The Roles We Play Page 8

  He read her note once more. I hope these pictures tell our story.

  Then it hit him. He knew what he had to do. With one text to his publicist, he set his plan into motion.

  Chapter Eleven

  For weeks, Kelly received texts and phone calls from Trevor on a daily basis. He kept his word and it meant more to her than she would ever admit. On their evening conversation a month later, he warned her that they were beginning to shoot and he might not be able to call every night, but he would text her as often as possible.

  And so it ends.

  Trevor was excited because he’d negotiated with the studio and got what he wanted out of it. Not that he gave her any details as to what “it” was. The filming schedule was grueling and kept him busy at all hours. The time zone difference didn’t help. Eventually his texts declined. Kelly called him once or twice a week, but soon even that stopped.

  Communication ceased and life as usual went on.

  Six weeks after she’d said goodbye to Trevor, Kelly sat in a white paper robe in her doctor’s office. She had a bandage in the crease of her elbow and her stomach was in a million knots.

  “So you’ve been sick?” the doctor clarified.

  Kelly nodded and described the symptoms; nausea, exhaustion, and migraines. She couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. Her body ached, and twice in the last week she’d had a light fever in the mornings.

  “I think I caught some sort of stomach virus. Damn thing won’t go away.”

  The nurse brought back the result of her blood tests, and Kelly watched with bated breath as the doctor read over the file. “Well, I know exactly what’s going on, my dear. It’s nothing to worry over.”

  “Good. So you can give me a prescription or something?”

  “Kelly.” He sighed and gave her a warm smile. “You’re pregnant.”

  “Bullshit!” She clamped a hand over her mouth.

  The doctor chuckled and showed her the results of her test. “Blood doesn’t lie. You’re pregnant.”

  Time stopped. The clock on the wall stood still as Kelly soaked in those words.

  You’re pregnant.

  “Th—that’s impossible. The surgeon told me I couldn’t have children.” She felt lightheaded and must have swayed because the doctor insisted she move off the bed and sit in a chair.

  “At the time, you couldn’t. Your surgeon was correct. However, that was right after your miscarriage. Haven’t you been back for a checkup in the last two or three years?”

  “No. I haven’t had a reason. I haven’t been with anyone since then.”

  The doctor’s mouth twitched. “Clearly you’ve been with someone.”

  “I thought I couldn’t.” She started to sweat. “Oh, God.” Kelly put her head between her legs, but it didn’t do any good. A wave of nausea took her under until her world was spinning and black spots danced in her vision.

  “Kelly, please take a deep breath. Oh, no.”

  Everything went black.

  * * * *

  Kelly felt like a total fool as she walked out of the doctor’s office. Not only had she fainted, but she’d stayed out for a long time. The doctor and nurses let her rest in one of the rooms until she could walk on her own and was capable of driving.

  She didn’t remember how, but somehow she managed to get home. Sitting in the driveway, she tried to figure out what to do. She was going to have a baby. After years of believing she couldn’t conceive, years of thinking she would never hold a child born of her body, she carried life inside her.

  A baby. Trevor’s baby. A piece of him lived within her womb, the combination of their DNA. Would it have his eyes or his lips? Would it be tall like Trevor or short like her?

  Her hand drifted to her belly. “I’ll take care of you this time, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Her phone rang and Mark’s Bon Jovi ringtone was loud in the silence of the car.

  “Mark?”

  “Hey babe. Pops said you went to the doctor today. Been gone a while. What’s up? You sick?”

  “Mark.” Her voice cracked as a new wave of tears fell down her cheeks. “I need to call in every favor I’ve ever done for you.”

  After a moment of stunned silence, Mark answered, “I’m on my way.” Ten minutes later, he called as he entered her studio. “Where are you, babe?”

  She rolled out of her bed and met him halfway into the room. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let everything go. Mark held her tight as she wept in his arms. She cried so hard she couldn’t answer his questions.

  “Is it Pops? Kelly, is something wrong with him?” She shook her head. “Are you hurt? Did something happen? You’ve got to give me a clue. You’re scaring me.”

  There was no way she could speak. Her tears kept coming until her head hurt and her eyes burned. Mark picked her up and sat down on the edge of her bed, cradling her like a child. He patted her hair and rocked her back and forth until she gained some sort of control over her crying.

  “I’ve really screwed up this time.”

  “Kelly, babe, you’ve got to fill me in here. I have no idea what you’re—”

  “I’m pregnant.” She started crying again when Mark went as still as the grave.

  “You’re p-p-pregnant? Who—” He cleared his throat. “Who’s the father, Kelly?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  Mark put the puzzle together quickly. “It’s Trevor Jacobs’s baby, isn’t it?”

  Kelly nodded. She just couldn’t look at him. Her face remained buried in his neck.

  “Jesus. You never told me you two hooked up. I knew you two had chemistry, but you never let on it was more. I thought you couldn’t have kids.”

  “At the time, I couldn’t. But I never did any follow up appointments over the years because there was no reason to worry about it. I wasn’t sleeping with anyone and I didn’t date much.”

  “I guess you didn’t bother with using protection with him, huh?”

  “Obviously.” Kelly climbed off Mark’s lap and sat beside him on the edge of the bed.

  “You have to tell him, Kelly,” he said gently.

  “I can’t. Not right now. He’s busy and he’s working. I don’t even know if he still cares about me, Mark. Honestly, I don’t know how to mentally accept this pregnancy yet. I’ve been looking into adoption agencies for years thinking I could never have a biological child. This baby is my personal miracle, but it might be his biggest mistake. Imagine what it would do to his career.” Kelly began pacing the room. “Everyone would know. It would ruin him. He has this movie coming out and everything is going so well.” She put her hands on her hips. “He might not believe me. He might think I’m a liar or some manipulative money grubber. He’s been there before. I won’t be the thing that ruins his life.”

  “And what about your life, damn it?” Mark stood and met her eyes. “Have you thought about what this will do to you? You’re going to be a mother, Kelly. When people around town ask who the father is, what will you tell them? Have you thought about that? What about Pops? You think he won’t put the pieces together?”

  Kelly sat down in one of her winged back chairs and put her head in her hands. “I’ve already dealt with one scandal and lived through it. I can handle this too.” She pushed her hair back and looked up at Mark as he walked around her living area. “I won’t be the woman that ruined him, Mark. He deserves better. I would rather be a single mom than be the woman he can’t get rid of because we have a baby together.”

  “How do you possibly know what he’s going to do? This isn’t a decision you can make for him. What if he wants the baby?”

  “Exactly, Mark. What if he wants it? He can take it. With all his money and lawyers, he could rip this child right out of me. I can’t lose another baby.” She sobbed, wishing that memories of Craig and her miscarriage hadn’t invaded her mind.

  “I don’t think he would be so cold, and neither do you. I meant what if he wants you and the baby? To
have a family? You two obviously got cozy. Did he mention anything about seeing you again?”

  “We kept in contact for a while, but he’s been so busy. He’s over it, Mark. Trust me. Anything he might have felt for me is gone. He’ll hate me if this comes out.” Kelly hid the fact she was the one that quit answering and returning his calls, not the other way around. It didn’t matter; this baby didn’t change anything between them. She absently rubbed her belly, wishing this child would be born into a real family.

  Mark scrubbed his hands over his face and back through his long hair. He paced around her living area like a caged animal. Finally, he stopped and planted his feet. “Fine. If you won’t tell people it’s his,” he said, swallowing hard, “you tell people it’s mine. For now.”

  “What?” Kelly exclaimed. “Are you crazy?” The notion was preposterous. No one would believe the two of them would sleep together, much less have enough sex to conceive a child.

  “You can’t do this alone. God knows I’m not going to let you. Until you’re ready to face Trevor, it’s a cover story. We’ve been friends for years. It wouldn’t surprise people one bit if we say we’re having a baby.”

  Kelly leaned back in her chair and studied her best friend. Was he seriously going to do this for her? “Mark, you realize what this would mean for you?”

  “It’s not like too much would change, Kelly. Everyone in town thinks we’re an old married couple anyway. When my friends invite me anywhere they all assume you’re coming too. We’ve been together without being together for years.”

  “So you’re going to pretend this baby is yours? What happens when word gets around? What about your over active social life—and by that I mean the steady stream of women and your man-whore tendencies?”

  Mark began to defend himself, but Kelly zoned out. She covered her eyes with her hand and tried to mentally repel the oncoming migraine.

  “Are you listening to me?” Mark demanded. “I mean it, Kelly, once you’re ready, we call Trevor.”

  “Fine.” She waved him off. “I have a headache. Apparently it’s one of the side effects of this pregnancy.”

  That stopped his self-defense argument. “Are you okay? Can you take anything?” He knelt down in front of her and rubbed her knees.

  “Tylenol. That’s it.”

  “I’ll get you some.” Mark found the pills in her bathroom and poured her a glass of water. Once she swallowed them down, he propped up her feet and brought a blanket from her bed. “Why don’t you get some sleep, babe? This problem doesn’t have to be solved right this second. You don’t look so well.”

  Kelly settled in her chair and pulled the blanket up to her chin. For a long time she and Mark sat in silence and watched the flames dance in the fire. How had her life come down to this? Her best friend was willing to ruin his life and tell people he knocked her up just so she didn’t ruin the life of a worldwide celebrity—at least for a little while yet.

  None of it seemed real. Inside her right now was the product of a whirlwind romance between a superstar and a recluse photographer. A baby grew where it shouldn’t have been able. Her doctor warned her of the complications and possible bed rest. She was to call if anything at all worried her or seemed out of the ordinary.

  Ha. Nothing about this situation was ordinary.

  “I feel like all of this is my fault,” Mark confessed. “If I wasn’t such a douche and liar, Trevor would never have come here.” He shook his head, his long hair falling to his chin. “I’m so sorry, Kelly.”

  “No one forced me to sleep with him, Mark. That was all my doing. Don’t try to take the blame for my mistakes. Besides, I’ve always wanted a baby. And you have to admit, as far as fathers go, I did pretty dang good fishing in the gene pool.” She laughed, pressed a hand to her belly. “This kid should be beautiful.” The thought made her smile.

  “Did he, I mean, how did this happen? I knew he was interested, but I never would have imagined you.” He sighed, unable to find the right words. “Were you drunk?”

  Kelly gave a sardonic laugh. “No, fortunately I was stone cold sober.”

  “Gross.” He shook out his head. “Did you just want to bag a celebrity? Was that it? Or do you have feelings for him?”

  Sadly, she couldn’t get insulted at his insinuation. He wouldn’t be the only person who jumped to that conclusion when this story got out. “I love him, as best as I’m capable of love these days.”

  “Does he feel the same?”

  Kelly’s eyes grew moist. “He asked me to go back with him. Said we weren’t over just because he had to go take care of business.”

  “So he’s in love with you?” Mark raised his eyebrows and crinkled his nose. His astonishment had her glaring.

  “I know that’s hard to believe—”

  He blew out a deep gust of air. “That’s not how I meant that. You’re a very lovable person, Kelly. Give me some damn credit. I’m only trying to figure this out.”

  “Things started two days after he arrived.”

  Mark’s jaw dropped. “So you two were going at it for three weeks?”

  “Like rabbits.” Kelly chuckled when Mark flinched. “Don’t ask if you don’t want to know. We made a baby, what does that tell you?” She sighed and gazed at the fire. “At first I thought he was acting, you know? I believed him by the end. Maybe that’s my mistake. I don’t know. But I’m not ready to tell him. I’m too scared of what he’ll do.”

  “He’s not Craig,” Mark whispered gently, reading the fear between her words. “He won’t hurt you or the baby.”

  “My heart knows that.” Kelly wiped at the tears on her face. “Once bitten, twice shy, huh? Just give me time. Right now all I can think about is keeping this baby safe, giving it the chance my other baby didn’t get. Let me get a further along, please? No need to have everyone freaking out before I’m out of my first trimester. I could miscarry. This is a high risk pregnancy.”

  “You’re my best friend, Kelly. Ever since Craig hurt you I’ve wanted to make it up to you somehow. Let me take care of you and the baby, at least until you’re ready to call Trevor. When you’re ready, we can do it together.”

  Fresh tears fell down her cheeks as she reached out for his hand. “You don’t have to do this,” she whispered with trembling lips.

  “I love ya, babe. I’m not going to leave you alone on this ship. Besides, you owe me a kidney already. I might need a liver someday, too.” Mark leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to run back to my place and pack some stuff. I’ll be back.”

  “Mark, no.”

  “Shut up.” He grinned at her. “Already so hormonal. This is going to be a damn carnival ride.” He waved his hands in the air. “Whee!”

  Kelly gave him the finger and they both smiled.

  What had she ever done to deserve him? If there were any rhyme or reason in the world, she’d feel passion when she thought of Mark. Compared to the response she had when she thought of Trevor, Mark might as well have been her brother, not her former brother-in-law.

  That was another mountain she would have to climb. After she sent their son to prison, Craig and Mark’s parents weren’t her biggest fans. They were upset about losing their grandchild, but not so much about losing her. How would they respond when they found out Mark was supposedly having a child with her? Something told her not to plan on being in any ugly sweater family Christmas photos anytime soon. Maybe they could keep his family in the dark for a few months.

  The problems were snowballing. Everywhere she looked was another issue to tackle. Eventually they would have to tell Pops. He would know, damn his perceptive old ass. They wouldn’t fool him. At least they wouldn’t have to pretend. This house would keep her secrets.

  Chapter Twelve

  Trevor adjusted his sports coat and fixed a section of hair that had a mind of its own. The makeup artist dabbed powder on his face. He hated this part of television. He focused on the note cards in front of him. The statistics of battered women in
the United States, the percentage of BDSM related injuries and divorces. He might not get the chance to talk about any of it, but he wanted to have these numbers ready.

  “Mr. Jacobs? You’re up after the next commercial break. Why don’t you come on back?” The stage manager guided him back to the greenroom. He knew his way around the studio though. Every movie he’d ever been in was featured on this talk show. Larry, the host, was a friend. With a couple million viewers watching weekly, it was a prime opportunity to introduce fans to his new movie.

  On impulse, he pulled out his cell phone and sent a text to Kelly. He hadn’t heard from her in months. The last time he’d heard her voice was when she told him she would rather they not communicate any longer. She made it out to be for his benefit, but he knew something was up. Her tone didn’t sound right.

  Please watch the Larry Quinton talk show tonight. I’m begging. I miss you so much.

  After he sent the text, he prayed she obeyed him for once in their relationship. Damn, he needed her to watch. He needed her to understand.

  The stage manager retrieved him and walked him to the edge of the curtain. He listened to Larry make a few jokes at his expense, all of which he laughed at. Then he walked confidently on the set and waved to the studio audience. The place was packed with women holding signs, wearing “I Love Trevor” shirts, and yelling at the top of their lungs. Trevor smiled, waved, and shook hands as he made his way to the interview chair. Even with all these women screaming for his attention, there was only one woman he wanted to give it to.

  God, he hoped she was watching.

  * * * *

  Mark picked up her phone. His stomach dropped when he read the message. He figured the day was close when Trevor would find out everything and he dreaded the fallout.

  Kelly was asleep when the text came through. She’d been sleeping a lot in the last months. It was like hibernation. The second trimester was over and her body was exhausted already. At seven and a half months, her condition was obvious and she wore those shirts that puffed out around the middle.