by Liz Crowe
“I’m not pregnant,” I bite out the moment we are settled into a cab.
“I didn’t say anything,” Chase says with a smirk while taps into her phone.
“Who the hell are you talking to?” I ask fumbling to grab her phone.
“Camaron. Do you really think we can do this without involving her?”
The phone rings making her giggle then hits speaker. “Hello Cam, darling, we have a tiny situation,” Chase says with a nervous giggle.
“A fuckin’ baby isn’t a tiny situation,” I bite out.
“It is tiny…” Cam says. “Sweets you shoulda just sucked his dick.”
“Do you not get the seriousness of this situation!” I yell at the phone. “I’m over three weeks late! I’m on the pill!” I scream as if that makes it any less true that this is happening. “If I’m pregnant the baby could be Landon’s. The last time we had sex was the night the tour started,” I blurt as the cab pulls over. I barely make it out before I throw up onto the street, none of it having to do with possible morning sickness.
Cam is booking a flight to be here tomorrow, Chase is rescheduling hers, and here I am in a pharmacy, shopping in the family planning aisle. Not exactly the shopping trip I had planned today but here I am buying thirteen pregnancy tests. “Why are you buying so many?” Chase asks as I swipe my debit card.
“Because they aren’t one hundred percent accurate,” I reply shaking my head. “Although, it looks like my fuckin’ birth control wasn’t either.”
Chase grabs the bag and we walk out to the street to grab another cab. “Listen, the guys think we’re shopping. So I say we sneak to the arena parking lot, get on that damn bus so you can pee in a cup for us to dunk these fuckers. Once we know for sure we’ll deal with it babe.”
A tear rolls down my face once I slide into the cab. “What am I going to tell Gray? It could be Landon’s. God I’ve fucked everything up,” I sob into my hands.
“Let’s just find out if you even are pregnant. Then we worry about what to tell the guys. Chances are, though, it would be Gray’s anyway, babe. You have to believe that. The odds are in your favor here if you look at quantity. From what you told me, Landon was brushin’ you off but Gray was tappin’ that ass like a frat boy at a keggar.”
Chase tells the driver the name of the arena then we are on our way. The parking lot is pretty empty when we pull up next to the bus. I nearly get sick again at the sight of the SUV parked by the back doors; I know they are deep in practice mode right now. Luckily, since we are back on the bus tomorrow night, Henry has it airing out while the guys practice inside the arena today so it’s unlocked.
After grabbing a cup and doing my business Chase and I are dipping stick after stick then laying them on the shelf to wait. My phone rings making me jump as I pace up and down the aisle. “Hello?”
“What does it say?” Cam asks.
I look over to Chase who just nods. “Shit!” I scream dropping the phone at my feet. Walking around the bed to the shelf I fling the sticks to the floor then throw myself on the bed. My heart finally begins cracking.
Chase picks up my phone from the floor, putting it to her ear. “Cam? Babe, let us call you back. Text me with your flight info alright?” Tossing the phone to the bed she sits beside me. “Daisy, it’s gonna be fine. Talk to Gray. You two should’ve really done this together.” She gestures at the tests scattered across the floor. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna call Luke, get him to move my shifts. I’m not leaving you like this.”
I nod as she leaves the room then I scream hysterically into the pillow. I can’t believe this is happening. Landon was finally out of the picture, Gray and I are in a great place right now planning our future, then this happens! What if the baby is Landon’s? I sob into the pillow remembering the night I told Gray I was on the pill. That he didn’t need to worry about me getting pregnant. I have messed everything up for everyone. I have possibly ruined all of our lives. If only I had stuck to my list. If only I had planned all of this out instead of jumping in without looking first. It’s too late for ‘what ifs’ now. All I have left is the hope that maybe I won’t lose everything I love, once the truth is all out on the table.
Sitting up I pull the old list from my bag. The motherfucker is mocking me I am sure of it. I planned my life around this damn thing now it’s shot to hell. The list Gray and I made weeks ago doesn’t include a fucking baby that could belong to my submissive, bisexual ex-fiancé either. That little zinger isn’t on either list but it’s a damn possibility none the less. “I can’t believe I’m such an idiot!” I scream as I throw the tablet against the wall.
“Wildflower?”
I jump as my tear covered face meets the one person I didn’t want to see me like this but the person I need most right now. Grayson. My shield, my husband and the only person that can give me any sort of solace right now. His eyes look at the little white sticks on the floor then move to me as he stretches out his arms. Without a single word I run into them as he pulls us to the bed where we don’t say a word. I just cry into his chest.
“It’s going to be fine,” Gray says after my tears finally start to slow. Turning my chin up forcing me to meet his eyes he kisses my lips. “You’re my wife. We’re havin’ a baby. It’s going to be fine,” he repeats.
“What if it’s Landon’s? I’ve only slept with him once in the last six weeks or so; but Gray, it’s a possibility,” I choke out trying not to cry again.
Gray’s hand flattens against my abdomen, his eyes not leaving mine. His gray stare is dark and possessive. “It’s mine,” he says without a single doubt. “No matter fuckin’ what, it’s mine because you’re mine.” I nod, forcing a grin onto my face. “Now, get your sexy ass dressed, I have a song to sing to my wife tonight.” Gray kisses me deeply before I go into the bathroom to straighten out my face before the show.
I don’t see Chase again until Henry takes me to stage left. She went after Gray for me then ran into Hunter, and well, things got heated, people got naked. According to her, it was a small sacrifice for the greater good. Shaft is killing it as usual. The fans are going completely insane as Aiden bangs his kit, setting the bass line. Gray looks over at me, several times, as he plays with a huge smile. I force a smile then blow him a kiss.
When the set is over, Gray walks up to the mic, as usual, but without his guitar. “You rocked the shit outta tonight! We fuckin’ love you for comin’ out! Now, some of you know that I got married around a month ago,” he says making the crowd scream. His eyes meet mine as he smiles. “Daisy’s quickly become my whole world. Usually, I sing her a cover at the end of every show; but, tonight I got the best news since she said yes, so I’m changin’ my plans,” Gray smiles giving me a wink. I know what he is going to do and I think I’m going to be sick. I clap a hand over my mouth begging my empty stomach not to revolt. “Tonight we found out we’re pregnant. Daisy is going to give me a baby!” he shouts and the crowd goes crazy. They are screaming and cheering. Hunter bumps his fist as Aiden jumps over his kit joining in Gray’s celebration.
Gray looks over at me, “Come here, Wildflower,” he says sweetly.
The feeling to run like hell is pretty damn strong. I want to run down that ramp and get the hell away from all of this. I understand exactly what Cam means by wanting to stay out of the limelight. I don’t get my chance though because Hunter comes over and grabs my hand. “Oh Mommy, you’re gonna love the new baby more than me,” he teases walking me out on stage.
“Isn’t she fuckin’ beautiful?” Gray asks the crowd.
Tossing the mic to Aiden he grabs my face crushing his mouth to mine in a kiss that has my stomach in knots. Lifting me off the ground, he spins us slowly. “I fuckin’ love you, Mrs. Cole,” he says letting me slide down his arms until our lips meet again.
Gray pulls away so that I can look out to the crowd cheering for us. I smile at them taking in the thousands watching our ‘private’ celebration. Then as my eyes look down into the fifth row my
heart stops. Staring up at me are two sets of familiar eyes. Tad has an arm wrapped around Landon who looks like he is about to lose his shit. His face is blood red, boiling with rage. I watch him shove his way around people making his way toward the exit. My entire body tenses as my eyes follow him to the stage access doors. Looking back to where Tad still stands I meet his eyes. He just looks at me with a huge victorious grin on his smug face then winks.
“Thanks everyone. You’ve been amazing!” Aiden says into the mic then we all walk off stage toward Chase, Henry and a now very pissed off Landon.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Four Letter Words
“I want to talk to you both. Now,” Landon bites out.
Gray looks at him as the guys all walk up, flanking Grayson in front of me. “You aren’t getting anywhere near her, Landon,” Gray says angrily.
“We can do this here or somewhere else, I don’t care Gray. The choice can be yours but I have shit to say. You really do owe me that much, brother,” he snaps back.
“Daisy doesn’t owe you shit but we’ll humor you for now,” Gray exhales. “You meet us at our hotel in an hour. We can talk then.” Landon nods then walks away. Gray turns toward me, pulling me against him. “That bastard isn’t allowed anywhere near her alone, got me?” he says; Henry nods in agreement. “Let’s go. I want to get back to the hotel and get Daisy settled before he shows up.”
An hour later, after Gray has made me change into pajamas and nearly force fed me a bowl of soup, before there is a knock at the door. Landon walks in with Henry and sits on the couch as far away from us as possible. Protective badass mode places Henry between us. “Alright brother, you said you had things to say. Get to it. Sooner you say it, sooner you’re gone,” Gray says pulling me against him.
Landon looks horrible. His face is pale and haunted, like he hasn’t slept in days. “Daisy, I never got to explain or even apologize.”
“I don’t want you to,” I say sadly, making his eyes flit to mine in surprise. “You can’t apologize for this Landon. Even if you did, I don’t think you’d mean it. It just wasn’t meant to be for us, Landon, and that’s okay. I’m fine, I promise.” Why would he apologize if he loves Tad? If you look at it honestly I was the other woman. I may not have known it at the time, but I was. Which explains why Landon never asked me to move in with him, or why I rarely stayed over at his place; it actually clears up a lot.
“I didn’t know about the videos until the first day on the bus. Tad and I have been together over three years, Daisy. I never thought that he could be so…”
“Sick?” Gray blurts.
Landon winces at the suggestion. “He was blackmailing me. Tad said that if I slept with Daisy without him, while on the tour, and he found out he would post all those videos to the band’s fan page. I couldn’t take that chance. I was trying to protect you, baby. Protect what I have with both of you. Believe it or not, I do love you, Daisy.”
I can’t speak; I just nod. “You don’t have anything with her anymore, Landon. I still don’t understand, why didn’t you tell her, or any of us, anything?” Gray’s voice is cold.
“I love him too, Gray. I can’t explain it, but I do. I need what he gives me. I’m not gay but I’m not straight either. It’s so confusing being me. I get to be one person with Tad. He lets me give all the control to him. Then, with Daisy, I had the normal. I want both. With the baby…”
“The baby is mine, Landon. You don’t even get an opinion on that issue,” Gray snaps, glaring at him.
“Right now you can’t say for sure, can you Daisy?” Landon spits back. “Did you use anything with either of us other than your pills?”
I shake my head as the tears stream down my face. This is what I wanted to avoid. I’m putting brother against brother. That’s something I can’t do. I won’t. “Landon, I sent you texts in Vegas; then, after you agreed to meet me, I walked in on that in the suite. If you love me how could you do that? You didn’t use anything with me either. How do I know …”
Landon’s eyes widen in shock. “I’ve always been careful, Daisy. As for my phone, I haven’t had it since the night Cam broke Tad’s nose. I thought I left it at the ER or on the bus. I looked everywhere for it,” he says, yanking a hand through his hair, then he sighs loudly. “Tad must have stolen my phone. I can believe he would do that.”
“Wow, some guy you’ve got there, Landon,” I huff. Standing to my feet, I take a breath. “Listen, Landon, I’m glad you got to explain all of this. I feel a little better knowing you didn’t intentionally do all of this to try and hurt me. I mean, you still took me on as the other woman and lied astronomically, but it is what it is. You tell Tad that if he uses those videos, I’ll have him locked up. Thanks for comin’ by.” I turn to the hallway to leave but he calls out to me.
“You remember your list? How’s a baby on a tour bus with an unstable rocker fittin’ in with all of that? I know what you want in life, Daisy. I love you and I want you. I’ll give up Tad right fuckin’ now. I’ll do anything to be with you and raise that baby. I’ll give you everything, Daisy, I promise.”
“Get the fuck out!” Gray roars slamming Landon into the wall. “You come in here and try to make a play for my fuckin’ wife, with me standin’ right here? You gave her up!” Gray screams as Henry gets between them, shoving Landon toward the door. “You really never had her in the first place if that story is true.”
Both Landon and Gray shout my name when I run down the hall into the bedroom as the door slams. “Daisy!” Gray calls again from the hallway. He walks into the bedroom where I sit on the end of the bed. The thoughts swirling in my head are making my stomach roll. I want to crawl into bed and never leave. Just hide from it all. I can’t believe what Landon said. He would really walk away from Tad right now for me? For a baby that may or may not even be his? “Don’t go there, Wildflower.” Gray pleads kneeling before me. “Don’t think about what he said. You can’t let your head try to escape what we have. You can’t let yourself run back to your old life and that goddamn list just because you’re scared, baby.” I shake my head, my tears falling onto his hands as they rest on my still flat belly. “Have you, for one minute, doubted being with me? Marrying me?”
I shake my head. “No. I love you, Grayson.”
“Do you know why I hate secrets? One of the very people who kept the truth from me is the one I’ve had to watch hurt you over and over again. I forgave him for what he did to me because we were just kids. But, fuck baby, what he’s done to you? I can’t just let that go.”
I look at him in shock. “What do you mean, Landon? When did Landon keep the truth from you? About what?”
“I spent the first ten years of my life thinking that Landon’s father was mine. Our mother was married to him but had an affair with my dad. They all lied and covered it up, even made Landon go along with it. Landon’s father, Greg, treated me like shit as long as I can remember. He always called me a bastard; then, finally, one night Greg got drunk and told me everything. He was sick of me. Told me he couldn’t even look at me. The bastard hated me that much. So he packed my shit, sending me away from everyone I’d ever known, to my father, who I’d never met. Pops got a note along with a kid he didn’t fuckin’ know existed. That’s also the reason why I don’t give a shit about DNA. This kid is mine because I say so. I fuckin’ love you, Daisy. I love this kid more than Landon ever would. Don’t let him fuck with your head. Forget the lists and all the plans you made, it’s time to make our own.”
I nod then brush my lips over his. “I love you, too,” I whisper.
Lying back on the bed I pull him to me. Gray angles his body so that he isn’t pressing down on my stomach. Trailing kisses down my neck as his hand pushes my shirt up. Gray presses his lips against my stomach, pulling my pants down my legs, quickly followed by my panties. Slowly, he kisses every inch of my body as he finishes undressing me. Standing, Gray quickly strips his clothes off his body, and moves between my trembling legs. His hands glid
ing up to my hips, those rough fingertips brushing my tattoo. “I’ve got you. I always do,” he whispers as he enters me.
My arms wrap around his neck pulling him down to meet my lips. Our mouths move together, his tongue mimicking his thrusts as he moves inside me. I wrap my legs around his hips, arching my back to feel every piercing on his ladder run against my inner walls. I can’t believe I even thought, for one second, I could just walk away from this. I would make the biggest mistake of my life leaving Gray for Landon. Gray was right. Landon never really had me if he was keeping so much from me. I never doubted what I had with Gray once, since I let go of my plan and let it happen. I didn’t over think my feelings for him, it just felt right.
Gray’s eyes watching mine as he rolls his hips into me taking me over the edge. I cry out his name as I dive head first into my orgasm. My body writhing against his as I ride it out. Gray’s lips brush over mine as he pumps into me, my hand sliding to his chest so that I can feel his heartbeat. He buries his face in my neck. “Fuck, you’re the only piece of Heaven I’ll ever need,” he shouts, finding his release.
“Look at me, Daisy,” Gray says sweetly. “I don’t deserve you. Nothing about me deserves to have this with you, but I’ll fight like hell to keep you. You are all I want and I’ll never fuckin’ give you up. I can’t go back to life without you now that I’ve had a taste of how it feels to be with you.”
“I love you, too. I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper softly before heading into the bathroom to clean up. Once I’ve put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, I brush my teeth then climb into bed and curl up against Gray. Finally letting the weight of the day take me under, I fall asleep in Gray’s arms my hand firmly on his chest.
BANG BANG BANG “What the hell?” I groan as I sit up in the bed. BANG BANG BANG I turn to see Gray still sleeping beside me. I run up the hallway, fling the door open then burst into tears.