Chapter 11
Friends – come in all sizes and packages
Aurora
I throw myself on the bed at the Inn on Main. I knew Jett wouldn’t handle becoming a father well but I didn’t expect him to claim the baby isn’t his and march off without another word.
What did I ever see in him? Why in the world did I harbor a crush on the man for ten years? He’s an asshole. The supreme asshole of the universe. I should get him a t-shirt with those words on it. But first I need to concentrate on mending my broken heart back together.
“Housekeeping!”
“Go away!” I shout and immediately regret my mean tone. I’m not a bitch. “No thank you.”
“Housekeeping!”
“No thank you!”
“Try the door.”
“Is it locked?”
“We can’t break into her room.”
“Ellery said we could.”
“Ellery didn’t say we can break in.”
“Open the door already. We can’t leave her alone.”
Ugh. I know who those voices belong to. Those women are not going anywhere. They’re as pushy as their partners. And the members of Cash & the Sinners put the word pushy on the map.
I roll off the bed with a groan and make my way to the door. I fling it open. Indigo, Virginia, Leia, and Mercy immediately force their way into my room. Except for Mercy, I’ve met all of the girlfriends of the band members of Cash & the Sinners.
“Hi! I’m Mercy. I’m Gibson’s girlfriend.”
I shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. It appears you’re fitting in well with the rest of these hooligans.”
She grimaces. “Sorry for barging in here, but I didn’t think you’d want to be alone.”
“Shouldn’t you be with Gibson celebrating his release from rehab?” I ask because I don’t want to admit she’s right. I’m always alone. Working as a PA for a band that doesn’t understand the concept of working hours doesn’t exactly give a girl much time to make friends or have a social life. And I have no family.
“He’s with the rest of the band dealing with Jett.”
I rub a hand over my stomach at the reminder of my baby’s father. It’s okay, Little Bean. We’ll be fine on our own.
“Oops. Should I have not mentioned his name? I’m sorry. I have a tendency to blurt things out when I shouldn’t.”
I wave away her concern. “You’re fine. It’s not as if I can avoid the asshole considering I’m the PA for his band.”
“And?” Indigo asks. “How long are you in town for? Are you planning to win Jett back? Are you going to stay the PA for the band after you have the baby? Curious minds want to know.”
Virginia snorts. “Curious? I think you mean nosy.”
“Give the woman some space to breathe,” Leia orders before addressing me. “I’m sorry. Indigo thinks she’s everyone’s best friend.”
“Not everyone’s,” Indigo corrects. “Just the fiancées and girlfriends of the band.”
“I am not Jett’s girlfriend.”
She waggles her eyebrows. “But you are having his baby.”
Leia shoves her. “Knock it off, Ms. Nosy. She isn’t going to give you details no matter how much you beg.”
Indigo opens her bag and digs out a container. “But I have Mac ‘n Cheese.”
My stomach rumbles. I haven’t had anything resembling a healthy meal for the past three days as I drove from San Diego to Winter Falls.
Leia snatches the container from Indigo and hands it to me. “Here. This is yours. This is not a bargaining chip. It’s yours.”
Indigo sticks out her bottom lip. “I was negotiating.”
I open the container and the smell of cheese wafts out. My stomach rumbles again.
“Here,” Virginia hands me a fork before guiding me toward a chair. “You need to eat.”
I glance at her belly which is bigger than mine. “What about you? You need to eat, too.”
She waves away my concern. “I already ate but I will sit in your armchair in front of the fire and rest my feet.”
“She’s going to fall asleep,” Indigo says in a whisper shout as Virginia makes herself comfortable in the armchair.
I settle at the desk to eat while Indigo, Mercy, and Leia sit on the bed across from me.
“Are you going to sit there and watch me eat?” I ask as I fork cheesy yumminess into my mouth. I moan when the taste hits me. This isn’t some store bought macaroni and cheese. This is homemade.
Indigo shrugs. “Maybe.”
“We’re here to let you know we’re on your side,” Virginia says with her eyes closed.
I freeze with my fork poised in front of my mouth. “My side?”
“We women need to stick together,” Mercy claims.
I can’t be hearing this correctly. These women aren’t here for me.
“But Jett is in the band. I’m just the PA.”
Leia snorts. “Oh please. You’re not Yoko Ono. No one’s worried about you breaking up the band.”
“I always did think Yoko got a bad rap,” Indigo mutters.
“But I’m the outsider. Shouldn’t you be defending Jett?”
No one’s been on my side in a long time. My hand trembles at the reminder of how I used to have people on my side. Of how I had the perfect life. Until it was stolen from me. I set my fork down and place my hands in my lap before they notice how affected I am.
“Jett has the band on his side,” Indigo says.
“I doubt they’re on his side with this,” Leia mutters.
“But you don’t know what happened. Maybe I trapped Jett. Maybe I catfished him. Maybe this baby is some elaborate scheme to catch a rockstar.”
“Exactly,” Virginia says. “You’ve been working eighty-hour weeks for ten years for the band. Answering to their every beck and call for a decade is all part of an elaborate scheme to catch a rockstar. Nifty plan.”
“We’re on your side,” Indigo repeats.
My side? Are they really on my side?
“No one’s been on my side in a long time,” I choke out before bursting into tears.
Indigo’s the first to approach me and wrap me in a hug. But she’s not the last. All four women gather around me and hold me tight.
I allow them to comfort me. I can’t deny I need it. I’m having the baby of a man who loathes me. I’m allowed to have a small pity party.
Indigo pats my back until my tears cease. “Welcome to the club.”
“What club?”
“We’re all members of the shitty mother’s club,” Mercy answers.
“I’m not a member of the shitty mother’s club.” I wipe the tears away from my eyes. “I had a wonderful mother and father.”
“Had?” Indigo asks.
“Ignore her,” Leia says. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
“But if you do.” Virginia squeezes my hand. “We’re here for you.”
“They’re nosy and pushy but I couldn’t ask for better friends,” Mercy says. “They’ve been my rocks for the past month while Gibson was in rehab.”
I scan their faces. None of them appear eager or nosy. They look concerned for me.
The concern has me crumbling. I’m not used to people being concerned for me. Mike doesn’t care if I work myself into an early grave. And the other women at the management firm would scratch my eyes out if they thought it would give them the chance to work with Cash & the Sinners.
I collapse in the chair. “My parents were the best. They were so in love and happy. I was an only child and they doted on me. They gave me everything I ever wanted and more. I was the luckiest girl alive. Until I wasn’t.”
My heart races as memories of the past flash through my mind. I inhale several steadying breaths before I can finish. “My parents died in a motorcycle crash when I was fifteen.”
“Oh no,” Mercy cries.
“There was a pile up on the highway. Some idiot was driving down the wrong side of the highway. They never had a chance.”
I force those memories away. Of not being able to say goodbye to my parents. Of knowing they died in horrific pain.
“What happened afterwards?” Indigo asks
Virginia slaps her. “Stop pushing her.”
“Sorry,” Indigo apologizes.
“It’s okay.” I dig my nails into my thighs as I remember the after. “I didn’t have any other relatives and ended up in a group home.”
The group home wasn’t the worst. I’ve heard horror stories about other homes. But all the other girls already had their friends and I was the newcomer. The newcomer who was drowning in grief and had no one to comfort her.
“I lasted for two years until I managed to escape. I got early admission into college and moved into a dorm.”
“The name of our club is hereby officially changed. It is now the shitty childhood club.” Indigo points to me. “And you are our newest member and my new bestie.”
“Has anyone ever told her she’s crazy pushy?” I ask the room.
Virginia moans. “All the time.” Her phone beeps and she glares at it. “Dylan is wondering where I am and how I am. I better get going before he sends the cavalry after me. He’s a bit overprotective.”
I ignore the pain those words cause. I would do anything to have the father of my baby be overprotective of me during my pregnancy. Considering Jett’s reaction to the baby, my wishes will remain unfulfilled.
I follow the women to the door. “Thanks for coming to check on me.”
“We got you, girl,” Indigo says.
Leia squeezes my shoulder. “I was a single mom. I know how terrifying it is. I’m here for you. Whatever you need, you call me. You understand?”
I nod.
“You’re not getting it yet, but you will,” she mutters as she leaves with the rest of the women.
I close the door behind them and lean against it. I’m not entirely certain what just happened but I think I gained some new friends and allies.
“What do you think, Little Bean? Are you up for having four crazy aunts?”