Chapter 31 Elijah
THIRTY-ONE
ELIJAH
She’s talking about me having kids—in general. Meaning potentially with another woman. Little does she know, in my head, she’s always been the future mother to my kids.
I can’t grasp the idea of having kids with another woman; that isn’t something I’ve ever wanted. Not to be dramatic, but it’s a scary thought. The only way I would ever bring half of me into this world is with her.
“I wouldn’t completely rule out the idea. You would be an amazing dad,” she says too gently, like she’s talking to a baby. “And just because you’re in the public eye doesn’t mean they have to be.”
“Until being seen with me makes their privacy nonexistent,” I grumble, flexing my hand in a fist before relaxing.
How dare she talk like there’s someone else out there for me when she exists?
A new song of ours plays through the giant speakers downstairs. Feminine screams make my bones cold.
“Look at me.” I swivel to face her.
Our knees touch as our bodies angle forward.
She gives me her full attention.
I wonder if she’d be good at taking orders in different scenarios. The bulge in my pants has a mind of its own and hardens.
No, no, no, not right now.
“Would you be able to tell me that the thought of kids being exploited would not bother you?”
Lily sucks in a breath. “I can’t say that—”
“Then there’s your answer,” I interrupt, voice strong and firm. “I could never hurt my kids the same way I’ve been mentally destroyed.”
“I respect that. I really do—” Lily grabs my hand, but before she can continue, a screeching voice butts in.
“Do you talk about kids with all your groupies, Elijah?”
Turning with an accusing glare, I find the same girl from our vinyl signing who wanted me to sign her boobs.
Lily’s face is not holding back any of her disgust. From the corner of my eye, I see her body go rigid. She’s closing back up too soon after being vulnerable.
“Don’t get shy now, Eli. I would sacrifice my flat tummy for you. Just say the word, and I’ll be the mother of your children.”
Dumbfounded, I look around for help, but it seems like everyone went dancing downstairs. “How did you get up here?”
“You know her?” Lily asks coldly. Resembling more of a wall now with her back straightened and arms crossed, she sends me a warning look.
How did the night shift so quickly into disastrous territory?
“Of course he does,” the groupie says the same time I say, “No, I have no idea who she is.”
Lily’s hard eyes bounce between the two of us like a ping-pong ball.
“How could you say you don’t know who I am?!”
Panic overtakes every cell in my body when she pushes Lily’s knees from mine and rushes to stand between us.
“You saw my boobs, and you’re telling me that means nothing?”
She lifts a bare leg, as if she’s going to straddle my lap, and my seat screeches as I push back and stand angrily.
“I’m going to need you to stand back.” There is no room for argument in my tone. “The only reason I saw your boobs was because you flashed me when you wanted them signed—which I did not do,” I say, intensely looking at Lily. Pleading with my eyes for her to believe me.
“Please just give me a chance. I made Axel come, like, five times in the last hour.”
When she grabs on to my neck with both hands, I don’t have any time to react before she’s yanked back by her blonde hair. She falls to the ground, and Lily stands over her body, huffing and puffing, looking ready to murder her.
“Who do you think you are, putting your hands on him?”
I stare at her in shock as the groupie rises to her knees and lets out a wail so ear-piercing that it makes my ears bleed.
“What the fuck, bitch?! I can feel my hair extensions falling out because of you!” she screeches, rising and coming at Lily at full speed.
Before she’s able to land one hand on her perfect body, I jump in front of her and take the hit.
My cheek burns, and I grit my teeth to hold back the roar of pain as her nails scrape my flesh, leaving behind marks. Lily gasps and forces me back a step.
“Look what you made me do!” the unnamed groupie screams, almost foaming at the mouth. “You made me hurt him!”
“Yeah, because I totally have control of what you do with your limbs,” Lily snarks back, standing protectively in front of my body.
Lily has grown into quite a little diva—a diva who isn’t scared of standing up to an obvious psycho fan of mine. Something she shouldn’t have to do. Even if the consequences will cause more hate to come her way, she doesn’t budge when the groupie looks like a cat ready to strike.
“You need to leave—right now,” I snap, holding Lily’s shoulder.
The crazy girl focuses on the protective hold I have on Lily. “The whole world will know what a bitch you are, Lily Papas. Mark my fucking words, you will be destroyed.”
Did she just …
No, she didn’t.
How could she know her name? Her identity that we’ve purposely kept hidden like a precious pearl?
Lily staggers back, in shock. Eyes wild, she looks like a scared animal, stuck in place.
“Surprised that I know who you are?”
Security bursts into the room, charging for her.
“I hope you can’t go anywhere without death threats. I hope they follow you everywhere you go—”
“Shut up!” one of the guards shouts, yanking her thin body over his shoulder. Her barely there dress rises from the position, causing her ass to be on full display.
“Oh my God, she knows my name.” Lily grips my shirt in a panic. Looking at me like I know all the answers in the world when, in truth, I’m more lost than her. “How does she know who I am, Elijah?”
A sob bursts from her mouth, and I know this is all my fault.
It’s all my fault.
My head spins, tilting like a boat on waves, as the world sways beneath me.
I try to grasp the scene in front of me, and the lump of panic I’m all too familiar with forms in my chest. I can’t tell who it is, but I’m pushed back into my seat.
The unknown is gone, and my siblings and friends rush back into the room.
I let the rough depths of the sea take ahold of me and fall into the dark that’s all too familiar.