“I don’t care what any of them say about me or you. I know the truth and that’s all that matters in the end.”
“You say that now, Fancy, but this industry is unforgiving and brutal. Until a new scandal comes along, Harvey is going to milk this for all its worth. Viola too.”
“But the baby isn’t yours. A DNA test can prove that.”
“She’ll fight it as long as she can, hoping to get me on the hook for child support, but I swear to you, Peyton, the truth will come out. That baby isn’t mine.” I nod and follow him to the other side of the house to the library where Harvey and his legal team are waiting for me.
Chapter 30
Nashville Gawker
Hold up printing those I love Peyson t-shirts. The drama has been strong today in Music City. Jameson Lewis and his camp have gone radio silent after Viola Cortella dropped a pregnancy bomb and cheating scandal in our laps. That’s right Gawkers. Viola claims to be nearly four months pregnant with the dirty rocker’s baby and says things were going great for them and they were on the road to reconciliation until they all moved into the house the production company for Nashville Star put them up in. But Jameson got back in the sheets with his high school sweetheart and broke her heart. This story is stranger than fiction. It’s like a real life soap opera, folks. My head is spinning.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any crazier, a local attorney has come forward stating he was engaged to Peyton Mathews and was set to marry her next month. But then Jameson Lewis rolls into town, and bam, the wedding is off and she’s on the show. No more wedding. Bye bye relationship. Dude is broken hearted and I am shook. I am trying to find out more, but we got ex’s and oh’s, folks. Watch this spot. You know I bring you juicy gossip and all the tea first.
All I can say is that bad boy knows how to make the ladies feel so good. I’d get in line for it. He can break my heart any day of the week. I’ll have his baby. How about you? What do you think? Did Jameson step out on Viola to rekindle his flame with Peyton? Did she break her fiancé’s heart to get back with her ex and a taste of fame?
I for one am here for some Peyson. I think they belong together, and I am rooting for this couple to come out on top. We all know there’s no love like your first. I mean look at this picture of the two of them this morning. They are too hot for my blog.
Chapter 31
Jameson
I’ve been on the phone with my people all night and day. There is nothing they can do to get me off this show. Harvey let Peyton go and is making me stick it out because in his words, you can’t buy this type of publicity. True to his word she is being flown to LA in the morning via a company jet to start recording her record. We’ve really got to pay better attention to our contracts. I was ready to let heads roll today, but then my manager reminded me that I took this gig without letting him look over the terms first. The only good thing about this all is Peyton believes me about Viola and the baby not being mine. It all just fucking sucks though. I just got her back only to lose her again. It’s bullshit. Now that I’m back in Nashville, she’s flying to LA, like I did five years ago. I guess karma is having some fun with me.
It doesn’t matter though. We’ll make it work. I have about three weeks of filming left. I can tough it out. I already called Austin to keep an eye on Peyton once she lands. The record company wants to put her up in an apartment, but I gave her the keys to my house. I know the games they will try to play with her. The parties. The networking to bring her persona to life. Whatever they decide that will be. They better not try that bullshit not wanting her to have a public relationship either. Peyton’s my girl. The whole world already knows it anyway. Our past is already on display on every gossip website.
Since Peyton is no longer a contestant on the show, she isn’t staying at the house tonight. Her bags are packed and there is a car waiting to drive her wherever she desires for the night. She’s already told me that her first stop is to confront Barb and find out what really happened that night at the hospital. There’s no way she’s confronting that bitch without me.
I knock at her door. “You ready?”
“All set.” Her bags have already been taken down.
“It’s going to be weird not having you here with me come tomorrow. I wish things were different. I thought we’d be getting on that plane together,” I tell her, taking her hand in mine. When we get to the bottom of the stairs the other contestants are standing around and watching the scene. They all see Peyton and me as villains thanks to Viola and her pathetic woe is me fantasy. When the truth comes out, they will all feel like jerks.
Peyton doesn’t bother with goodbye, we walk straight to the door and get into the car. These next three weeks are going to be torture. On the drive to her father’s condo in the city, she is oddly quiet. I turn her hand over in mine tracing the lines on her palm, wishing I had time to propose before she goes, wanting nothing more than to put my ring on her finger. I know she’d say it’s too soon, but in the end, I think she’d say yes. “You okay?”
“I just wonder if my father had any idea about any of this. The last time I sat down to lunch with them Barb was horrible to me. She was threatening me and telling me how I needed to marry Wes. I don’t understand what my father ever saw in her. It’s like she has something on him, ya know?”
“We’re about to find out.” I offer her a faint smile. I don’t know how this confrontation will go, but my guess is that nothing good will come out of it. I don’t blame Peyton for wanting answers. I’d like to know what really happened with our baby, so we can both have closure. The car stops in front of the massive building. Peyton’s father has always been highly successful, but the man must have won some high profile cases to afford this luxury.
The Doorman recognizes Peyton and shows us in. “Is your father expecting you?”
“No, but I am sure he will happily receive us,” she says.
“Of course.” We step into the elevator with him and ride up to the twelfth floor. Barb answers
the door and her face pales when she sees me with Peyton. “We were just about to have dinner. I will set two more places at the table.”
“That won’t be necessary. This won’t take long,” Peyton sneers at her and shoves past her.
Preston Mathews looks up from sipping his whisky in the living room with surprise. “Sweetheart. I thought you were off filming. Jameson, nice to see you, son.”
“Mr. Mathews,” I greet him with a chin lift.
“What brings the two of you by so late?”
“Why don’t you ask your darling wife. I’m sure she can tell you, Dad.”