A Chance Encounter

He huffs. “Fine.” He shakes his head. “Space granted.”

He turns his back on me and walks out the door, and I fall to the ground, afraid I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life.

CHAPTER TWELVE

EASTON

“Easton! Wow!” Carmen, the hostess and a good friend of my sister’s, gushes. “You sure know how to put on a show.” She dramatically fans herself while I put my coat back on. I took it off to perform, but it’s cold as fuck outside.

“Thank you,” I tell her, smiling for the camera, since I know millions of people are tuning in to watch the New Year’s Eve show. No matter what’s going on in my personal life, I’ve been taught to put on a front for the public eye. Otherwise, they’ll eat you alive.

“So, while I have you, I have to ask the same question I’ve been asking everyone tonight…”

Her lips quirk into a flirty smile and I know what’s coming. It’s a question I’ve been asked in some way, shape, or form too many damn times to count over the years since I ended my engagement with Ashleigh. The media has been salivating for me to throw them a morsel. After my engagement ended, I dived into my music headfirst, focusing on my career and future. Sure, they’d catch me at an event with someone on my arm, but it was never anything worth mentioning. And I made sure to never give them anything they could use against me.

“Are you ringing in the new year with anyone special?”

Usually, when I’m asked this question, I laugh and say something funny. But right now, I don’t have it in me to make jokes. Because for the first time in years, I want the world to know that I’ve met the woman I want to spend my life with. I want them to know about how much I’ve fallen for her, how sweet and beautiful she is. I want to shout to the world that she’s carrying my baby. For them to know how wonderful of a mother she is to Kendall. And how, just like her mother, her daughter has stolen a piece of my heart.

But I can’t say anything to anyone. And the way Sophia was acting, I’m not sure if she’ll ever be okay with me talking about her.

“Easton,” Carmen prompts, snapping me from my thoughts. “Does your silence mean yes?”

Shit, I was spaced out and my guard dropped. I have to save this shit before people start speculating…

“Carmen, you know if the day ever comes when I find a woman worth mentioning, you’ll be the first to know.” I wink playfully, making her flush and giggle and, thankfully, move on to her next question.

As I robotically answer the rest of her questions, I can’t help the bitter taste in my mouth. I know my response was the right one because that’s what Sophia wants, but it still feels shitty, like she and our baby are some dirty little secret. When the truth is, they’re anything but.

Once the interview is over, I head out, not in the mood to party. Because it’s crazy in New York tonight, my sister hired a car service, and Joel, one of my bodyguards, escorts me to the car.

“Sir,” he says, opening the door for me.

“Thanks, man.” I bump his fist. “I’ll see you in the morning.” We’re leaving early as hell, since we have a show in Toronto the following night.

“Where to?” the driver asks once I’m in and the door is closed.

“My hotel, please.”

Once the car takes off, I pull my phone out and type out a text to Sophia. I haven’t contacted her since she asked for space, but I have something I need to say…

Me: I was interviewed tonight and I hated not being able to tell the world about you and Kendall and our little Rubik’s cube. I’m falling for you and I want everyone to know how much you mean to me. How excited I am to become a dad. I know my world is scary, but I’ll always protect you. I promise.

It shows she’s read my text and then the bubbles start. A few seconds later, her text comes through.

Dash: I saw the interview. I know you would…I just need some time to think.

Her lack of response has my heart sinking in my chest. She’s scared, for whatever reason, and is pushing me away, and in a few hours I’m going to be back on a tour bus traveling for the next month. Whatever wall she’s put up will only have time to rise higher and become more impenetrable. But I don’t know what to do, how to stop this from happening.

“It’s almost midnight,” a man says on the radio, catching my attention.

“When I was growing up, my parents used to tell me whoever you’re with at midnight is who you’ll be with all year,” a female says in response.