Page 65 of Everything After

“Does Lenny, Shawn or Digs send you text messages like that?”

I frowned. “What? No,” I admitted.

“Exactly. The guy’s a stalker.”

“No, he isn’t,” I protested. “It’s just his… way,” I suggested.

“Alright, then you won’t mind if I tag along to the studio today.”

“To the studio?” I asked, immediately envisioning a showdown.

“Yeah. I’ve nothing better to do. I’ve arranged to check in with Delilah much later today. It’ll be nice… we could have lunch together.”

In the past, Alfie had only attended the studio a handful of times to see us recording. He knew how self-conscious I became when he watched me recording. And apart from that, there was the potential of Alfie clashing with Cody.

“I suppose so,” I agreed hesitantly despite my misgivings, knowing any refusal by me would heighten his suspicions that I was intentionally keeping him and Cody apart.

“Unless there’s another reason you might not want me there?” he proposed, obviously picking up on my hesitation.

“No reason, I’m just surprised is all… and self-conscious about you watching me work,” I muttered, recovering my composure.

“Then it’s settled. I’m coming. What time do you need to be there?”

“In about an hour,” I replied, noting the time on the nightstand alarm clock when I peered over his head.

“Good, there’s time for a quickie with this absolute siren here in my bed, then a shower,” Alfie suggested, flashing me his sexy smile. Before I could reply, he’d turned onto his side, wrapped me in his arms and began to rub his morning wood against my stomach. How could a girl say no to that?

Our ‘quickie’ lasted forty-five minutes. Eight minutes after that, I’d showered, and finished dressing in the car, tying my still wet hair into a bun since he’d left me no time to dry it.

“This is nice, right?” he asked, sliding his warm hand in mine as he drove. Lifting my hand to his mouth he pressed small kisses to each of my knuckles.

“It is,” I said as I tried to muster the enthusiasm and convince myself that Alfie would play nice with my bandmates.

“Promise me you won’t say anything about the past few weeks or start an argument with Cody. We’re supposed to be getting creative today.”

“Depends if he pisses me off or not,” he replied flatly as he turned on the blinker and took a hard right into the studio car lot.

“Alfie,” I warned, silencing him with a glare.

He turned off the engine, turned and held my face in his hands, his favorite way of holding my attention. A slow, lopsided smile made his eyes shine with love. “I’m here for you, baby. I don’t plan on getting into it with anyone.”

“Good,” I said, leaning in to press a kiss to his plump lips. “Come on, let’s get in there and see what magic the band can perform.”

We were two steps away from the studio door when I grabbed his arm. “Please don’t say anything to the rest of the band about the baby until I’m around the twelve-week mark,” I pleaded.

“Twelve weeks?” he questioned. A flash of disappointment registered in his eyes before he frowned, and his shoulders tensed.

“Things can go wrong during the first trimester and...” I shrugged, not wanting to voice the rest. “Plus, I don’t want any fuss. I’d like to leave it for as long as I can… maybe even until I begin to show.”

“But scheduling will need to know,” he argued.

“We’re not due to tour for a while. They won’t start planning until after the album’s been cut.”

Alfie shrugged, then nodded. “Our secret… and Elle’s, Drew’s, Jack’s, Mya’s and your parents’, right?” he mumbled with his mouth twisted in a playful, conspiratorial way. “Okay, because I’ve yet to tell my sister Layla too,” he added.

“Our secret,” I agreed and chuckled, although my heart squeezed with guilt again about how he’d found out about the baby.

“Morning, gorgeous,” Cody blurted the second I’d walked through the door. His smiley facial expression fell the second he saw Alfie walking in behind me.