Turn Over:A Secret Baby Sports Romance(30)

He was sure I could get enough votes for a full sweep of the awards if I made the rounds fast and furiously in the beginning.

It was a big popularity contest. I knew that.

Helena was with me on this trip. Jake was willing to let me out of sight  because I convinced him it was a good way to have a girls' trip with a  douse of charity. I promised to post our dinners and shopping trips on  my social media accounts along with a slew of pictures with the kids.         

     



 

He hesitated, but I think Helena was the one who wore him down in the  end. He was too happy with all my nominations not to give me some wiggle  room.



Don't go to the hospital.



I stared at Luke's response. That wasn't possible. I had to be there. This entire trip hinged on the hospital visit.



Why not?



I tapped my boot on the floor. My car would be here in fifteen minutes. It was too late to cancel.



Charlie knows.



My stomach sank. How? I sat on the edge of the bed. I thought we had  been careful. I thought we had made sure no one had seen us together.  There was no way. This was ridiculous. We needed to talk about this. Not  text.



Call me.



I waited for the phone. To hear the deep throaty voice that made me  shiver with excitement. Two weeks apart had been agony. The only thing  holding me together had been the promise of this trip and right now it  felt as if it were falling apart.

I didn't know if I could take that. I didn't know if I had the kind of  resolve I needed to power through another day without Luke.

A few minutes passed before my phone rang.

"Hey," I answered on the first ring. "What's going on?"

"You can't go to the hospital."

"I read the text. Why not?" I still wasn't willing to cancel the visit without some kind of emergency reason.

"Because Charlie wants me to use your trip as another chance for us to  be seen together. It's supposed to be another headline for me. And I  can't get out of it."

"What do you mean?"

Luke's PR manager didn't have the same hold over him as Jake had over  me. Of course he could say no. He had already ended things between us in  the press. He could keep up his end of the deal. We only had four more  weeks to go. Once we were on the red carpet at the CYAs this would all  be out in the open. I could go to his games without hiding. He could  watch me perform from backstage. We could spend the holidays together.  Go skiing. All those things normal couples did. It was four weeks away.

"If you don't go to the hospital then it's not a fucking problem, Alexa. Don't go and we don't have to worry about it."

I didn't like his tone. None of it. I narrowed my eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Cancel it and this goes away for now."

"Why should I have to cancel a charity event? You need to tell Charlie  you aren't going to ambush my appearance. We have an agreement." I  tossed that on the end, but I realized it was a mistake.

"Do you think I'm trying to out us? Because that's the opposite of what  I'm trying to do. Why are you being so stubborn? Don't go to the  hospital."

"You shouldn't go to the hospital."

He groaned into the phone. "If you go, I have to go. If you don't then there is no story. This is on you, Alexa."

"It is not. This is my job. Do you have any idea how many children are  waiting to see me? Can you imagine their expressions or how their hearts  are going to feel if they find out I canceled? And why would I? There's  no good reason for it."

"The reason is to protect your precious image."

"Precious? Are you mocking it?"

"Shit. Stop picking a fight with me. You don't know what I've dealt with today. You have no idea what I've tried to do for you."

"You're right. I don't. But I thought I came here to see my boyfriend  and do some charity work. Maybe I'll only do one of those."

He huffed. "You're serious? You're that mad?"

I didn't know what I was. Everything was crumbling and crashing around  me like shards of shattered glass at my feet. Why was Luke doing  this-making me choose between sick children and my relationship with  him. Why was he arguing? Why didn't he just take care of it?

"Maybe I am." But I wasn't. I wanted to see him. I had craved another  look into his eyes since he was in Nashville. I'd been waiting for his  lips. Desperate for his hands.

I didn't like being backed in a corner and neither did he.

"Fuck, Alexa. You aren't making this easy."

"Anything else?" I sassed. "Because I'm leaving for the hospital and it's not the kind of thing I can be late for."         

     



 

"No."

He hung up and I stared at a dark phone. What in the hell had I just  done? I fell back on the bed, letting my hair fan out around me. My eyes  floated to the ceiling. I was supposed to be at the hospital soon  singing and signing autographs. Those kids depended on me. Their parents  counted on me to give them joy. To bring them hope and kindness.

I wiped the first and last tear that rolled from the corner of my eye and sat forward.

Luke and I didn't fight. This felt like my heart had been bruised and  pummeled. I almost couldn't breathe. What if he walked away? What if I  wasn't worth fighting through the fight?

I walked to the bathroom to fix my makeup. Helena would be annoyed if  she saw I had ruined her artwork. I'd given her more leeway with Jake in  another state. My skirt was short too. I felt liberated finally wearing  what I wanted.

I needed to burn through the minutes I had before the driver arrived. I  wasn't ready to see anyone. I wasn't in any condition to cheer up  children. I had to get my shit together. The realization hit me like a  punch-I might be spending my nights alone from now on.





28





Luke





I hailed a taxi outside the team's hotel. I was mad enough to kick down a  door, but I wasn't going to do that in DC. I gave him the address for  the Deluxe and sat back as the driver turned every corner in this damn  city. Why in the fuck were all the streets one-way?

I paid the guy and took the elevator to the top floor. This alone was a  risk, but it was better than the one Alexa was willing to take.

I banged on the door.

"Helena, I'm not-"

Her crystal blue eyes locked on mine when she whipped the door open.

"What are you doing here?"

I barged past her. "We have to talk."

"I'm going to be late to my car." She picked up her guitar case.

I stood between her and the door. "I have to tell you something."

I never wanted this to come out. With everything that had happened  between Alexa and me it was the last thing I wanted her to know, but  fucking Charlie had forced my hand.

"Can we do this later?"

"No." I gripped the case from her and placed the guitar on the floor. I could tell it made her mad.

"Luke, let me out of here."

I'd never done this. Any of it. Never cared. Never bothered to try it. I  didn't have to. But Alexa brought something out in me I didn't know I  liked. And because of it I had jumped in a damn cab and raced to get to  her before she did something she'd regret.

"I am going to that hospital today."

"So am I," she countered.

"Listen. Charlie has something on me," I admitted.

"What is it?"

"The press. All the plans to clean up my image-involving you-it's because a girl accused me of getting her pregnant."

I saw the instant hurt in her eyes. The betrayal. The disbelief.

"Wh-what?"

"It's not true. None of it. I've never even met the girl, but it doesn't  matter. I'm going through image rehab with Charlie. And she knows about  us. She knows how I feel about you. Why I've been so damn adamant you  stay out of this."

"Wait, she?"

I shook my head. "Yeah, Charlie's a she. I didn't tell you that part?"

"You never mentioned that."

"Not the point right now. The point is she wants you to fix my problem.  She knows your schedule. She knows you're going to the hospital. If I  don't go she's going to tell management I'm not cooperating."

"This is too much. Another girl? Pregnant?"

"God, no. She's not. I've never met her." I ran my hands through my hair  in frustration. "The only girl I've had that happen with is you, Alexa.  I swear. You're the only one."

I wanted to take a step toward her, but her expression told me to hold off.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"What was there to tell? Some girl made up a story about me?"

"You could have told me the real reason for the PR problem from the  beginning. You could have mentioned Charlie was a woman. How much have  you been holding back from me, Luke? Is there more?"         

     



 

"That's it. It's out. You know all of it. The rest you can read online. My sins are public. And that is the truth."

She turned from me. I looked down at her boots. She wore those things everywhere.

"I don't know what to say right now."

"Fuck. Neither do I. Can't you reschedule? Go tomorrow during the game."