Front & Center (Book 2 of the Back-Up Series) (8 page)

Sighing with relief
, I don’t understand why I was so scared to tell him. Stupidly, I thought calling Dad would be the harder call. I now have to call my brother. And my gut tells me it may not go as smoothly as my conversation with Dad went.

“Hey S
is…how are you?”

“
Hi Ev, I’m good. Miss you.”

“Yea
h, me too.”

“How’s your mom?”

“Good. She is remaining positive and has a really good attitude. It’s like she is so relaxed and happy now, even with battling cancer. Very strange.”

“That’s
great. Attitude is everything during recovery. Keep me posted.”

“Definitely.
”

“You guys ready for that charity concert you’re doing
?”

“So ready. It’s in two weeks
.”

“I wish I could see it.”

“I know. Lori is having her friend video tape it, so she can put it on our website. You can see it there.”

“I meant in person.”

“I know. So many times I would turn towards your spot on stage to throw you a look, only to remember you aren’t there.”

“You’re killing me
, Ev.”

“I’m sorry.
” He sighs into the phone. “Sal added karaoke night.”

“Wait, what?”

“I know. It was all Lori. She said she needed a night for us to be seen. She rallied for

Fridays
, but he told her she was nuts. So they settled for Thursdays. She switched her shift with a Day-Timer so she can be with us. She really is perfect for this, Lei.”

“I knew she would be.”

“You were right. So, is touring with a famous rock band all it’s cracked up to be?”

Taking a few seconds to choose my words, I admit, “It’s even better.”

“Better? That’s cool. Your fans are loving you.”

“Some.”

“Most. Don’t worry about those idiots.”

“You were worried about those idiots last time we talked. Why the chang
e in attitude?”

“Jack’s right.
They are jealous. The legitimate fans are loving you.”

“So I keep hearing.” Evan and I discuss our friends, like we do each and every time we speak on the phone. He fills me in on their latest shenanigans. I’m pathetically making small talk, going as far as asking what
color are Joe’s girlfriend’s eyes.

“Why do you care?” Evan calls me out on my stupid line of questioning.

“Um…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Bull crap.”

“Um… I just spoke to my dad. I wanted to let him know my news. I want to let you know as well.”

“You pregnant?”

“Evan! Jeez. No, I’m not pregnant.”

Chuckling, he says, “
I’m kidding.”

“Not funny.”

“I thought it was.” Evan laughs into the phone. “So spill it. What do you need to say?”

“Um…”
Awkwardly I once again fumble for the right words. Why is this so hard for me to admit?

“Leila?”

“Jack-and-I-are-together,” I blurt out.

A few seconds of silence from his end, then he says,
“Stop. Repeat it slower.”

Releasing a burst of air from my lungs, I repeat my news halfheartedly. “Jack…and…I…are…together.”

“I thought that’s what you said. When did this happen?”

Oh no…

“Ev…please don’t be mad.”

“Why would I be mad?”

“It started the night of my farewell party.”

More s
ilence…

Nerves
take hold and prompt my frantic pacing back and forth in the bus, waiting for Evan to speak. “Ev…”

“W
hat?” he says with a ton of attitude.

Sighing, I scramble my brain for something adequate to say. I come up empty.

Evan finally speaks. “Wow! Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, unable to hide the hurt he feels in his voice. “Ok, so I suspected. But I’ve waited and waited for you to confirm or deny my suspicions. I’ve given you more than one opportunity to do that. And you said nothing.”

“Evan…you had a lot going on
with your mom and my dad. I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Why would I be worried? Because he
is walking sex? Your words, not mine! Or because you work for him? Or because you are trapped on a bus with him for months and you have nowhere to run if it doesn’t work out? Or maybe because I’ve heard he has quite a reputation and he’s not a one-woman man? Are any of these possibly the reasons you think I would worry?”

“Ev…”

“Leila…I’m not your father. But I am your brother and your best friend, and I have the right to worry about you. Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes.”

Now it’s Evan’s turn to sigh heavily. “You said it was a crush.”

“It’s more.”

“And what about all his conquests?”

“Evan. He’s not like that anymore.”

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Well, he’s not.” While Evan remains silent on his end, I take the opportunity to convince him that Jack is my soul mate. “We’re good together. We didn’t just jump into this. We got to know each other first. He’s a good man. He’s kind and considerate. Evan, he loves me and I love him.” Tears well up as I sit on the phone, miles away from my best friend, enduring the torturous silence he’s determined to unleash on me. I sit heavily on the couch, waiting for him to speak.

“Are you happy?” he finally asks quietly.

“Very much so.”

Jack walks out from the back bedroom to witness me swiping away my tears.
His face crumples with concern as he squats before me. Taking my hand, he squeezes until I make eye contact with him.

“
Ev…are you there?”

“I’m here.”

Jack motions for the phone. I shake my head because I’m not sure Evan would want to talk to Jack right now.

“Listen,
I told my dad. He was happy for me. Besides you two, Jack’s family and our band, no one else knows yet. But something happened in Boston, and you may start seeing things on the Internet. I wanted to tell you myself.” When Evan doesn’t respond, I add, “Call me back when you’re ready to talk about it.”

“Is he there now?”
he asks, ignoring my comments.

“Yes,
” I respond while looking at Jack.

“Let me talk to him.”

“Evan…”

“Lei…let me talk to him.”
Wordlessly, I hand the phone to Jack.

“Hey
, Evan…yes, I understand…” Jack sits next to me while Evan rants on the other end. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and then kisses the top of my head, patiently waiting for Evan to finish his tirade.

“Yes, I
got it…crystal clear…I love her Evan…” There’s another long pause before Jack adds, “Yes…it’s not like that anymore…you need to trust me…I intend to…sure, hold on.”

Jack smiles as he hands me the phone. “Hey…”

“Hey…I’m sorry I acted like an idiot. I just worry about you.”

“I know.”

“And I love you. Don’t keep anything from me, ok?”

“Ok.”

“Good. I’m happy you’re happy. And he knows he’ll have to retrieve my shoe from his ass if he hurts you.”

“Great…”

“Bye, Lei.”

“Bye
, Ev.”

Turning towards Jack, I shrug sheepishly. “Well
, that went well.”

“Babe, you had to expect that. He cares about you.”

“I’m sorry he grilled you.”

Jack laughs and says,
“No worries.”

“How di
d it go with your mom and Lizzy?”

“They are
thrilled.” He turns serious, and then asks, “What about your dad?”

“He was happy,
I think. Strange. You must have charmed the pants off him. He wants to talk to you also, but I’m sure he won’t be as crude as Evan was.”

Jack laughs again. “That was the first time someone threatened to shove their foot
and ankle up my ass.” His phone buzzes with a new text. Frowning as he reads it, he quickly glances up at me.

“Who is it?”

Jack hesitates before answering. “Um, it’s a text from Jessa. She had the tests done yesterday and says the results should arrive in a few weeks.”

My heart drops at the sound of Jessa’s name.
I stand to put distance between us, but Jack takes my hand in both of his, stopping me in my tracks. “Hey...”

“Does she have a DNA sample from you?”
I can’t believe I just blurted that out. I wanted to talk to him about this, but I’m not prepared to do it yet, and definitely not while I’m in an emotional state.

“What?”

“Nothing. Forget it.”

“Lei, what did you ask me?”

Not able to take back my question, I ask again. “Jessa? Does she have a DNA sample?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Did you research paternity testing at all?”

He
looks confused. It slowly occurs to him what I’m getting at. “You think she’s lying?”

“No. But I did some research. She needs your DNA to perform the test. It’s also risky to
the fetus to perform the test in utero. It’s something to think about.”

He
sits quietly. It upsets me that he sat back, allowing this woman to dictate the chain of events in this nightmare. Jessa isn’t here to take my anger out on. So unintentionally, I focus my anger towards him.

Pulling
my hand away, I utter, “Let’s not talk about this right now. I have some more phone calls to make.” I know it’s a shitty thing to do, but I can’t deal with the black cloud that discreetly hovers above us. I’m too tired.

“Ok…
” He watches me, waiting for me to say something.

I can’t. I’m just not in the mood to pretend.
Deep inside, I truly feel it is Jack’s baby. A small seed of doubt festers from the fact that Jessa has been very elusive regarding this paternity test. I don’t trust her. I think what upsets me is Jack seems to. I also feel the closer that we get to the truth, the more I panic. This is clearly my version of a panic attack.

“D
o you want some space?”

Nodding, I
pick up my phone and start to scroll through my contacts.

Jack
stands before me, gently pulling the phone out of my hand.

“Lei…I love you.” He stares
down at me, waiting for my response.

Ga
zing back into his eyes, I respond, “I know.”

My heart splinters a bit from the look in his eyes.
He bends to kiss me and hands me back my phone before walking off the bus.

We promised each other to talk things out, and to not let this come between us. I feel
awful, but I just can’t help it. Feeling emotionally drained, I walk to the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I just need to be alone for a while. I need to remember all the things I love about him, and not the one thing I hate…specifically his pregnant baggage.

             
I would much rather be next to her, talking her off her cliff, instead of leaving her alone with her thoughts. I get she needs to be alone, and I’ll give her the space she needs. I have no worries or doubts of her love for me. I know she’s told me she isn’t running, but I do worry that she’s keeping things from me. Like how she truly feels about Jessa’s situation, or if things do not turn out the way we want them to, does it scare her more to be with me than without?

Walking around to the front of the
Rex Theater, I text Jessa.

where did you get my dna?

I don’t beat around the bush. I will kill this bitch if she is lying to me. I decide to hail a cab. I have no idea where I want to go, but I need time as well. Jessa’s text also mentioned Danny was at our opening show. A chill ran down my spine. Initially I disregarded the whole fuel line thing, but now I’m worried. It can’t be coincidence. As I left the bus, I asked Tom to watch Leila.

“Where to?”

“Where’s the nearest mall?”

“
Ross Park, ten minutes.”

“Fine.”

Pulling my phone out, I decide to call Jen. “Hi, Jen.”

“Hi
, Jack. What’s up?”

“Where’s my security?”

“Actually, I was going to call you today about that. The studio feels there really isn’t a specific threat to you.”

“T
hat’s not acceptable. I think there already has been a specific threat to us.”

“
Why, what’s wrong?”

“Jessa texted me. Turns out Danny was at opening night.”

“So? A lot of people were at opening night.”

“The bus didn’t start after th
e show.”

“I know. It caused hours of delay. So?”

“Steve said it looked like something gnawed on the fuel line. I immediately thought of Danny, but then decided it was irrational. Now that I know he was at the show, it’s not so irrational anymore.”

Jen remains sil
ent on her end of the line for a few seconds. “Ok…it does seem too big of a coincidence.”

“Can you let the studio know?
I’ll call Dylan. I need you to keep on top of this for me. I haven’t asked for one Goddamn thing. I’m demanding security.”

“
Ok, Jack. I’ll call Louis now. I’ll also call the arena and speak to their security. Maybe they have tapes of the back lots where the buses were parked. We’ll touch base after your show.

Hanging up, it’s hard not to notice Jen’s newfound level of compassion.
She knows how pissed I was with her behavior and is trying to placate me. I have no problem using her guilt to my advantage. I’m not ashamed to admit that.

The cab let
s me out at the mall, just as my phone buzzes with a call from Jessa.

“I assume you got my text?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m calling you.”

“
Explain.”

“I got it from the condom we used that night.”

“What the
hell
are you talking about?”

Hearing a sigh over the phone, she waits a few seconds before she continues. “Jack, do you remember what I said to you that night?”

“Nope. I try to ignore you as much as possible.”

“Lovely. Well after you screwed me without a condom, I called you an asshole and said you better not have gotten me pregnant.”

“I vaguely remember that.”

“Do you vaguely remember telling m
e there was no way my evil, overused womb could procreate?”

Laughing, the me
mory comes back to me. “Oh, yeah. I remember that.”

“And you remember me throwing you out?”

“Yep. I had to call Hunt to pick me up.” Hunter was furious with me for fucking her that night. I had to listen to him cursing me out the entire way home and first thing the next morning while fighting a raging hangover.

“Well
, whether you believe it or not, I was devastated.”

“Cut the drama
, Jessa.”

“Jack, I
still love you. One of these days you’ll believe me and realize you love me too.”

“You’ve lost your mind. I don’t love you nor have I ever.”

“So you propose marriage to anyone you fuck?”

“Please. W
e were in high school. Everything I did back then was controlled by my dick.”

“And what exactly has changed?”

“Hilarious. A lot has changed. I figured out what love is.”

“You have? What you figured out is you’re obsessed with her. You were obsessed with me too, once. I’m determined to help you remember your feelings for me and bring them back to the surface.”

“You’re insane. You were an easy lay, and I took it.”

“This is exactly what I predicted the night you fucked me without a condom. You’re stubborn as hell and impossible to talk to.”

“What are you talking about?”

“
I saw a clear glimpse of what would happen if I did get pregnant. I predicted you would deny responsibility. So I fished the used condom out of my trash, threw it in a plastic bag, and froze it. My insurance policy.”

“You’re sick.”

“No, I’m practical and I love you.”

“Oh my God! Am I talking to a wall? I do not love you. Is this what you are trying to do? Trap me?”

“
Jack, do I look like the kind of woman who would have a kid to trap you? I hate kids. But since it has happened, I take it as a sign we are meant to be together.”

“You hate kids, but yet you fished a used condom out of the trash in hopes you got pregnant?”

“No. I fished it out just in case I got pregnant. After you fucked me against the wall and called me a barren whore, I had a nightmare that night. I woke up in a cold sweat.”

Is she for real? I have little to no patience for this song and danc
e. As I’m about to tell her so when she continues and catches my attention.

“I clearly saw my future, and your involvement in it. I knew you’d deny and run if I were to become pregnant.”

“You are a delusional bitch.”

“Now is that a way to talk to the mother of your child?”

“Let’s make no mistake about this, Jessa. If, and I mean
if
this baby is mine, I will fulfill my financial responsibilities, but that’s it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I do not love you. I do not like you. I do not want anything to do with you. I plan on spending the rest of my life with Leila. I’ll never look back.”

“Jackson, d
o you think Renata and Peter would allow their only son to turn his back on his child?”

A chill runs down my spine. “
This has nothing to do with them. Leave them out of this.”

“I intend to. I doubt
they
would stay out of this once they find out I’m pregnant with their first grandchild. What an exciting event in their lives. Or Lizzy? Turning away from her niece or nephew? What about that sweet little girlfriend of yours? I don’t think she would want to be with such a cold, callous man.”

The more
she speaks the more I feel sick to my stomach. “Enough. I don’t want to hear from you until you have the test results.” I spit out through clenched teeth before ending the call.

I
feel my blood pressure rising with every breath I take.

I wander aimlessly for a few minutes, trying to calm down. My thoughts go to Leila
. I need to let her know what we are dealing with, that no matter what happens, she will always have my heart.

As I walk
the mall, I get some stares from a clump of the guys hanging out by the food court. One of them is wearing a Devil’s Lair t-shirt. I nod while they all continue to stare. The dude with the t-shirt opens his mouth to say something, but then quickly dismisses that it could actually be me casually strolling through a mall in the middle of the afternoon.

On impulse,
I duck inside
Tiffany’s
. I really should get back to the bus, but instead I find myself searching the glass display cases. I haven’t a clue what it is I am looking for. It doesn’t take long for the sales vultures to circle.

“Can I help you?” A woman with way too much makeup and way too tight clothing smiles at me like we are the best of friends.

“No, thanks.” I spot a necklace in one of the cases and it stops me in my tracks. It’s a thin silver chain with a small heart dangling from it.

The saleswoman keeps
her distance, but barely. The minute she sees me looking up, she pounces. “That piece is exquisite. It’s filigree eighteen-carat, white gold, imported from Italy. It comes in…”

“I’ll take it.”

She tries to sell me a few other things, probably because she thought I was a sucker for not even asking how much the necklace cost. I’m a minute away from telling her off, when she finally wraps my choice.

Back a
t the arena, Dylan is talking to our driver, Tom, outside the bus. The guys are still not back from wherever they went off to this morning. I don’t think they are thrilled with the whole situation. I really should talk to them, especially Hunter.

As I approach the bus, Dylan notices me first.
“Hey, Jack.”

“I spoke to Jen.”

“She called me and filled me in.”

“How much pull do you have
?”

“
Normally, it would be hard to get a security guard for a tour of our size. Due to the whole fuel line thing, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks
, Dylan. I’d appreciate it. Tom, have you seen Leila?”

“
She hasn’t left the bus. She’s still in the back.”

Walking towards the closed door, I
quietly knock. “Lei?” When she doesn’t respond, I open the door to see her lying on her side sound asleep. Her right hand is clutching a tissue and her left is clutching my shirt.

I
move to sit next to her, softly stroking her back. “Hey,” she says, when she opens her eyes.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I must have nodded off. I called Lori, she exhausted me.”

“
And what did Lori say?”

“Well, she claims she knew about us. She s
aid we were too obvious. She is happy I am finally,” she raises her fingers to motion air quotes,  “
getting some.”

Laughing at her expression, I lean over to kiss
her gently. “Did you tell her you are more than
getting some?”
I mimic her motion.

“No way. T
hat’s none of her business. That kind of info would fuel her for years.” 

Chuckling at her admission, I ask,
“Did she bring up Matt?”

“No. S
o of course I did. She said she has no intention of starting something with him. But I don’t believe her. I think she’s turning the tables on him and she’s enjoying the chase.”

“Interesting. D
id you mention Trey?”

“Yes. She is trying to meet us in Chicago. I worry she’s stringing him along though.
If she has Matt on her mind, it’s not fair to deceive Trey. I said although I’m dying to see her, I wasn’t sure coming to Chicago was a good idea if she isn’t planning on a relationship with Trey. She said they are both honest with what their relationship is, and Trey’s a big boy. I think it’s wrong, but hell, what do I know?”

“She’s right. Trey is a big boy.”

“I guess…” She stretches lazily. She seems in a better mood. I hate to spoil it, but we really do need to talk about what happened earlier.

“Want to hear something cool?”

“Yeah.”

“I saw a guy wearing our t-shirt at the mall.”

“Really? That’s awesome. Wait, why were you at the mall?”

“Just killing time.
”

“Jack, you shouldn’t be going out alone.”

“I was fine.”

Motioning toward the bag in my hand, she says, “What’s that?”

“Oh. I picked this up for you.”

Pulling out the small box, she looks up at me
sadly. “I kick you off the bus and you buy me a present?” she asks and smiles warmly.

I decide to get it over with.
“Lei, I spoke to Jessa again.”

She
sits up and her smile fades immediately. “Why?”

“I asked her how she
got my DNA.”

“
Oh, and?”

“I rather not tell you th
is, but I want you to know I’ll hold nothing back from you.”

She
takes a deep breath and nods, “I want to know.”

I give Leila all the details of my fateful night with the bitch.
I do edit where she claims undying love and predicts how my parents will react. That part she doesn’t need to hear. When I’m done, Leila has the same sick look I had outside the mall.