Fade to Red

Roxie jumped. She was terrified and ready to bolt. “I told you why I hated you. And Leo looks like his dad.”

“I didn’t realize how much you really hated me. Now I know. I just … I can’t even believe this. I want to get to know him.” He took a jagged breath. “Fuck, Roxie. How could you keep this from me?”

“He is not yours,” she hissed.

He studied her face. “Look at me and show me the truth. Right now I only see lies. You’ve been lying to me all along. Why didn’t you tell me you had a son?” He laughed, but it sounded hollow. “We slept together. Don’t you think you should have told me that little fact about yourself?”

Pain zigzagged through her heart and she staggered back against the wall. “I’ve just tried to do a good job. And yes, I’ve gotten carried away with you. I’ve … lost my mind … about you. Again.” A sob escaped and she clamped her hand over her mouth, the tears pooling into her hand. “I’ve missed Leo so much, I cry every time I talk to him. I’ve never been away from him like this. He’s come to see me throughout the tour, and I figured you’d meet him when the time was right. I just needed to get through the tour. I didn’t expect…”

“I’d like to get a paternity test,” he said. As if she hadn’t spoken a word. “If you won’t willingly do it, I’ll get a court order to make it happen.”

She gulped and looked everywhere but at him. “I only came here to dance and to provide for Leo. It’s obviously not working. I need to leave-” She stopped when he grabbed her arm.

“You’re not making sense. We have more than worked, we’ve had something between us from the very begi

“You’re not listening. I am telling you the truth! I have raised him and loved him and he is just fine without someone who is a drunk, drug-addicted, woman-chasing dick of a father. He’s mine. Now, let go of my arm.”

“You conveniently left out the time frame of when we slept together. How long ago was that? And what happened? Did we not use a condom?”

Roxie swallowed but didn’t answer.

Anger washed over him like a red haze. He had tu

“You fuckin’ answer me, dammit. You don’t get to go silent on me anymore,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ve been drowning in those eyes from day one. I just didn’t realize they were going to be the death of me.”

The infatuation and lust unraveled around her, dropping instantly. The genuine affection she’d recently felt for him shriveled up. She’d thought they might actually be falling for each other, something real this time, but could see that was gone nearly as quickly as it came. They say there’s a fine line between love and hate, but since it wasn’t really love yet, it was so easy to dive right back into hate.

When Nate spoke, Beckham jumped back. For a moment, Roxie had forgotten anyone else was in the room.

“You can settle this easily, Roxie. Please don’t make it complicated. I’m sorry we bombarded you today—we didn’t even know you’d be with Beckham—but it looks like you have some explaining to do. Beckham deserves to know the truth. If this drags out in court, it will be a huge spectacle and cause an untold amount of grief for all of you. Reporters are already all over it. If we settle it quietly, it will become old news fast.”

Roxie looked at Beckham, not even trying to hide the terror in her eyes. She touched his arm and her hand was shaking.

“Please, believe me.” Her lips trembled. “He’s not yours.”

Beckham moved back until his legs hit the couch. He sat down and stared at Roxie, his eyes lifeless.

He looked at Nate and Anthony. “Can you find out how to get a paternity test done quickly? I want to be absolutely positive one way or the other.”

“It will be easy if you are both agreeable to it,” Nate said. “We can get someone to come test all of you—I don’t think it takes very long to get the results. Roxie, you won’t resist a DNA test, will you?”

She shook her head. “No. But it’s a waste of time.”

“Find someone who is reliable and can keep their mouth shut,” Beckham said, ignoring her.

Nate nodded and immediately started dialing his cell. “I’ll be right back.” He held his finger up and left the bus.

“I’ll just give you two a moment.” Anthony backed out of the bus.

She could feel Beckham’s eyes on her. She avoided looking at him.

“Why won’t you tell me when it happened?” he asked.

“I feel just as sucker-punched as you, Beckham. The three of you all staring me down with hungry eyes when we’re discussing my son. I can see now why you might wonder if he’s yours, but it never crossed my mind that you would since he isn’t. I met his father right after you and went out with him because, silly me, he looked a little bit like you.”

“I’m sick of your smart-ass mouth,” he muttered.

“Well, you’ve been all about it before now. Make up your damn mind.”

He glared at her.

“Let me know when you want to do the test and I’ll come back. In the meantime, I’m getting out of here.”

“Don’t even think about trying to get out of this, Roxie.”

She leaned over him and got in his face.

“You can quit with the threats right about now. I might be bitchy, but I’m not a liar. I told you what happened between us and I don’t owe you jack shit. And so help me, if my little boy is hurt in ANY way whatsoever because of this, you will pay.”

He waved his hand dismissively, looking like he might hit the wall again. “Go,” he hissed at her, “get out of here.”

Roxie went back to the hotel and straight to her room, immediately looking up ‘paternity tests’ online. She was terrified there would be some loophole that would give Beckham doubt and he would try to take Leo away from her. She hoped he wasn’t that vindictive, but she’d seen a side of him today she hadn’t seen before and it scared her. When she saw that tests were 99% effective, she fell back on the bed and tried not to hyperventilate.

Joh

“Hi, loves!” She put on a cheerful face.

“Get in, Mom!” Leo sang.

“I need to talk to Chloe for a minute and then I will,” she said.

“What’s going on? You have the death grin on your face right now,” Chloe said softly.

“You’re not going to believe what just happened. I’m going to have to say it in code.”

Chloe nodded and leaned in. “I have something to tell you too.”

“Oh. You go first.”

“A reporter came looking for you. Ian put her in her place and his bodyguard, Will, made sure she left. Will is hot.” She laughed. “Okay, your turn.”

“News is saying Woods is-” Roxie mouthed the rest. “Leo’s dad.”

“Where in the world did they get that?”

“I have no idea.”

“Well, what did you tell Bec-Woods?” Chloe looked at Leo, but he was on the other side of the pool, swimming toward them.

“That he’s not, of course!” Roxie said it through her teeth and smiled at Leo as he got closer.

“So he’s really not?” Chloe asked softly.

“Really not what?” Roxie’s forehead went into tiny creases.