Ember (8 page)

Roxie

The house feels so empty now that everyone has gone, but the silence is really nice. I made an excuse of needing a drink to escape to the kitchen alone. The thought of telling Mason scared me to the bone, but I know it’s something I need to do and soon. However difficult, he has a right to know that he might be a father.

“Hey, Rox?” Crystal shouts from the living room. “You wanna get started on those films?”

“Sure!” I return from the kitchen and see her searching through huge racks of DVDs. I place her drink on the table and sit down on the large comfortable couch. Seriously, this couch is amazing! I’ve fallen asleep here a few times during my stay.

“What film do you want to watch?” she asks, still searching.

“Surprise me.” I sip on my water and relax into the sofa. I can feel the stirrings of my sickness returning, though, and I really don’t want to be sick. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost weight since becoming pregnant. I try to eat, but so many things make me feel queasy and then there’s the nausea. The little I do manage to stomach comes right back out! I have no delusions that I’m not going to pile all the weight that I lost back on again. I am pregnant, after all. I’m going to be chubby with a huge bump. Fuck, Mason isn’t going to want me back when he sees me like that.

“How about The Hunger Games?” Crystal asks, holding up the DVD.

“Sounds perfect,” I say as my stomach rumbles.

Crystal laughs. “Why don’t you go and get the food and I’ll set it up?”

I groan, reluctant to leave my seat. “Can’t you get the food?” I ask her with a mock pout.

Crystal stands and huffs. “Fine, but you put on the film.”

I hear her curse mockingly as she walks away, and I can’t help but laugh. I have no intention of moving at all.

When Crystal returns, she has goodies of all kinds in her arms and throws them down on the table in front of me. She places her hands on her hips and quirks her eyebrows up at me. “So I see you haven’t put on the film.”

“Whoops.” I smile from my place.

She points down at me. “You’re going to be more work than if I had decided to go on tour, aren’t you?”

I laugh up at her. “Don’t be silly, I just can’t move right now. Now be a good girl and start the film.”

“Fuck you,” she says, but she’s laughing.

Once the film starts, she decides to sit down next to me. We watch the film in silence, stuffing our faces, until it becomes too much and I have to say something.

“So you and Booker, huh?” I ask.

Crystal looks at me from the corner of her eye and then goes back to watching the film. I look at the screen and watch as Katniss volunteers for her sister.

“What did he say to you?” I try again.

Crystal leans her head back on the sofa. “You’re not going to drop this, are you?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

She turns to face me and for this first time, I see a look of worry on her face. “Look, I’m not going into detail, but I will say that yes, Booker and I have had a weird thing going on for a while now, but that’s it. Nothing else.”

“What sort of weird thing are we talking about?” I ask again.

“Promise me you won’t tell my brother?” she asks.

“Promise,” I agree.

She takes a deep breath before giving me the gossip I’ve been needing. “The first time I met Booker, we slept together that night. It was one of the best nights of my life, but it had to end there, because the next day I realized who Booker was to my brother. Tate would never allow that to happen. So I moved on, but every time we meet, we just can’t help ourselves. We end up sleeping together and it’s always as good as the first time, but I’ve put a stop to it. I’m here solely to get away from home and see my brother.”

“Do you love him?” I ask her.

Her eyes widen for just a second, but I notice it. “Of course I don’t.”

For some reason I don’t believe her. I’m feeling too much emotion coming from her to think she’s telling me the truth.

“So, what are you running from at home?” For some reason, that part in her speech stood out to me the most. Why would she want to get away from home?

“What? I’m not running from anyone,” she says quickly.

“I didn’t say it was a person, Chris,” I point out her mistake.

She closes her eyes and pauses the film. When she looks back to me, there’s a scared look in her eyes and I don’t like seeing her look like that. She’s hiding something.

“Look, you’re right. I am running from home. Let’s just say I made a mistake and the only way to live through it is to be here.”

I nod my head and squeeze her hand. “You don’t have to say anymore. I know all about secrets, remember?” I smile. “But think about this: I’ve had my own problems and look what they did to me. I’m not going to force you to tell me, but just know I’m here.”

She squeezes my hand back. “Thank you.”

Then she hits “play” again, and we watch the rest of the movie as well as the second instalment. Those films kick ass.

Later, when we’re eating dinner, Crystal begins to laugh. “Oh god, I wonder how they’re coping with Ria and Paige.”

At the thought I can’t help but laugh along with her. “How they are
not
coping,” I point out. “Fuck me, I love those girls, but they’re a handful.”

“Plus they are Black Inferno super fans,” Crystal adds.

I laugh so loud. Fucking hell, Paige and Ria are going to be in heaven, which means everyone else will have to suffer.

“If Shelly knows what’s good for her, she will stay away,” Crystal adds, and I hear the hate in her voice.

“I just wish I was there to see Lacey punch her.” I imagine the sight and smirk.

“I was so proud of Lacey, she broke the bitch’s nose!” Crystal laughs. “And what Mason did to Joe, too,” she adds quietly.

I swallow down my food and stare down at my plate. At the mention of Joe, the nausea returns.

“Shit, I’m sorry, Rox,” Crystal apologizes.

“No, it’s fine.” I put away my plate and begin to tidy up the kitchen.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you by saying his name, but if you saw what Mason did to him you would have been proud. He loves you, Rox, he did that for you, and he has to suffer seeing him during the tour again.”

I freeze in place. “Joe is still working on the tour?”

I would have thought, with what happened, he would have been fired!

“Didn’t you know?” she asks, and I shake my head. “Fuck! I can’t believe nobody told you. You have a right to know.”

“You’d think so,” I add, still frozen in place. “So why is the bastard still working there?”

“It’s not the band’s fault, they went to their manager, and he said the company who supplies the extra roadies won’t do anything. Joe is with that company; if he was independently hired by the band it would be different, but, sadly, he’s not.”

What has this world come to?

The thought of Mason anywhere near Joe breaks me into a nervous state.

“Don’t worry, the guys will watch over the girls. They have extra security that won’t leave their sides no matter what,” Crystal hurries to assure me. At least I know Joe can’t bring any harm to them as he did to me.

Roxie

A couple of days after they all left to go on tour with the band, I get a call from an unknown number. It’s not an unlisted number, though, so I decide to answer.

“Hello?” I ask.

“Hi, is this Roxie? This is the local midwife calling,”
a chirpy voice from the other end says.

I confirm that it is me and she goes on to let me know that I have my appointment with her the following week. I wonder why it’s so quickly after the doctor, but she tells me because I might be further along than six weeks, I need blood tests taken and to get my scan booked.

Hanging up the phone, I feel excited and a little scared. Lacey won’t be with me this time, but I could ask Crystal. I don’t think I could go alone. I wish I was in a perfect world where Mason would know about the baby, and Joe wouldn’t have happened. I would know for certain that Mason is the father, and maybe Mason would’ve come with me?

But I’m not in a perfect world. I created this situation for myself so I have to live with my choices.

Lacey

I scowl as I watch Joe walk from one of the busses and carries some cables inside tonight’s venue.

“Stop watching him, you’re just making yourself angrier,” Cole says as he sits on the sofa.

“How can he still be here?” I growl. “He’s fucking scum!”

“We all know that, but there’s nothing we can do.” Cole sounds a little defeated.

“I just hate seeing him after everything he has put her through.” Joe turns and sees me looking as I stand on the tour bus steps, and he has the fucking nerve to fucking wave at me!

I would do anything right now to go over there and fucking kill him!

Cole stands and drags me away from the door and sits me down on his lap. He gently strokes my back and whispers into my ear, “I’ve booked us a hotel for tonight.”

My most intimate areas warm and tingle at his words. “Really? I wonder what you’re after,” I tease.

“You,” he growls, biting my neck.

Paige then walks in, her phone to her ear. “Ok, Rox, I’ll tell her about the appointment. Yes, I will stay clear of him, I promise. Ok, bye!”

She spots Cole and I in the corner and her eyes widen. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t know you were here.”

“What appointment?” Cole asks.

Paige freezes, and I know it must be something to do with Roxie’s pregnancy. “Erm, just a rehab check-up with her doctor,” she stutters.

“But that’s near L.A, right?” he asks.

“Erm, they’ve set up for someone to go to your place for her,” Paige lies.

“Well, that’s good of them.” Booker appears at the door, letting Cole know it’s time for the sound check, and they leave, Cole giving me quick kiss.

As soon as Paige and I are alone I ask her what that call was really about. She sits down next to me, looking a little flustered. “Do you think he believed me?”

“I assume so,” I reply.

“Good.” She fans herself. “I’m not a good liar.”

“The appointment?” I remind her.

“Oh, right! Yeah, Roxie called. She knows about Joe, and she’s not happy.” Paige pulls a face which tells me she probably got an earful from Rox.

“Yeah, she’s not the only one,” I grumble.

“So, her midwife rang. She has her first appointment next week because the doctor thinks she might be around nine weeks. She said it can take around two to three weeks after the midwife appointment to get the first scan, and she needs that as close to twelve weeks as possible,” Paige tells me.

“Wow, they sure do like their weeks when you’re pregnant,” I joke.

Paige smiles. “She sounds a little nervous about it all.”

“I’ll ring Crystal and get some info and make sure she goes with Roxie.” She would go with her anyway. We’re all very protective of her right now.

***

Later that night, after talking to Crystal and making sure Roxie is ok, it’s time to go and watch the band. I really missed this while I stayed at Cole’s place. I love watching Cole as he takes the stage. Every time I watch him I crave him, guaranteed, and we always have sex. Nothing like a good, sexy show to get you in the mood and unlike all of his admirers, I’m the only one who gets to have the privilege.

Two huge bodyguards stand next to Paige, Ria and me as we watch. This is a new addiction since what happened to Roxie, and after finding out that Joe is still here, I’d say it’s needed.

Paige is complaining about her new shoes hurting, so one of the guards takes her back to the bus to change them

“I need a wee,” I whisper to Ria.

“So go to the toilet,” she laughs back.

“I can’t if you don’t come with me.” I point to the beefy guy standing guard behind us.

“I’ll be fine here on my own,” she groans. “I don’t want to go, this is too much fun.” She begins to dance.

I look around us, and, truthfully, I do not want her alone around here. It’s dark and there’re roadies and the band tag-alongs everywhere. I face the guard and give him my best smile.

“I need to go to the toilet.” He gives me a stern look and glances to Ria who is busy dancing. “She wants to stay here. Honestly, the toilets are just there,” I point behind him. “I’ll be fine and it’ll only take a couple of minutes.”

“Can’t you wait until your other friend gets back?” he asks.

I dance around a little. “No, I’m desperate.” He looks torn, poor guy. “I won’t say anything.”

With a quick nod from him I give him a smile and run over to the toilets as fast as I can. I let out a loud and appreciative sigh when I down. I have a really weak bladder. I go from fine to desperate in a matter of minutes.

While I’m sorting out my dress, I hear the door open and someone walking around. Probably some groupie whore caking on her make-up. I smile to myself and I walk out the cubicle and towards the mirrors. The groupies don’t stand a chance.

I take a quick look at myself and make sure my eyeliner hasn’t smudged or my hair isn’t looking too flat. It’s odd that I don’t see anyone else around. I’m sure I heard something.

Then, suddenly my hair is yanked back so hard my scalp feels like its bleeding. I scream from pain as my head hits the hard floor, and that’s when I see the pair of shoes beside my head. I close my eyes and raise my hands quickly just in time before one foot comes into contact with the side of my head. There’s a scary thud as my head hits the wall again, and through blurry eyes I see his face. Joe.