Chapter 5
The next morning,Chloe arrives at the diner early. The breakfast rush is still in swing, but it’s full of elderly couples and grandparents with their grandkids. Kids color on the placemats, and the smell of cheap coffee permeates the air.
It reminds Chloe of her first job and a wave of nostalgia hits her.
‘How many?’ a waitress asks as she enters. A quick scan of the diner tells her what she already expected—Luke isn’t here yet.
‘Two,’ Chloe answers, holding up two fingers. The woman leads her to one of the few empty booths, setting two sets of cutlery on the table. The room is loud and boisterous, and it’s kind of overwhelming.
Well, to be fair, she’s so nervous that anything would probably be overwhelming right now.
‘What can I start you with?’ the waitress—her name tag reads Sara—asks.
Chloe instinctively orders a coffee, pushing the mug that’s already on the table closer to the edge. Her leg bounces anxiously as she stares out the window, watching for Luke.
They hadn’t talked for long the night before. Luke just asked for her to meet him somewhere before they have to leave for the next tour stop. She almost hadn’t come, but he promised it would be just the two of them.
To be quite honest, that didn’t make her feel much better. She almost dragged Devin along, but she’d pointed out that Chloe needs to do some things on her own. As much as Chloe hates to admit it, she’s right.
She has a bad habit of relying on others too much. She’s going to be a mother, a single mother, at that, and she needs to learn to stand on her own two feet.
Sara fills both mugs with steaming coffee and leaves without a word to wait on other tables. Chloe checks her phone compulsively, if only for something to do. For something to get her mind off her nerves.
She answers a text from her mom, letting her know that she did speak to Luke yesterday. She pointedly does not mention how it went, though she knows Lisa will ask. She’s flipping through her emails when a voice jolts her from her thoughts.
‘Hey, sorry I’m late.’ Chloe jumps a little, looking up as Luke slides into the seat across from her. ‘It was hard to slip away without Regina noticing.’
Chloe arches a brow. ‘You had to sneak away from your manager? What is this, high school?’
Ha, as if she ever snuck out in high school!
Luke chuckles, though, so her joke landed fairly well. It eases some of her nerves. ‘I know, but if she knew I was meeting you, she would have insisted on coming, too.’
‘Good idea, then.’
Luke takes the coffee mug sitting in front of him, pulling it close. He grabs a sugar packet and rips it open, frowning at the mug in front of Chloe.
‘Should you be drinking coffee?’
Chloe blinks. ‘What?’
Luke nods towards the mug. ‘I thought pregnant women weren’t supposed to have caffeine.’
Chloe flushes and shoves the mug away from her. The coffee sloshes back on her hand and she hisses in pain.
‘Shit, are you okay?’ Luke asks. He leans forward, grabbing her hand in his and turning it over to examine the red spot. His dark curls fall into his eyes as he brushes her skin softly with his thumb.
Chloe gasps, but this time it’s not from the pain. Touching Luke feels like electricity coursing through her veins, even more so than it did the night she met him.
‘’M fine,’ she mumbles, pulling her hand back. She grabs a couple napkins and cleans up her mess. ‘I wasn’t even thinking when I ordered it. I really don’t know anything about being pregnant. Or babies, really.’
She curses herself inward. God, what business does she have raising a baby?
‘I guess you have nine months to learn, yeah?’
Chloe nods, surprised but grateful for the kind comment. ‘And I have people who will help. My mom’s not happy about the situation—’ that was an understatement ‘—but I know she’ll help. My friends have already sworn to be there for me. So, you know, you don’t need to worry. The baby will be well taken care of.’
If she has to study every day for the next nine months, she’ll do it. She’ll make sure this baby is loved and well cared for if it’s the last thing she does. The fierceness of this thought surprises her some. She’s never cared about anything like she already cares for this baby.
It’s kind of nice to feel so strongly about something. It feels like she’s just been floating along for a while, unsure of what she could possibly be passionate about. And now, she’s found something without even trying.
Luke grasps his mug with both hands, pressing his lips together. A small crease appears between his brows as he thinks.
Chloe really doesn’t know what else to say. Luke seems to not know either, so they sit in an awkward silence for a long moment. Chloe opens her mouth to say something, anything, when?—
‘You two lovebirds ready to order?’ Sara asks, popping up next to their table. She looks at them expectantly, her notepad and pen at the ready.
‘Oh no, we’re not—’ Chloe protests.
At the same time, Luke starts, ‘She’s not my?—’
Sara chuckles at them, waving her hand to cut them off. ‘Aw, first date? How cute. What do you guys want?’
Chloe and Luke’s eyes meet, and she can’t tell what he’s thinking.
‘I’ll just have some pancakes,’ Luke says after a moment. Sara scribbles on her pad, then turns to Chloe.
‘And you, sweetheart?’
Right then, Chloe can hardly think of a single piece of food, much less what she might be able to stomach. ‘Uh—eggs and bacon,’ she finally orders. Sara nods and promises to be back soon.
And then it’s just Luke and Chloe again. Chloe can hardly breathe, the tension is so thick.
‘So,’ Luke starts. ‘I’ve been thinking about this a lot since last night. We’re-we’re having a baby.’
He sounds like he’s in awe at the very idea. Like he still can’t believe this is real, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
‘I meant what I said yesterday,’ Chloe tells him. ‘I don’t expect anything from you. I don’t want your money and I don’t expect you to be a dad to my baby. If you want, you can go on as if you don’t have a kid. It’s okay. I just thought you should know, you know?’
The corners of Luke’s lips pull into a frown.
‘You can’t stop me from keeping the baby,’ Chloe adds hastily before he can speak. ‘I’ve made my choice and I’m keeping it.’
‘I wasn’t going to say that,’ Luke tells her quickly. ‘It’s just…I don’t want to act like I don’t have a kid. Like, sure, this isn’t an ideal situation, but I don’t want to be an absent father. I had one of those and they fucking suck.’
Chloe can hardly believe what she’s hearing. She has to be misunderstanding, right? Because it sounds like…
‘You want to be involved in the baby’s life?’ Chloe asks incredulously. Luke raises his eyebrows.
‘Is that so surprising?’
‘Uh, yeah!’ Chloe shakes her head. She reaches for her coffee before remembering that she shouldn’t drink it. ‘I never—I didn’t think you would want to be involved.’
‘It’s my kid,’ Luke says, as if it’s that simple. ‘I know I was freaking out over it yesterday, but of course I want to be involved. And I wouldn’t want to leave you on your own.’
‘I told you, I have people who will help?—’
‘But that’s not the same as having a partner to raise your kid with,’ Luke argues. Chloe presses her lips together, swallowing back the argument dancing on her tongue.
If Luke wants to be involved, she’s not going to try to stop him. He has every right to be a part of his kid’s life.
Partner. The word sticks in her brain like it’s covered in honey, sounding far sweeter than it really should. Chloe can’t quite place why, but now isn’t the time to think about it.
‘I—’ Chloe starts, then cuts herself off. She bites her lip.
It’s nice to know that Luke wants to be a part of his kid’s life. But it also throws a wrench in her plans, as tentative as they were. It makes things more complicated, surely.
She tells him as much, and he smirks a little. ‘I kinda like throwing you off your game,’ he tells her, eyes flickering up and down.
Chloe flushes, speechless at his blatant flirting. Thankfully, she’s saved from responding by Sara, who’s got their food balanced on a large tray. They thank her as she places the plates in front of them.
‘So, what made you decide you wanted to be involved?’ Chloe asks after a moment. Luke glances up at her. ‘I mean, it’s not like you’ve had much time to think about it.’
‘It was Quinn, actually,’ he answers, much to her surprise. He chuckles at the look on her face. ‘She’s really not so bad, I swear. More bark than bite, at least. And she’s got a good heart, underneath all the thorns. But after the concert, she kinda cornered me. She made some good points and honestly I couldn’t disagree.’
Chloe waits, but he doesn’t go on. She nudges his foot with her own.
‘Playing footsie already?’ he teases. Her cheeks warm again, and he snickers. ‘You blush so easily, you know? It’s adorable.’
‘You’re a huge flirt, you know?’ she retorts, mimicking him. His grin grows.
He has a really nice smile, Chloe can’t help but think.
‘Yeah, I know.’ He pauses, and then more seriously adds, ‘It’s easier—helps keep things from getting too serious. Keeps it light, right?’
There’s definitely more to it, but Chloe doesn’t pry. ‘What kind of points did Quinn have?’ she asks instead.
Luke shrugs, cutting into his pancakes and taking a bite. ‘Just…Like I said, my dad—even though he never left us, he kind of did emotionally, you know? Like he was there physically, but he wasn’t ever really there. And that really sucked. She pointed out that I wouldn’t be any better if I didn’t step up. That I’d hate myself forever if I missed this opportunity. She also pointed out that you could be good for me.’
‘Me?’ Chloe squeaks. He’s doing it again—flirting to keep from getting too real with her. But even though she knows that’s why he’s doing it, she can’t help but feel flustered.
‘Yeah, you,’ he says playfully, catching her foot in-between his own. ‘You’re pretty and not nearly as crazy as I thought—’ Chloe huffs at that and his smile gets even bigger ‘—and we know we’re already good at the fun stuff.’
Chloe rolls her eyes.
‘You hardly even know me,’ she points out. She pulls her foot back, tucking it under her seat.
‘I’m still having a baby with you,’ he counters. ‘We could give it a try, if you want. See where it goes.’
Chloe opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. It’s like she’s been kicked in the gut—the wind has been knocked out of her. Her brain’s moving so fast, she can hardly even think. He’s suggesting they…what, date?
‘Did I break you?’ he asks, a laugh in his voice. ‘I can practically see the gears whirring in your head.’
‘This is not the way I thought this conversation was going to go,’ she says baldly. Her fingers fidget, and she looks down to see a small pile of bacon bits that she’s ripped apart without even realizing. She drops the last few bits and wipes her hands on her napkin. ‘Why?’
This time, it seems she’s surprised him for a change. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You’re-you’re proposing we try dating,’ she says. It feels too ridiculous to even say out loud. ‘You’re one of the most famous people on Earth right now, you could have anyone you want. So, why me?’
Luke blinks. ‘I mean, we’re having a baby together and it’s not like we’re not attracted to each other. Shouldn’t we try being together? Try to give our baby a proper family?’
The tiny, tiny part of Chloe that was hoping he might actually want to be with her shrivels up inside. He doesn’t want her—he just wants the mother of his child.
‘I…I don’t know. I don’t think it would be a very good idea.’
Luke frowns. ‘Why not?’
‘You hardly know me,’ she repeats slowly. She pauses, trying to figure out how to word this properly. ‘And I don’t know you, not really. Yeah, we’re attracted to each other—can’t really deny that, considering…’ Considering everything really.
‘But?’
Chloe glances around, but no one’s paying them any attention. She seriously doubts anyone in this tiny diner knows who Luke is.
‘We don’t know if we would work together as a couple,’ she continues slowly. As she speaks, her mind speeds ahead. ‘And what if we don’t? What if we try dating, and then we end up in a messy breakup and we still have to co-parent together? It would just be awkward and our baby would be the one to suffer. It’s not fair.’
Luke shakes his head in disagreement. ‘If we just tried, we could make it work for the baby. Don’t you think they would rather their parents were together?’
‘I know what it’s like to grow up with your parents together and then to watch them split up,’ she says softly. She stares at her pile of mutilated bacon, refusing to meet his gaze. ‘It sucks and then you have to pick sides and your dad disappears. It feels like your whole world falls apart. I don’t want to make my child live through that too. And maybe there’s a chance we could make it work. But there’s much more of a chance that we couldn’t, and the baby would suffer for it.’
She wants to say more, but she swallows the words back. She doesn’t need to point out how utterly incompatible she and Luke are. Luke is a world-famous musician, successful in a field so very few ever make it in. And Chloe—she’s just lost in the world, not knowing who she is or what she wants to do with life. Even if they tried dating, it wouldn’t work. Chloe wouldn’t be enough for him, and she and her baby would be left all alone in the end.
Luke’s quiet as he absorbs her words. They’re coming at it from different sides, but they both want the best thing for their kid.
‘It would be so much easier if we were already dating before,’ Luke mutters. Chloe nods.
‘We can be friends,’ she says. ‘Friends who raise a child together.’
Friends are less likely to break up.
‘Friends,’ he echoes. He shrugs. ‘I guess I’m better at friends, anyway.’
Chloe nods definitively, and sticks her hand out. Luke looks at her incredulously and snorts.
‘So formal,’ he snickers, but he shakes her hand nonetheless. ‘Friends.’
‘Co-parenting friends,’ she corrects him. He rolls his eyes.
‘Whatever.’
They finish their food fairly quickly, the mood considerably lighter between them. Sara stops by again, dropping off their check and asking if they need anything else. Luke swoops up the check before Chloe can even try to reach for it.
‘I can pay,’ she says. He gives her a look.
‘I’m not going to make you pay,’ he tells her. Chloe wants to argue, but to be honest her bank account is running a bit dry after the costs for this road trip. She’s already thinking of all the extra shifts she’s going to need to pick up.
Hopefully, she’ll be able to find something with better pay soon.
Luke lays down enough cash to cover the bill and a generous tip. Chloe allows him to lead her out of the diner. The sun is bright, its light filtering through the trees and dancing on the sidewalk.
‘Where are you parked?’ Luke asks. Chloe points to the right, and they walk together to Devin’s car. It’s parked on the street (She’s very proud of her parallel parking skills),under a fruit-bearing peach tree.
‘So, where do we go from here?’ Luke asks as they stop in front of the car. Chloe leans against the passenger door.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Where do we go from here?’ he repeats. He sticks his hands in his pockets, carefully angling away from a group of young women walking towards them. Fortunately, they pass by without recognizing him. ‘When I say I wanna be involved, I mean it. Doctor’s appointments, preparing for the baby, everything. But the tour doesn’t end for another month and a half, and…’
‘And I’m gonna go back to Nashville,’ Chloe finishes for him. He nods. ‘We don’t even live in the same city when you’re not touring.’
How could they even make that work? Chloe can’t imagine leaving her hometown and moving all the way to LA to raise her baby would be impossible. She couldn’t do it without her mom or her friends nearby.
But Luke can’t exactly move to Nashville, either. His job, when he’s not on the road, is in LA. It’s not the kind of job where he can just relocate whenever he wants.
‘So, how would this even work?’ Chloe asks.
‘I don’t know,’ Luke admits. ‘But we can figure it out, can’t we?’
Chloe nods slowly, suddenly uncertain.
‘What if—’ Luke hesitates. ‘What if you came with me? For the rest of the tour, I mean?’
Chloe’s eyes widen, and he hurries to add, ‘We could get to know each other better and figure things out. You know, learn how to co-parent together and figure out how we’ll do everything. We can figure out how we’ll make this all work in the future. Plus, I could actually go to some of your doctor’s appointments with you.’
Chloe stares at him, stunned. He looks so earnest—he really wants this, she realizes. There was a part of her, in the diner, that thought he was only asking to be involved because he felt like he should. But there’s something in his eyes that tells her he’s genuine, and it warms her heart.
‘That sounds nice,’ Chloe says. Ruefully, she admits, ‘But I don’t think I could afford that. I can’t exactly go to work while on the road.’
‘I would take care of everything,’ Luke says in a matter of fact tone.
‘I’m not going to mooch off you,’ Chloe protests. She crosses her arms over her chest. ‘I said I don’t want your money and I meant it.’
Chloe wants to argue more, she really does not want to take money from Luke, but there’s a loud gasp behind them. Chloe turns around, and there’s a teenage girl gawking at them from across the street.
‘Well, that lasted longer than I expected,’ Luke mutters. He pastes a grin on his face and suddenly his professional persona appears in front of Chloe’s eyes. He seems less personal and more friendly as he waves at the girl.
She squeals and crosses the street to them.
‘Sorry,’ Luke says to Chloe, but she waves him off. If he’s going to be a part of her baby’s life, and thus, her life, then this is something she’s going to have to get used to.
‘I should get back anyway,’ Chloe says.
‘Think about what I said, okay?’ Luke says, catching himself as the fan approaches him. She slows, looking shy as she lets them finish talking. Chloe nods at Luke and gives the fan a small smile.
‘I’ll text you,’ she says and climbs inside the car. She drives away, the sight of Luke hugging the fan in her rearview mirror.
‘You have to go,’ Devin cries. She’s perched on the hotel bed, stretched out and comfortable. She pushes up from the cushy pillows. ‘CJ, come on! How is this not an easy decision?’
Chloe splutters, looking to Elena to back her up. Elena shrugs.
‘It does sound like the best option for right now,’ she says. ‘If you two are going to raise your baby together, you need to be on the same page.’
‘But-but I don’t—’ Chloe stammers, then falters. ‘I don’t know. It’s like…I had a plan, you know? We were gonna go home and I was gonna keep applying for better jobs, and things were going to be as normal as possible. But now?—’
‘Things are never going to be normal again. Not when someone like Luke Waters is involved in your life, in any capacity,’ Elena interjects gently. ‘You just have to roll with it, Chloe. And remember that you’re not alone.’
‘Yeah, you couldn’t get rid of us if you tried,’ Devin says with a laugh. She gasps, slapping her hands together. ‘Oh! What if we went with you?’
‘What?’ Chloe exclaims. She stops in her pacing to stare at Devin, but Devin seems sure of herself, excited, even.
‘It wouldn’t be so scary if we were there too, right?’ Devin continues. She crawls over to the edge of the bed, closer to Chloe. ‘Applebees literally does not care if I take time off, and I could totally find a bar to pick up shifts if we need any extra cash. It would be perfect.’
Chloe doesn’t know what to say, utterly speechless at Devin’s offer. Her gaze slides over to Elena. She’s sitting in the too-hard decorative chair in the corner, her laptop open. She was working on a paper for her graduate program when Chloe returned from breakfast.
Elena looks just as stunned as Chloe feels. Her fingers are poised over the keyboard, as if she had been in the middle of writing and froze. She’s chewing on her bottom lip, thinking. Slowly, she says, ‘I do have some PTO saved up. And my professors like me quite a bit. I bet I could get away with missing a few classes, so long as I keep up with my assignments.’
‘You don’t have to,’ Chloe says quickly. She looks at Devin, and repeats herself. ‘You really don’t have to. That’s a lot to ask of anyone. I-I can’t ask you guys to just drop everything like that for me.’
Her friends have already done, and promised to do, so much for her. It would be selfish to ask for more.
‘It’s not just for you,’ Devin says, poking Chloe in the arm. There’s a teasing glint in her eye, and her lips curl into a mischievous smile. ‘Who doesn’t want to go on tour with a band? With Reckless 3, no less? And…if I’m with you, I have a better chance of getting to Maverick Carter. He won’t know what hit him.’
Elena snorts loudly, an undignified but totally endearing noise that she only ever makes when she’s really laughing at something. Chloe snickers, too, but it’s more at Elena than Devin.
Devin huffs, pouting. ‘What’s so funny? Maverick Carter would be lucky to land a girl like me!’
‘That’s not…I’m not laughing at that,’ Elena says between laughs. She snorts again and it just makes Chloe laugh harder. ‘I swear, Dev. It’s just that of course you want to drop everything to try to hook up with a rockstar.’
‘What? Chloe already did it! I want a hot rockstar, too.’
‘That’s not—’ Chloe stammers. Her cheeks warm, thinking of Luke offering to date her. She hadn’t told either of her friends about that. She knew exactly how they would have responded, and honestly she didn’t know how she’d get through it without turning as red as a tomato. She knew she made the right choice, but still! Devin would think she was an idiot for passing on an opportunity like that. ‘Luke isn’t mine. We just slept together. Once. That’s all.’
‘And now you’re having a baby together,’ Elena says lightly, as if Chloe could ever forget. Chloe waves a hand in the air—she really can’t argue with that. Devin purses her lips.
‘Yeah, I could do without the baby part,’ she muses. She sighs. ‘Just a night or two in Maverick Carter’s bed. That’s the dream.’
‘I think you can dream higher than that,’ Elena retorts dryly. Devin grabs a pillow and throws it at her, missing her completely. Elena squawks indignantly, grabbing it from the floor and throwing it back. Her aim is much better than Devin’s, and she hits Devin head-on.
Devin yelps, falling backwards off the bed. Elena and Chloe gasp in unison, leaning forward as if they could catch her.
‘Oh my god, are you okay?’ Chloe asks. She can’t help the laugh that slips through her lips as Devin groans and pops back up on the other side of the bed.
‘Yeah,’ Devin grumbles, rubbing the back of her head. She shoots Elena a mock glare. ‘You have a hell of an arm, you know?’
‘Sorry,’ Elena apologizes, sounding as if she, too, is holding back her laughter. ‘And, I was a pitcher for two years in high school.’
‘Of course you were.’
Chloe helps Devin to her feet, fixing some of her flyaway hairs as she stands. Devin bats her hand away, and nudges her in the ribs.
‘So, are you gonna tell Luke you’re going to go on tour with him?’ she asks. Chloe drops her hand, pulling at the hem of her shirt.
‘You’ll come, too?’ she asks, feeling very much like a child asking her mom to hold her hand. Devin smiles and nods brightly.
‘Of course! They still have to go to New York and I’ve always wanted to go.’ Devin beams at the two of them, as if that settles everything.