She puts her hands on her hips. “I’ll take that as a yes. Wow, rarely do things surprise me, but Liam Campbell having a girlfriend is definitely one of them.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Ronni looks to the others. “Does he?”
They shrug.
“People, keep your personal shit out of the limelight.” She points to the packet. “Read the rules. Follow them, and we won’t have a problem. You’re awfully quiet, Brad. You good with all this?”
He clears his throat. “There’s something you should know.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, what is it now?”
“Katie’s pregnant.”
Ronni sits down and her head falls back. “Will you people ever learn?”
It all makes sense now, why Brad has been distant. Why he seemed pissed the other day.
“How far along is she?” Bria asks.
“Three months.”
“Good,” Ronni says. “Not so far along you can’t do something about it.”
Anger flares in Brad’s eyes. “I know you’re not suggesting we get rid of the baby.”
“It happens all the time. Some women practically use abortions as birth control.”
“You really are a bitch, Ronni,” I say. “I swear to God if I had a million bucks, I’d write you a check right fucking now.”
“We’re keeping it,” Brad snarls through gritted teeth.
“We?” she asks.
“Yes. We. We’re getting married.”
“Then congratulations are in order,” Jeremy says.
Ronni slaps the table. “Just fucking perfect.” She gets up and stares out the window for a minute. “Okay, fine. Here’s what we’re going to do. Brad will be the family man. Every band has one. The clean-cut, untouchable bassist. The rest of you will play the part of being desirable rock stars. Got it?”
I get up. “If you’re done being a dictator, we have to get to practice.”
“I expect you to put in a full day. You had your week off. It’s time to get back to work.”
“Give it a rest, Ronni,” Jeremy says. “They know what they have to do.”
She strides over to him and jabs a finger in his chest. “Don’t forget, everyone is replaceable. Especially you.”
He holds up his hands in surrender, and she leaves.
We swarm Brad. “A baby, wow,” Crew says.
“I’m still wrapping my head around it. She told me last week when I got home.”
“Congratulations,” Bria says. “I know you didn’t plan it, but it will be fantastic all the same.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.”
“Did you and Katie talk about having kids?”
“All the time. She really wants to be a mom, but I thought that was far off in the future.”
“Trap me?” he says, angrily. “We’re engaged. She doesn’t have to trap me. It was an accident.”
“She hates RA,” I say. “Could be she’s trying to get you to quit.”
He gets in my face. “It was an accident.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” he says. “When you find the person you’re meant to be with, you’ll do anything for them.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Nothing. Let’s go rehearse.”
We practice for seven hours, but I’m not sure any of us are into it. Brad’s concerned about the position he’s in. Crew and Bria are worried about the ridiculous restrictions Ronni wants to put on them. Garrett—well, I don’t know what the hell Garrett is thinking about. Maybe the girl from last night.
Me—I’m thinking about the one person I know I’d do anything for.
Chapter Forty-two
Ella
I pick up my chirping phone. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. How are you?”
“Good.”
“Are your illustrations coming along well?”
“They are. Even faster than I thought they would.”
“And the boy? What was his name again? How’s he?”
“It’s Liam, Mom. I’ve told you a dozen times.”
“Right. How are things going there?”
“Good, I think. I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“Things were never complicated with Corey.”
“Right up until he cheated on me.”
“Hasn’t he apologized? He still calls us, you know. We even had lunch with him the other day.”
“I wish you wouldn’t see him. He’s not a part of my life anymore.”
“He said he wants to marry you.”
“He cheated on me.”
There’s a long moment of silence. “Things like that can be overcome. It doesn’t have to mean the end of a relationship.”
“Did Dad cheat on you?”
“No.”
“Then how can you sa—”
“I’m the one who cheated, Ella.”
I sit on my bed, floored. Everything I thought about my parents is a lie. They aren’t the perfect couple with the perfect marriage.
“Say something,” she says.
“I … I can’t. I’m shocked. When? How?”
“It was a long time ago. I never truly got over losing your sister. I was delighted to have