AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was startled awake by the sound of someone pounding on the door of Leo’s RV. And they wouldn’t stop. As I tried to push the remainder of sleep out of my brain, I began to remember what happened last night. I didn’t remember falling asleep, but Leo was currently splayed across my chest, his lean frame blanketing mine. I tried to ignore the knocking, but it was close to impossible. It was incessant. And kind of pissing me off.
“What is that noise?” Leo grumbled. He rolled off me and onto his back on the bed. “Shit, is someone at the door?”
He sprang from the bed. The knocking hadn’t stopped, and I swear it had gotten louder. He grabbed a pair of pajama pants from his suitcase, slid them on, and rushed out of the room.
“Where is my son?” Dad bellowed. “Leo, boo, this is serious. I need to... Andy.” His green eyes went wide when he saw me. “Kiddo, I think you need to sit down.” He looked exhausted and like maybe he had slept in the clothes he was wearing, judging by the wrinkles.
Leo was immediately by my side, linking our fingers together. “What’s going on?” He glanced up at me before he squeezed my hand gently.
“Like I said, it’s probably best if you sit down.” Dad gestured toward the couch.
Ezra was the next one who arrived at the RV. “I got here as quickly as I could.”
His hair was a mess, his face free of makeup, and I had to admit, it looked a little strange. He was usually so put together. This had to be the first time I had seen him without makeup. He flashed a brief smile just as Noel, Seth, Carson, RJ, and the twinsappeared behind him. This seemed serious. Had someone died? Was Pop okay?
“Come in, come in. Everyone, get comfortable.” Dad ushered them inside, and the RV suddenly felt too small. Especially when Lucas showed up with Parker. His enormous frame seemed to take up the entire doorway and suck all the air from the room
Leo climbed up into my lap. “Someone needs to start talking. Why is everyone crammed inside my RV like a bunch of sardines?”
“Where’s Pop?” Unease began to swim in my belly at the thought.
Dad took a shaky breath. “Your father wanted to be here, but the team is in Vegas right now. I...I wanted us both to talk to you and be there for you.” He slipped his phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and held it toward me.
My stomach dropped as my eyes took in the picture. It was me, maybe around eight or nine years old. Covered in dirt, sitting on the floor of our rat-and-bug-infested apartment. I hadn’t eaten in days; I was so emaciated that I looked years younger than I was, and there were tear streaks on my face. Mom had been missing for weeks. I’d had nothing to eat but ketchup packets and some moldy bread I’d found in the cabinet. I remembered screaming, crying, and begging her not to leave again. But she would. Over and over until she had finally decided to leave me behind for good.
If my mother claimed to love me, why would she do this to me?
“Baby, she can’t get away with this.” Dad moved to sit down next to me. “I promise you; we’re going to do everything we can to make her stop. We’re working on getting this bullshit taken down.”
I glanced up to see Watts and Holt come into the room. This was my fault. I was bringing all this attention to myself whilehurting everyone else. I was better off not being around Leo anymore. Then he could continue his racing career in peace, and people wouldn’t judge him for being with me. The loser kid who had no business pretending to be a rockstar.
“Hey,” Leo whispered. “Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop.” He touched my cheeks with the palms of his hands. “You’re loved, hon. We all love you so much and need you here. Your parents, your brothers, your friends, and most of all, me.”
I tried to blink the tears from my eyes. “Why would she do this to me?”
“I don’t know, but you can’t let her win.” Leo pressed his forehead against mine. “Do you hear me? Don’t let her win. We’re going to fight this with everything we’ve got.”
Dad squeezed my arm. “He’s right, kiddo. You are so loved. You’re my perfect baby boy, and I don’t want you to think anything less. You made a few mistakes because you’re human. You were young, exploring the world, and trying new things. I did a lot worse when I was your age.”
“I—” My phone buzzed in my pocket. One guess who that was. When I pulled it out of my sweats, I saw it was my manager, Vince. “Excuse me.” I moved Leo into the spot I had just vacated and went into the bedroom to take the call. I was honestly surprised it took him this long to call me. “Hello.”
“Who the fuck is this woman, Andy?” Vince barked into my ear. “She claims to be your mother, but I know that you have two fathers. The lawyers are working on getting this taken down, but you know that the internet is forever. People will screen grab it only so they can post it again. The media is already having a field day with this.”
I dragged a hand through my hair. Christ, I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet. “She’s my birth mother.”
“Wait, what?” Vince sounded like he was in an echo chamber. My guess was the bathroom of his house. He had the biggest,most extravagant home I had ever seen. Especially since he lived alone.
I sat down on the bed. “She dumped me when she got bored with me, but she is my birth mother. She wasn’t good to me. She...” I took a shaky breath. “She did some horrible things to me. Sold me for drugs, left me alone for weeks. I don’t even know how I survived on my own.” No one had ever come to check on me when I screamed.
“Have you ever told anyone any of this before? You dads, the police, maybe a therapist?” Even Vince thought I should talk to someone about my fucked-up life.
I coughed nervously. “I’m working on it. Look, I know it’s going to show up again, but can we at least get her account taken down? Threaten to sue her?”
“Not threaten. We’regoingto sue. Doesn’t matter who or what she thinks she is to you or what she’s trying to prove. That’s what you pay your lawyers for. Might as well use them and make good use of the money you’ve spent. You’ll need to make a statement to the press. Just something posted on your social medial accounts will be fine. I’ll have PR write something up for you,” Vince said.
I grunted into the phone, unsure of what to say. I glanced up as the door opened, and Leo stepped into the room. He didn’t say anything, just sat down next to me. I reached for his hand and squeezed lightly. Leo gave me a small smile and leaned his head against my shoulder. His presence instantly relaxed me, calmed the anxiety that was threatening to bubble up out of control inside me.
“Where are you, anyway? Are you with your parents? Have you given any more thought to getting your own place? I just wanted to warn you that the press might be waiting for you.” Vince said.
