Sometimes people sucked. I knew Hope wasn’t my soulmate. I knew I didn’t want to be with her long-term. If I could’ve gone back in time, I would’ve turned her down when she’d offered to buy me a drink in that bar. But I couldn’t go back in time. All I could do now was deal with it.
“You all right?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah.” There were so many things going through my head, it’d be hard to put them into words, but I’d try. “I’m relieved. I’m not ready for kids and I fucking for sure didn’t want them with her. But I’m pissed as hell, too. Who does she think she is that she can fuck with my life like this?”
Bellamy nodded slowly. “I have to ask you a favor, though.” My eyebrow shot up. “Don’t tell her you know. That I told you. Not yet.”
“Wh—”
She cut me off. “And don’t ask why.”
I believed what Bellamy was telling me. The idea of this level of deceit actually didn’t surprise me when it came to Hope. The idea that I shouldn’t ask why I needed to keep this quiet intrigued me. Then again, Bellamy was one of the most secretive women I’d ever met.
“OK,” I agreed.
“OK?”
“Yeah. I believe you. I don’t think you’d make this up, so I’ll trust there’s a reason behind your request.”
Her eyes were wide, as if she were surprised I’d agreed so quickly.
“There is.”
“Now can I ask you something else?” I asked. She blinked quickly, pulling her hands back and wiping them down the front of her skirt. But in the end, she nodded. “Why were you crying?”
The way her jaw tightened meant I didn’t have to elaborate. She fidgeted in her seat. Her feet tapped the floor under the table.
“You’re not the only one with ex problems,” she finally said.
I’d expected as much, but to hear her confirm it turned my stomach. Instead of asking anything further, I just watched with expectation all over my face. She’d tell me what she was comfortable with.
Bellamy sighed and rolled her eyes. “He was a hot guy in one of my psych classes who turned out to be an asshole and maybe in need of a psychiatrist himself.”
“That sucks.”
“Yup.”
“But if he’s a psycho ex, how did he make you cry just the other day?”
Bellamy pushed herself up from the table and went over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and offering it to me. I took it and she grabbed another for herself before coming back over to where she’d been sitting before.
“He seems to think we can still be together,” she said. “That I didn’t really mean to break up with him.”
I groaned. “Seems to be the theme of the day.”
She nodded. “But he’s doing more than faking a pregnancy. He shows up at my house. He stares at me creepily through the window… watching me. He follows me.”
“Does he hurt you?” Rage raced through my body. I wanted to put my fist through the guy’s face right then and there. If he were in front of me, I would’ve done it, too.
“Not physically.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
Bellamy took a deep breath. “It’s why I decided to come on tour with Indie this year when I’ve never come before. I needed to get away from him. Somewhere he won’t know where I am.”
“But what about when you go home?”
“I’ll worry about it then, I suppose.” She wet her lips. “But I’m worried he’ll figure out I’m here with Bellamy and come. He’ll be pissed that I left the state and he’ll be pissed about... ”
Her voice had an urgent undertone, something that told me she was scared of what he might do if he did follow us on tour. That his behavior may escalate into something physical and if that happened, I’d end up being arrested for sure. No way in hell would I let anyone manhandle a woman in any way around me, especially not Bellamy.
Oh, and that last part, the part she didn’t say, I was fairly certain she meant this asshole would be pissed about her spending time with me. That was probably what made her keep her distance from me. Fuck that.
“You’re safe on tour. We have security—we have people everywhere. It should be fine. You can talk to Dean and get this guy on the banned list.”
“I know.” Her eyes were glistening with tears. I tightened my jaw at the idea of this asshole making her cry. But Bellamy wasn’t about to let him get the best of her. She swallowed hard and steeled her gaze. “I honestly don’t want to admit to anyone that he’s getting the best of me.”
“He’s not,” I said. She looked away, so I gently took her by the chin and made her turn back toward me. “He’s not. You’re handling it. I’ll help you handle it.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bellamy
The weight that left my shoulders after telling Ransom more about my situation with Chris than I’d admitted to anyone else had me feeling lighter than I had in months. He’d said “we’d” handle it. Just him saying that made me feel less alone, more protected, even at a time that I had to be able to protect myself.
“Let me take you out,” he said next, which made no sense.
“What?” I asked with a smile.
“Let me take you out. We don’t have to do anything big. I don’t want to spook you.”
“Spook me?” I tried to not laugh directly in face. The corner of his mouth twitched like he had to fight not to smile or laugh.
“Yeah. We can get coffee in the morning, breakfast if you want, but just something for you and me.”
I didn’t really need to think about it. Time with Ransom was something I found I always wanted. Like in my hotel room before. Just him and me and talking. But at the same time, I didn’t want to seem too eager.
“Sure. Let’s get coffee.”
He smiled and nodded slowly, like he was surprised that I’d actually said yes.
“What city will be even be in?” I asked.
“Uh… ” He blinked as he tried to remember. “Somewhere in North Carolina, I think.”
We both laughed because the idea of not knowing where you were going to wake up in the morning was pretty ridiculous. This was his life, not mine.
“OK, well, I’m going to go to Indie’s bus so they don’t leave without me,” I said, standing.
“You’re always welcome to stay here,” he said with a smile.
“Ha ha,” I replied, then waved over my shoulder as I stepped back off his bus.
I slept better that night than I had in a long while. Telling Ransom about Chris had lifted a weight off me that I hadn’t realized was there. I told him more than I’d told Indie, my best friend. I’d told Indie more than I’d told Maggie. With Maggie, she had a lot going on with her grandmother’s issues, getting stranded in Ireland, then being heartsick over having to leave her Irish hottie, Eagan. Then Eagan had shown up and I didn’t want to interrupt their time together. The words had fallen out of my mouth without much hesitation with Ransom. There was a level of comfort there that shouldn’t have been yet was.
In the morning, I took my time getting ready while trying not to wake Indie and Cross. Ransom and I hadn’t set a time to get coffee, but I wanted to be ready whenever he was. As much as I didn’t want to be, I was excited at the idea of spending time with him.
As if he knew I’d been thinking about him, my phone vibrated with a text from him asking if I could be ready in five minutes. I told him I would be when in fact I already was. I didn’t want to seem too eager. Yet when he knocked on the door right on time, I still jumped.
“Good morning,” he said as I stepped off the bus.
“Woah, it’s bright out here.”
He chuckled. “That happens when the sun rises in the sky.”
“Ha, ha,” I replied dryly. “When you said in the morning I thought you meant like in the morning. Not late morning, closer to noon.”
He chuckled quietly then scratched his chin. “Yeah well, you know rock stars.”
“I’m beginning to.”
“OK, so”—he started walking and I fell in line beside him—“I found a little coffee shop around the corner. Unless you changed your mind and want breakfast.”
“Coffee would be perfect. Food can come later.”
It didn’t take us long to get our coffee and I suggested we take a walk instead of sitting inside. The weather was too beautiful for that.
“Did you ever figure out where we are?” I asked once we’d had our coffees.
“Charlotte.”
I thought about it for a minute and said, “I actually don’t know where in the state that is.” Ransom laughed and I joined in. “I probably should be keeping better track. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Why is that?” he asked and I raised an eyebrow. “Why is it once in a lifetime? From what I hear, Indie comes on tour every summer.”
“I can’t just tag along.”
“Why not?” he countered. “There are so many people on tour and you’re small. It’s not like you take up a lot of space.”
“You haven’t seen my wardrobe.” In all honesty, I packed very light. Never knew when I’d have to leave quickly. When I’d have to be on the move so the crazy ex wouldn’t find me.
We talked a bit about my schooling. What I wanted to do after graduation, though social media marketing was pretty specific. A job with one of the big social media companies would’ve been the dream, but I still had time to think about it.
I already knew what he wanted to do with his life because he was already doing it, so I asked about his family. He’d already told me his parents were happily married and he had two younger brothers. One in college and one in high school.
“Actually, they’ll be at the show in Atlanta. So, assuming you’re still with us then, you’ll meet them.”
I stopped walking and when he finally noticed, I asked, “You want me to meet your parents?”
“Woah. Slow down. They meet all my friends. I mean when we’re all around each other. I have nothing to hide, remember?”
I started walking again. “And you don’t get embarrassed.”
“Exactly.”
“So how did you discover you can sing?” I asked him. It was something I probably could’ve found out with a simple internet search, but I’d much rather he tell it.
“My shower didn’t kick me out. I took that to mean I’d be a star.”
I laughed but nudged his arm with my shoulder. It was the highest I could reach, given how much taller than me he was. Though his size, leaner than Cross, yet still muscular, made me feel safe for some reason.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” he finally answered. “Cross and I used to mess around, then we decided we needed a hobby and started the band. We knew Dixon and he said he played guitar, so we literally used to play in our garages.”
“Garages?” I asked as we passed the fountains in the park we’d accidentally found.
“Yeah, when one of our parents couldn’t stand the noise anymore, we’d shift to another garage. Then we found Drink… Eric Drinkswine… and our little band was complete.” He paused and when I glanced over at him he was looking out at the bright skyline. “Drink’s not in the band anymore.”
“Oh, I’ve heard all about it.”
“Right,” he said quietly. “Listen.” He stopped, grabbed a hold of my arm, and tugged until I turned to face him. “None of us knew about the shit he did. None of us would’ve stood by while he… ” His voice trailed off, then he cleared his throat. “Cross has a fifteen-year-old sister and I’ve known her a long time, so she’s like a sister to me. If anyone touched her… Cross and I would be in prison.”
I cocked my head to the side. “So the articles online about Courting Chaos being part of a pedophile ring aren’t true?” He laughed it off but still looked uncomfortable. “Listen.” I stepped in closer to him. “I’ve known Indie for three years, which means I’ve known Vince for three years and even without spending my summers with him, I know he’d never let your band stay on tour with them if they thought for a second any of you were like that. You had a bad apple. Doesn’t mean the barrel stinks.”
“Just wanted to be clear,” he said, then began walking again.
We made our way back to the arena and the buses. With the weather so beautiful, I almost regretted getting back, but Ransom also had things to do and I’d already taken up over two hours of his day.
But damn how comfortable I already was with Ransom Drake.
Chapter Eighteen
Ransom
If I had my way, I’d spend all day with Bellamy, just talking and looking at her. Walking back to my bus, all I could think about was her. The curly red hair. Eyes the color of honey. The sound of her laugh when she wasn’t totally sure she should be laughing. All of it. I wanted all of it surrounding me.
But I still had Hope to deal with.
Color me shocked when I climbed into my bus and found Cross sitting on the couch like a father waiting to see if I broke curfew.
“I happen to know with certainty that Bellamy was asleep on her bus last night,” he said instead of hello. “Yet I come here this morning and you aren’t here. I assume you didn’t come home last night, mister. And I know you’re into her, so what gives?”
I snorted and flipped him the middle finger. “Fuck you, Dad. I slept here last night. I just went out this morning and if you paid better attention, you’d know that Bellamy went out this morning as well.”
“I’ll choose to believe you,” he said with a shitty smile.
Ah. He knew what was up. He just wanted the opportunity to give me hell for something.
“So what did you two early birds do this morning?”
“Got coffee.”
“Just got coffee?”
“Yeah. What’d you expect?” I asked. “We eloped to Vegas and just got back.”
I dropped into the seat by the table kitty-corner to him and looked at my best friend expectantly. But he just stared right back at me with the same expectation.
“I like her,” I said. “More than I should.”
“Why more than you should?”
“All the shit with Hope.” I took a deep breath and sighed. “I just think it’s a bad idea to start something with Bellamy when I have the dark cloud that is Hope hanging over my head.”
“And a baby on the way.”
I couldn’t tell him that there was no baby because Bellamy had asked me not to. Even if I didn’t know why she insisted no one else know, I’d keep my promise not to say a word.
“Right,” I said instead of telling him the truth.
“You think something with Bellamy would be the real deal.” It wasn’t a question. More a foregone conclusion, as if it were a given that she and I would last. Get married. Have babies. All of that. “Man, I’m glad I’m not you.”
I swing my head up to see that fucking smirk on his face and he was lucky we’d been friends so long. If we hadn’t been, he had a good chance of not remaining as pretty as he was.
“Fuck you,” was all I said, but I couldn’t completely keep the laughter out of my voice.
My phone rang, but I could barely hear it over Cross’ loud chuckling. Then I groaned when I looked at the display. If I could’ve blocked Hope’s number all together, I would have. But until I knew for sure what the hell was going on and finished it, I didn’t think it’d be the best idea.
“Hello,” I said.
“You don’t have to sound so put out by my calling, Ransom. I’m the mother of your child after all.”
Just hearing her voice irritated me at this point. Not to mention the words she chose to use.
“What can I do for you today?” I asked in my sweetest voice. Though I couldn’t disguise how I truly felt, no matter what kind of fake act I put on.
“I was wondering if you’d be available to come to my doctor’s appointment next week,” she said. “You’d have to fly in, obviously. My doctor will be in New York. You know… close to home.” Her home. Not mine.
Wait… Why would she need a doctor’s appointment if the pregnancy was fake? Why would she want me there if it was fake? None of this made any sense. My silence hung out too long.
“Ransom?” she asked, like I may have hung up and yeah, that instinct was right there. “Did you hear me?”
“While there how about we get that pesky DNA test done?”
“It’s dangerous,” she said quickly. “I wouldn’t want to chance the baby. I already told you that. Do you not believe me? Is that what’s happening now?”
I didn’t answer because I couldn’t even get myself to lie.
“Ransom! This is dumb. I’m not doing anything to hurt the baby. That’s the last I’m talking about this.” She sighed into the phone and lowered her voice. “So come to the doctor’s appointment. It’s my first.”
All I wanted was to get her off the phone.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said, then hit the button to end the call. Still, I wondered why Bellamy would tell me the whole thing was faked, yet Hope wanted me at a doctor’s appointment.
I needed answers.
I didn’t even say anything to Cross before getting back off the bus. Even with the questions clearly written all over his face. I couldn’t deal with him while I had to deal with this and right then, I needed to see Bellamy.
“Hey!” he called out to me as I walked toward Indie’s bus. “We have soundcheck to do.”
Fuck. He was right. Bellamy would have to wait.
I’d never minded soundcheck before but the repetitive nature killed me that day. The same few songs again and again. Adjusting then playing it again. It was basically hell at that point when all I wanted was to talk to Bellamy.
Finally an hour and a half later I curled my fist into a ball and banged on the door to Indie’s bus pretty hard. Fuck. I’d need to control that temper so things didn’t get out of hand.
“Oh, hey, Ransom,” Indie said after she pushed the door open. “Come in.”
I climbed the stairs but didn’t say anything. Every muscle in my body had tightened the moment I’d heard Hope’s voice and had yet to relax.
Ransom (Courting Chaos Book 2) Page 8