Evan is up to speed?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. He is totally filled in.”
“Thank you. I’ll call you in a day or so.”
“Lei, one more thing. Evan and I think you need to tell someone. Is there anyone traveling with you, that you can trust?”
“Um, yeah, Dylan. He’s our tour manager, but he’s also a friend.”
“Good. You need to fill him in, as soon as possible…ok?”
“Yes. I will. Thanks, Ace.”
“What do you want Jessa? Haven’t you done enough?”
“Just touching base. You’re a smart girl, Leila. I knew you’d see this logically. You did the right thing. I was impressed you did it so soon.”
“Have you bothered him? Please leave him alone.”
“I’m not an idiot. He needs to calm down a bit. Time…remember, it’s Jack’s best friend. He’ll come around. He’ll slowly warm to the idea he’s going to have a son, and you should be proud you helped him make the right choice.”
“Lei, it’s Ace. Lee saw her entering an apartment building on West Fourteenth Street. The address is listed as Danny Sorenson’s. She’s been there all day.”
“Oh my God.”
“Is it possible it’s not Jack’s baby? I know she had an official document, but maybe it’s a fraud?”
“I thought of that. The lab is legit.”
“I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Ace.”
“Hi, Dylan.”
“Hey, Leila.”
“I need to talk to you. Can you and I grab a cup of coffee after the show tonight?”
“Sure. Is everything ok?”
“I’ll tell you tonight. Please don’t tell anyone.”
“Ok…I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little worried.”
“Hi Ev. I can’t talk. I have to get to rehearsal.”
“Real quick. Jack called me.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. I told him just what you asked me to. I had to do some damage control with Lizzy also.”
“Oh, Ev. I’m so sorry. Please fill her in. I don’t want this harming your relationship.”
“I was hoping you would say that. I kind of already did.”
“I understand. I’m really sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Lei, he’s a mess. You know I’d do anything to help you. I just hope you know what you’re do
ing. He truly sounds distraught. Lizzy thinks we should let her dad know what’s going on. We may need some legal advice with this mess.”
“Why?”
“Ace told me he saw Jessa coming out of Danny’s apartment. Maybe it’s not Jack’s baby. There are online services you can order paternity tests from. If Jessa used an online service, she could have sent in someone else’s DNA and claimed it was Jack’s.”
“I called the lab. It’s a legit place.”
“But no legit lab allows someone to walk in with a sperm sample to be tested. Jack would have to be present.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Most likely it was done over the Internet. If so, she could have submitted anyone’s sperm under Jack’s name.”
“But how would she have results from the New York Lab I called?”
“No clue. But something doesn’t add up. Jack would have to request his own test to be performed through a court order, but a judge would need a reason to order another test. Since she proved Jack is the father, what would Jack’s reason be?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mr. Lair may know a way around this.”
“Hold on telling Mr. Lair. I need to make a phone call.”
“Can I please leave a message for Mr. Morrow? Can you have him call Leila Marino tomorrow on this number?”
“That was my last conversation last night, right before the show.”
“I’m going to kill her.”
“No, Jack, listen to me. We need to handle this the right way.”
“You know she’s lying, right? I did not force myself on her.”
“I know.”
He holds my chin to stare into my eyes. “Leila, I would never do that.”
“I know you wouldn’t.”
He sits up, encircling me with his arms. “What the fuck?”
“Baby, we need to continue with this. If she claims you forced yourself on her that could destroy you. Also, we aren’t even close to figuring out what she and Danny are up to. We can’t be together.”
“No, I’m not going back to that hell. I can’t.”
“We have to. You need to go on just as she thinks you will. She thinks you’ll self-destruct and go back to your old ways. You even need to act surprised when she tells you it’s a boy.”
He closes his eyes, leaning back against the headboard.
“Jack, how do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you afraid to say you care?”
“I’m afraid to say I don’t.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“But I do.”
“You are detached to this child right now. You may change your mind once he’s born.”
“If it’s even mine.”
“We still need to proceed as if it is, unless we get proof otherwise. You have to assume you are going to have a son.”
“Leila, all I feel is it was a mistake that never should have happened.” He stiffens and says. “I did something awful last night.”
“I know.” He looks down at me, his eyes moist with emotion. “Hunter told me. It’s why I’m here.”
“If I hadn’t lost it and he hadn’t told you, would you have come back to me?”
“Probably not…not yet.” His pained face causes my heart to ache. “Jack, I haven’t even scratched the surface on what I wanted to find out. It’s only been a day.”
“One day too long. Look how much damage I’ve done in one day.”
“Baby….”
“Leila, I could have made another huge mistake last night.”
Trying to lighten the mood, I point to the ground. “Well at least you were planning on using a condom.” He follows to where I’m pointing, his face now twisted from remorse, my plan backfiring. “Hey.” I say while stroking his cheek.
His eyes remain sad as he shakes his head. “Lei, I don’t remember one damn detail, which is scary as hell.”
Now it’s time for me to shake my head. “I don’t want to talk about it. Please promise me we won’t talk about it…ever.”
“I promise.” He watches me closely. He suddenly grips me tightly against his body. “You promise me you’ll never leave me again?”
“I do. I promise.”
Leaning in, he kisses me deeply.
I reluctantly break the kiss. “Baby, I have to go.”
“No.”
“I can’t be seen with you.”
“No one will see you.”
“Jack, we can’t be sure. I suspect someone on the tour is feeding her information.”
Jack looks directly into my eyes. “Why?”
“She said something that didn’t sit well with me.”
“What did she say?”
“She said I shouldn’t consider telling you the truth, because she had connections on this tour and she would know.”
“This makes sense now. I wondered how she got backstage opening night. I could kill her with my bare hands.”
I move closer to kiss his cheek. “I really need to go.”
“Not yet. Did you mean any of the things you said about me holding you back and controlling you?”
“No, I didn’t. I don’t feel that at all.”
“Leila, I would never hold you back, you know that, right? Never.”
“I know. I had to make you believe this just wasn’t about Jessa. You wouldn’t have let me go if you thought it was.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t. God, that day, you looked so cold…so distant. I did believe you.”
“I’m sorry. It was necessary.”
He strokes my cheek with his thumb, then runs it along my bottom lip. “It was necessary to actually break my heart? You didn’t trust I could fake it?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“No confidence in me?”
“Baby, you’re a rock star, not an actor.”
“So the drinking, the performing while plastered, the telling an arena full of people that you dumped me…”
“Yeah, that one was tough.” I interrupt.
“Sorry. All of that was perfect for the plan?’
“Yes.”
“What about the part I called Malcolm to tell him you wanted to pursue a solo career?”
“He already called me.”
“That cocksucker.”
“Jack…I’m sorry I...”
“Don’t apologize. I really don’t want to hold you back...ever.”
“I know. I won’t talk to him if you don’t want me…”
“No. I want you to. You need to hear him out.” He studies my face as if seeing me for the first time. “You put me through hell.”
“I’m sorry.”
Staring down at his chest, he holds my chin, lifting my head up to gaze into my eyes. “I forgive you.” He kisses me gently, moving his hand into my hair, holding my face to his.
When he breaks the kiss, I kiss him one more time on the corner of his mouth. “I love you. I need to go.”
“No, five more minutes. I’ll call Hunter and ask him to be the lookout.”
“This is why I needed you to believe I left you. I lied. You do have complete control over me. I can’t resist you.” Caressing his face, I add, “Babe, you look awful.” I run my fingertips over the dark circles under his eyes, over his stubble, over his dry cracked lips.
“I feel awful. I don’t have a clue what I took last night.”
“You need to rest and I need to go.”
“No. I’ve missed you so much.” He clings to me, refusing to rush through our reunion. He pulls me closer, crashing his lips to mine, as if he’s pulling his oxygen from my body, frantic and desperate.
He leaves me gasping for air and wanting him desperately. “Ok. Five more minutes.”
“I might need eight.” He kisses my ear, my neck, my chin, my lips.
“Ugh…you need to shower. I can smell her on you.”
He gives me a horrified
look, before darting into the bathroom and into the shower. Calling from the bathroom, he shouts, “My eight minutes haven’t started yet.”
Smiling to myself, his comment tells me my Jack is back. A few minutes later, a wet and naked Jack stretches beside me.
“Better?”
“You could have dried yourself.”
“Waste of time.”
Leaning in, I sniff him, then again and again. Smiling he says, “What are you doing?”
“You smell so good.” I smell him one more time for good measure. “But I still smell her perfume. It must be on the sheets.”
Jack jumps up, pulls me off the bed and strips it completely bare. Throwing the entire pile of sheets, blankets and pillows in the bathroom, he then loudly shuts the door.
“Ok?”
Smiling wide, I nod. “Good.” He pulls my tank top off, then my pajama bottoms, raising an eyebrow because I’m completely bare beneath. “I’m sorry, I was in a rush.”
“No apologies needed.” He positions me on the bare mattress, kissing my body inch by inch.
“Babe, you probably have a raging headache. We can do this later.” He ignores my comment and continues his journey. My moans get louder and more frequent. It feels like an eternity before his lips are on my most sensitive part. He parts me with his fingers. He teases me with his lips. He focuses on bringing me dangerously closer with each calculated lick, stroke and lap of his tongue. It’s not long after he began his exploit when my orgasm takes over.
“Oh God…Jack.” I bury my hands in his hair and writhe as my body spasms with total pleasure.
Once I relax, Jack moves over my body, slowly burying himself inside of me. I can feel the friction between us, his muscular hips rubbing up against my own. It’s accelerating my excitement. “Jack, please…”
“Baby, tell me what you want.”
“Faster…go faster.”
Smiling, he flips us so I’m now controlling the situation. Moving over him in the most perfect way, I bring my second orgasm to the surface and then tremble from its intensity. Jack stares at me with his smoky grey eyes, causing it to linger longer than normal. Not breaking our eye contact, I return his gaze until his own orgasm takes over his body. His fingers digging into my hips are the only indication he isn’t done yet.