by K E Osborn
“Colt, they’re here,” Johnny says rushing over. “Is the test for you?” he asks taking Anna’s hands in his. I hadn’t even thought of the fact that it could’ve been Anna’s test and poor Johnny’s just as much in the dark as Colt. Anna shakes her head and looks across at me along with everyone else.
I hear loud footsteps and Colt storms in and stops when he sees me. I can’t hold back anymore as a river of tears slide down my face. Johnny hugs Anna and they walk off to their bedroom. I’m falling apart and Colt’s just staring at me. My body is shaking so violently I feel like I have a fever. My bottom lip trembles as he walks across to me, staring straight into my eyes.
“Is it true?” he asks, void of emotion. My heart races faster than I thought possible. This is it he’s going to leave me. “Lia, is it true?” he yells in my face making me jump. His nostrils flare as I remain speechless. He leans down into my handbag and pulls out the test. “When were you going to fucking tell me?” he shouts loudly shoving the packet into my chest.
I let out a small whimper as he runs his hand through his hair turning away from me.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble, he turns back and glares.
“Sorry? The whole fucking world finds out before I do, that I’m going to be a dad and you’re sorry?” he asks, while he gazes down at my stomach.
“I… I…,” I can’t think of anything to say.
Hux walks over as the stress is all too much for me and my legs give out and I slide down the wall to the floor crying hysterically. Colt winces like he’s in pain as I fall apart, crying and rocking back and forth on the floor.
“Colt, c’mon mate. Can’t you see she’s terrified?”
I cradle my knees to my chest.
“She’s terrified? Fuck! I’m fucking terrified. I don’t know how to be a dad. It’s not like we had a great example of what one should be like, Hux. I can’t… I just…” he exhales and trails off while Hux pulls him in for a hug. Sia and Kira walk over and sit on the floor with me, while Hux takes Colt into the other room to talk. He didn’t even look at me when he walked away. I knew at that very moment that we’re done.
Colt and Hux have been gone for ages. Kira and Sia talk to me, but I’m not listening and all I can think about is the persistent thudding in my chest that won’t subside. I’ve stopped crying for the moment, so I stand abruptly knowing what I have to do. Still holding the test packet I walk over to the door of the penthouse suite and leave walking toward our suite.
“Lia wait. Do you want us to come with you?” Sia calls out.
I don’t answer as I swipe the key card to enter into our suite. I close the door behind me and head straight for my suitcase. I throw the pregnancy test onto the bed and start packing my things. I storm around the suite gathering all my belongings and throwing them into the case. The utter despair I was feeling is now turning into pure rage.
“Fuck you Colter Slade,” I yell at the top of my lungs.
“Hey, that not very nice,” he replies. I turn to see him in the doorway watching me pack. I grunt and continue packing as he comes over to me. I don’t know whether I want to run into his arms or punch him in his stupid gorgeous face.
“Lia, Anna said you haven’t taken the test yet,” he says calmly.
“Does it matter? You obviously don’t want me or our baby. It’s fine, if I’m pregnant you don’t have to be a part of our lives,” I say, “You’re off the hook.”
He grabs my arm and spins me around to face him. I can’t look in his eyes. Tears start to fall again and my trembling is back with a vengeance as he takes me into a warm embrace. I can’t contain myself anymore and I start to really cry into his chest. His hand holds my head to him and the other is splayed across my back as he holds me to him strongly.
“Lia, I don’t want to be off the hook. I’m so sorry I yelled at you. I just freaked out. I’ve never thought about being a dad and the thought scares the absolute shit out of me. That’s no excuse for the way I treated you though, and I’ll spend until the end of time making this up to you,” he says, lifting my face up to look at him. He wipes away my tears with his thumbs and even though I’m still trembling he seems to be calming me slightly.
“I love you so much Colt. It’ll break me if you leave me,” I sob.
“Baby, I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. We’ll deal with this together, okay?” He kisses my head and walks over to the bed, he bends and picks up the packet and takes my hand walking me into the en-suite.
I take a deep breath while Colt and I sit waiting on the bathtub for the longest three minutes of our lives. I’d never normally take a pee in front of someone, but Colt was adamant that he wanted to be with me every step of the way, and for some reason that comforted me. So, I peed on the little stick while he watched. We sit on the bath while he holds my hand so tightly.
“Before we find out for real, I just want you to know that I’m in. I’m all in, Lia. If we’re pregnant, then we’re going to do it together and I’ll be here for every appointment, every late night feed, every back massage and every sleepless night. I’ll be here with you. You know how I feel about you and nothing will ever change that. I’m so sorry for how I reacted, it’s inexcusable and I understand if you hate me a little bit right now.”
“I’m sorry that I tripped. If I was watching where I was going you wouldn’t have found out the way you did and the whole world wouldn’t know.” I rub my sore knees.
“Baby, don’t be sorry, you can’t help tripping. Are your knees bad?” he asks, kneeling down on the floor and pulling my jeans up to gaze over my damaged knees. He winces and pulls me up off the bath tub. I stand and he unzips my jeans helping me to step out of them. He walks over to the first aid kit in the cupboard and starts to address the cuts on my knees.
“You’re gonna end up with scars on your knees if you don’t stop falling over, baby,” he says kissing my thigh. He patches me up quickly and pulls me into a loving embrace. We stand holding each other for what seems like hours. He gently leans back and looks at me.
“Are you ready?”
I close my eyes tightly.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
I exhale and we separate walking over to the test. I pick it up and there’s one pink line. A wave of relief washes over me as I sink into the arms of Colt.
“Baby, can you tell me what’s going on right now?” he asks sounding panicked.
“It’s one line,” I say with a smile.
“And that means?”
“That means we’re not pregnant,” I reply, a slight wave of sadness washes over me. The look on Colt’s face seems he’s feeling the same. He’s happy, but with a slight furrow of his brow. I know he is feeling mixed emotions like me.
“So, all this upset was for nothing?” he says, laughing.
I look at him with eyebrows raised and a little giggle escapes me. “Um, yeah. Now we have to tell the world we’re not pregnant.”
He smirks. “Well, I’m relieved, I’m not going to lie. But I’ll get Sia and Rob onto making a statement to go out to the press. The person I’m really worried about is your father Lia, he already hates me. What’s he going to think now?” he says, with concern.
I smile and sigh. “Oh, he’s probably going to fly to Australia and kill you with his bare hands in your sleep.”
He swallows hard as my mobile phone rings and I know who the caller is from the ringtone.
“Shit! Daddy,” I say pointing to my phone. He raises his hands in an, I surrender motion and lets me walk in to take the call. I exhale as I pick up the phone. Taking in a deep breath, I swipe the phone and put on a happy voice.
“Daddy, hi,” I say sitting on the edge of the bed. Colt sits next to me.
“Delia, are you pregnant?” he asks as I roll my eyes.
“I’m doing great thanks, Daddy, how are you?” I answer sarcastically.
“Delia, don’t play games with me. Did that buffoon impregnate you?” he asks making me giggl
e slightly at his terminology.
“No Daddy, Colt did not impregnate me.”
I hear him exhale loudly, obviously in relief. “Then why the hell do you have a pregnancy test? Are you having unprotected intercourse with him, Delia? I taught you better than that,” he adds with a raised voice.
I scoff and shake my head. “Daddy, I’m not talking to you about my sex life. It’s none of your business and as for the test,” I decide to lie, “it was Anna’s. She’s married to Johnny the bassist and no she’s not pregnant. The test was negative, not that it’s any of your business either.”
Colt looks at me with his eyebrow raised and smirks while he nods letting me know that he’s okay with my lie.
“Well Delia, you need to be more careful. Your mother is having all sorts of problems with the ladies in town all gossiping about our wayward daughter, who’s off scandalizing our good name with rock stars and turning into a slurry.”
My eyes bulge and I see red. “Did you just call me a slurry?” I yell.
Colt grabs the phone from my hands and I can tell he’s just as angry as I am. “Mr. Norman, hello it’s Colter Slade,” he says in an aggressive tone.
“Yes, it’s me again. I can tell you now that your daughter’s anything but a slurry. And how dare you call her that, when you have no idea what she’s doing. Do you believe everything the tabloids say do you? I thought you’d be a better man than that?” His eyes are burning with rage. “I honestly don’t give a flying fuck about your opinion of me sir. Lia is my girlfriend and I care about her a great deal, more than you realise and I’m not corrupting her or turning her into something she’s not. She’s still your daughter, she loves you and that’ll never change. But Mr. Norman, if you love her as much as you say you do, then maybe you should stop worrying about your image and start being happy that I make her happy, because sir, she makes me ridiculously happy.” I smile as Colt’s words make me ecstatic. He nods and hands me the phone. I look at him confused and take the phone from his hand.
“Hello?”
“Delia, look I know you care for him, and I think he actually might care for you too, but does he really make you happy? Does this life you’re living really make you happy? Can you really enjoy being photographed and followed everywhere, and having all these people and tabloids saying horrible things about you all the time? How can you really be enjoying that?” he states very calmly.
I exhale and Colt takes my hand. “Daddy the tabloids are arseholes and the fans are evil. Life on tour isn’t always glamorous, but Daddy, you just have to learn to ignore the press. Ninety-nine point nine percent of what they say is rubbish. Don’t believe anything you hear unless it’s directly from me. Colt makes me happy, extremely happy, Daddy. I love him and I’m staying here with him, with your blessing or not. The tour goes on break soon, so we’ll fly back home and come and see you. I know you miss me and you’re worried about me, but honestly there’s really no need. I’m fine, Colt’s fine, and he’s looking after me really well.”
I hear him exhale on the other end. “Jesus Delia, you love him?” he asks his voice taut with emotion.
“I do Daddy, very much.”
“I’m not happy, Delia. This is only going to end up with you being heartbroken, and then I’ll have to pick up the mess you’ll be in when he cheats on you with a groupie or ends up going to rehab or God knows what else?”
I huff and roll my eyes. “Colt’s not going to cheat on me with a groupie or go to rehab, Daddy, that’s not him. Remember that saying you always used to tell me – ‘never judge a book by its cover,' well how about you don’t judge Colt before you even meet him. God, you’re so infuriating!”
“Delia! Do not speak the Lord’s name in vain. I just want what’s best for you and that’s to be here in London and with Joseph—”
“For fuck’s sake Daddy, I told you, I’m not going back to Joseph. So will you get that fucking ridiculous idea out of your God damned stubborn head,” I scream completely enraged.
“Delia Norman, watch your mouth young lady. This is exactly what I’m talking about. He’s been nothing but a bad influence on—”
I hang up mid-sentence and stand up from the bed throwing my phone onto the mattress.
“Urgh! God, why does he have to be such an arrogant prick all the time?” I start pacing the floor running my hand through my hair in frustration.
“Baby, calm down,” Colt says standing and taking hold of my hands.
“You calm down,” I exclaim, not really making any sense. Colt chuckles and I glare at him. Why’s he laughing when I’m so pissed off?
He stops laughing and pulls me into an embrace. “Lia, he’s just worried about you.”
I scoff. “Ha! Don’t defend him! Why are you taking his side?”
Colt rests his forehead against mine and looks into my eyes. “I’m not defending him at all. He has no right to say the shit he says about me, but don’t let him get to you. We’ll take a trip out there to see him on break, and I’ll be on my best behaviour and once he gets to know me he’ll love me. Everyone does, so I can’t see it being an issue.”
I sigh and nod. “Arrogant much, but yeah I guess you’re right,” I say.
He leans down and kisses me gently. “Oh, and hey great cover up with the whole pregnancy thing. Good save,” he jokes with a slight chuckle. I smile up at him and he leans in kissing the tip of my nose. I guess the reason I’m late for my period is due to stress, the tour takes its toll on everyone, including me. If I don’t get it soon I’ll make sure to head to the doctor to get checked out.
After the drama in Melbourne, the band had a few more concerts in Australia before we returned to England for the half time tour break. The guys are using the month off to record ‘Until the End of Time’ in the recording studio. Rob thinks that the song could be a huge success and help with the publicity for the rest of the world tour. So he wants to get it down and recorded and then released as soon as possible.
We’re on the jet again flying from Adelaide to London and I’m staying at Colt and Huxley’s condo when we arrive back, because obviously I don’t have a home to go back to. It’ll be weird sleeping in a house rather than a hotel room. Weird, but good. I’m a little sleepy from the pill Tamara gave me as Colt sits down next to me in our usual seats on the jet. He’s humming and writing some lyrics down in his little notepad that he carries everywhere with him. The sound of Colt humming always calms my nerves, even when he doesn’t intend it to. I close my eyes relaxing into the soft chair.
I wake to fingers gently stroking my face. His touch is soothing as I open my eyes to see Colt looking at me with a smile.
“Sorry to wake you, but we’re here, baby. I can carry you to the car if you’re still sleepy?” he says softly while I wake up fully.
“Thanks, but I’m okay,” I say sitting up in my chair and looking around the empty jet. “Where is everyone?”
“They got off the jet when we landed five minutes ago,” he says taking my hands and pulling me from the seat.
“Oh, okay,” I reply. He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me to the exit. We walk down the stairs and onto the tarmac where a car is waiting for us. Colt opens the door and I slide in and he follows. Hux is sitting in the front with the driver and they’re chatting about Manchester United winning the game. We drive through the familiar streets of London, and even though I’m still undeniably tired, a sense of excitement flows through me. I haven’t been home in months and it’s so nice to be back. We drive past Big Ben and Colt holds me to him for the entire journey. We pull up out the front of a small condo, and I look up at Colt who’s smiling. He must be happy to be home too.
We make our way through the front door and inside is smaller than I expected, but the décor is exactly what I thought it would be. Very masculine with pictures of the band everywhere and guitars in every corner. I look up at Colt who takes my hand and leads me inside.
“Okay, so this is home for the next month. I know it’s sma
ll, but it’s home and my room is the bigger one of the two so your stuff can probably fit in there easily,” he tells me as Hux walks past us and into the lounge room to the left. He jumps over the back of the lounge suite and falls down onto the cushions and stretches out relaxing. I giggle at him and Colt rolls his eyes.
“One thing about Hux, he loves that lounge, so I doubt we’ll ever get to sit on it while he’s here,” Colt says walking me to the staircase. I follow him with my hand in his while he shows me around.
“At the top of the stairs to the left is our room, in the middle is the bathroom and to the right is Huxley’s room,” Colt says looking at me intently. So, I’ll be sharing a bathroom with Colt’s brother. I’ll have to remember to lock the door when I’m in there. It’s funny that Colt’s condo is like a smaller version of the one I shared with Joseph. He leads me into his room and opens the door to a massive king sized bed draped in black silks, and above the bed are some shelves with miniature instruments lined up on it. They’re really lifelike and so cute. There’s a desk with a computer and a spacious walk in closet that’s only about a third full of clothing, which makes me giggle. Colt looks at me and shrugs. “Guess there’s more room in there for you than I thought,” he says with a smirk. I smile and lean up to kiss his cheek. He leads me over to the bed and we lay down cuddling into each other as the jetlag sets in.
We spend most of our time in Colt’s room, while Hux has a parade of women coming and going at all hours. But we ignore them mostly and keep to ourselves over the weekend. It comes to Monday morning and Colt and the guys are heading in to the studio today to do some recording. I’m excited because Colt wants me to come and watch, to which I emphatically agree.
We pull up at the Abbey Road Studios and a rush of excitement washes over me. Colt and the guys recorded their first album here, so I guess the excitement has worn off for them. He takes my hand as we walk across the crossing the Beatles made so famous all those years ago and head into the white building. Colt obviously knows where we have to go as he leads the way. We walk into a studio and everyone is there including Anna much to my relief. I don’t want to be sitting on my own. The studio is bigger than I could possibly have imagined and there’s a booth with a microphone which I’m guessing is for Colt and there are instruments everywhere.