Chapter 12
Blabbermouth – when someone runs his mouth without thinking
Jett
I hum as I exit the stage. The fans are screaming for more even though we already played one encore. Yes! I twirl my sticks in the air. I’m ready to play as long as needed. Playing music is the one surefire way to get my mind off of Aurora.
Aurora.
I haven’t spoken to her since she dropped the baby bomb on me. Despite her being around and arranging everything for this concert. It helps that she’s avoiding me as much as I’m avoiding her. Every time she walks into a room where I am, she snarls before whirling around and leaving.
“Who’s ready for a second encore?” I shout.
Cash grimaces. “My throat can’t handle anymore.”
“Fender can sing the song he wrote for Leia. The fans will love it.”
Gibson studies me. “Wow. He’s not gagging at the thought of a love song. Our little boy is growing up.”
“Don’t make me shove these sticks up your ass.”
He chuckles. “There’s the Jett we all know and love.”
Dylan steps in between us before I can hit Gibson. The peacemaker strikes again. “We agreed on one encore.”
I drum my sticks against the wall. “But I’m ready for more.”
“Excellent,” Mike says as he walks into the room. Aurora follows him inside. She glances my way and scowls before looking away.
I frown at what she’s wearing. She has on a baggy shirt to hide her pregnant belly. Why the fuck is she hiding my baby? Is she embarrassed to be carrying my child?
I squeeze the back of my neck. What the hell am I thinking? I’m not claiming the child. It’s her child and her problem. I’m not getting involved.
Fender’s question echoes in my mind. “You’d be happy for there to be a child of yours running around the world who you have nothing to do with?”
I’m not any closer to an answer to his question than I was when he asked it a week ago.
“The venue wants to add two more concerts,” Mike announces.
Cash scowls. “We’re not performing two more concerts.”
“This was supposed to be a one off,” Gibson says. “Besides, we’re doing the weeklong tour in two weeks.”
“And I need to get home to Virginia,” Dylan adds.
Mike purses his lips. “The lot of you have become difficult since you’ve found love.”
“Become?” Aurora snorts.
Mike ignores her. He always ignores her. I frown. He shouldn’t be an asshole to her. She works hard for the band to make sure we have everything we need while on tour. And while not on tour as well.
A roadie rushes through the door. “Here are those extra posters you wanted,” he says and drops a box into Aurora’s arms.
Dylan rushes forward and snatches the box from her. “You shouldn’t be carrying heavy boxes in your condition.”
“What condition?” Mike glares at Aurora. “Are you sick?”
Aurora clears her throat. “I wouldn’t use the word sick.”
“Out with it. You know I hate women who play games with me.”
She glares at him. She doesn’t take shit from her boss any more than she takes shit from us. It’s probably why she’s lasted in her job as long as she has.
“I’m not playing games, asshole. I’m pregnant.”
“You’re fucking pregnant and didn’t tell me!”
“It’s not your baby. Why would I tell you?”
“Because I’m your boss. I need to know if you can’t do your job.”
She taps her clipboard with her pen. “Am I not doing my job now? Did I not set this concert up in record time?”
She did. We cancelled all concerts for the foreseeable future when Gibson went into rehab since we didn’t want to pressure him to hurry up and get sober already. But since he’s out of rehab and doing well, the band’s back to promoting our latest album with concerts.
Mike leans close and gets in her face. Aurora doesn’t budge. She glares at him with such venom on her face, I’m surprised our manager doesn’t crumple to the floor in agony.
“And will you be able to do your job when you’re as big as a house? Will you be able to chase after roadies when your feet are swollen?”
“I’ll let HR know you think I’m as big as a house.”
“Fuck HR. I’m the boss here.”
Aurora rolls her eyes. “Yes, you made things abundantly clear when you used Gibson’s stint in rehab to gain publicity for the band despite anything I had to say.”
Gibson growls next to me. I clutch his arm to stop him. Aurora needs to handle this situation for herself or Mike will never respect her.
“Who’s the father?”
“None of your damn business.”
“It’s one of the band members, isn’t it?”
Aurora flinches. It’s miniscule but Mike doesn’t miss it. The asshole doesn’t miss a thing.
“Which one?”
“What part of none of your damn business don’t you understand? Is it the word business?”
Fuck. I can’t let Aurora get a verbal smackdown from Mike because of me. I step forward.
“It’s mine.”
Mike’s eyes widen to a comical size. “You’re having a baby? You? Mister Never Wants Children and Will Never Settle Down?”
“Yep.”
“Are you in love with each other?” He nearly gags on the word love.
I get it. The idea of love makes me feel nauseous as well.
“It was an accident.”
Aurora flinches at my words. I rub a hand down my face. I can’t keep calling the baby an accident. I don’t want it growing up thinking it was a mistake.
I step toward her. I need to make this right. I need to apologize. But she sends me a glare and I halt.
“We’re not in love. We’re not involved. It’s business as usual,” Aurora declares.
I swallow my growl at her words. It is not business as usual. How can she act as if her carrying my baby means nothing to her? As if I mean nothing to her?
“Nonetheless you fucked one of my clients. It’s ground for immediate dismissal,” Mike says.
“You’re not firing Aurora,” Cash declares.
Mike scowls at him. “She doesn’t work directly for you. I can fire her if I want to.”
“Fire her and our relationship is over. You’ll no longer be the manager of Cash & the Sinners, ” Dylan declares.
Fender grunts in agreement.
“No. No. No. No.” Aurora holds up her hands. “I’m not letting Little Bean cause this uproar.”
Little Bean? She has a name for our baby?
Cash places a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not causing the problem. Mike is.”
“Mike’s an asshole,” Gibson mutters.
Mike slaps a hand on his chest. “I’m the asshole who got you a record deal. I’m the asshole who helped you get to the top of the charts. I’m the asshole who’s made you millionaires.”
“And Aurora’s the woman who’s done all the work while you took all the credit,” Dylan says.
Aurora’s eyes widen. “I didn’t do all the work.”
Mike studies our faces. He’s not a stupid man. He’s not letting his cash cow go. I can practically see him calculating whether Aurora is worth arguing over.
She’s worth everything. Too bad I can’t tell her she is.
“Am I understanding this situation correctly? You’ll fire me if I fire Aurora?”
We nod in response.
“Fine. You can keep your little assistant. But tell me this.” Mike glances between Aurora and me. “Is this why Aurora moved to Winter Falls? Because she can’t stand to be away from Jett?”
I freeze. Aurora moved to Winter Falls? I thought she was merely visiting. I thought she came to tell me about the baby and would leave.
“She’s never needed to be near the band before,” he presses when no one answers him.
“I didn’t move to Winter Falls,” Aurora says.
“Good.” Mike’s grin is evil. “Then, I will no longer be paying for the fancy hotel you’re staying in. If there’s nothing else.” He flounces out of the room before anyone has a chance to respond to him.
As soon as the door’s closed behind him, Dylan approaches Aurora. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he didn’t know you’re pregnant.”
She waves away his apology. “It’s fine. He was bound to find out when I showed up to work with a baby strapped to my back.”
I frown. She’s not working with my baby strapped to her back.
“Will you go back to San Diego now?” Cash asks.
I hate the idea of Aurora being several states away from me but it’s probably for the better. I’m no good for her anyway.
She shrugs. “I guess.”
Her eyes glaze over as she listens to someone over her headphones. “Be there in a minute,” she responds to him.
“I don’t have time for this now,” she says as she rushes off.
“What are you going to do?” Dylan asks when she’s gone.
“What do you mean?” I ask although I know exactly what he means.
“It’s time to step up or step out,” Fender grumbles.
“Are you going to let Aurora live in San Diego when she’s pregnant with your baby?” Cash asks.
“It’s better this way. I’m no good for her.”
“Abandoning your child is better for her?” Fender growls.
Pain pierces through my heart at the idea of my child growing up thinking it’s been abandoned. I know the feeling. It never leaves you. It haunts you.
Gibson squeezes my shoulder to the point of pain. “You need to get over your shit and latch onto your chance at happiness. Don’t let her get away from you.”
“Did going to rehab turn you into a love guru?” I ask since I’m not discussing how I can never reach for happiness with Aurora.
“Nope. Falling in love with Mercy did.”
His smile is full of happiness. I’ve known Gibson for over a decade. He always seemed happy. But now that he’s really, truly happy, I realize he was never happy before. He was hiding a boatload of pain under those smiles. Not any longer. He drank the Kool-Aid and found happiness.
Good for him. But his situation is completely different. He had a loving mother and father growing up. I didn’t. I had no one. I wouldn’t know where to begin with treating Aurora right.
And Aurora deserves someone who can shower her with his love. Someone who can be sweet and gentle with her. I am not that man.