Accidental Secret Daddy

My Rockstar ex left me a parting gift after our breakup - a bun in the oven.
And he just doesn’t know it yet.

He was my one and only…until he chose his rockstar lifestyle over me.

When his tour brought him back to town and became my next-door neighbor, my baby bump is on full display.

Just my luck.

So, I did what any girl would. I lied and told him it wasn’t his.

He’d never choose us over the Rockstar lifestyle.

But every time I see his piercing blue eyes and tattooed, muscular body, my heart begs me to reach out.

I can’t risk the chance of rejection again for me, or our child…

Returning to my hometown after all those weeks away on tour feels surreal. Everything looks the same, but somehow, it feels different. It might be because I’ve been in all these big cities performing, but I think mostly is because there is one major difference. Harley isn’t here.

Harley Telman has been the love of my life since I was sixteen years old and she moved almost next door to me. From the moment I met her, I couldn’t see anyone else. Hell, I still can’t, no matter how many groupies throw themselves at me.

The tribal tattoo on my arm is a constant reminder of all I had and lost. The dates camouflaged into it mark the happiest days of my life. The day she said yes to being my girl and the day I made her mine forever. Or so I thought. Regardless, Harley will always be a part of me. Like she’s imprinted in my very soul.

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of thoughts of her. The pain is too raw still. It has been five months since I saw her last and it still hurts as much as if it had been yesterday. But I can’t dwell on that now because I have an important meeting with a real estate agent.

While I was on tour, things weren’t as bad because I had multiple distractions, including endless amounts of booze, the shows, my friends, and the never-ending supply of bed partners. But coming home to the memories of her is crushing me. I can’t stay in that house. Our house.

So, I need a new place to stay. Thank God for Theresa, my realtor friend. She told me of this little duplex that should be perfect for me, or so she says. Since I started taking care of social media for the band and recording covers and unplugged versions of our songs, I realized I need a space that will allow me to have a room just for my equipment. The band is doing well, so now is the perfect time to take the risk and buy a new place.

If I weren’t doing the social media stuff, a bedroom and a bathroom with a little kitchen would be more than enough, because there is no way I’ll ever get to share my life with anyone ever again. In the span of eleven years, I found and lost my soulmate.

There is no way I’ll ever want anyone other than her.

I don’t much look forward to living right next door to someone, but maybe having someone around will help me. After these months of always having the guys and Gemma around, I think I might be lonely living by myself, but it’s not like I have much of a choice.

The realtor assures me that the other occupant is a lovely woman, and she hinted that she’s around my age. Maybe we can become friends and it’ll be fun. At least, that’s the hope.

I’m starving by the time I make it to the little duplex that I’m touring on the request of my realtor, and I see her there, smiling and waving, as I pull up on my motorcycle, parking with plenty of room for the U-Haul trailer behind it. I take my helmet off slowly, appreciating the back view of the woman standing in the yard next to Theresa.

Holy shit. She looks good from the back and she’s got all this blonde hair in curls down her back, which I have to admit, does something for me. Reminds me of Harley’s mane of hair and how much I loved seeing it sprawled on my pillow.

As I approach Theresa, I try to shake myself off thoughts of Harley. My eyes stay on the woman and I realize that she’s very pregnant, probably ready to pop. Not sure how friendly we can become if she’ll soon have all her time consumed by a mini-human being, but I love people and there is no harm in saying hi, I guess.

At my approach, she turns and smiles at me, as I stop right in front of Theresa and her, holding my helmet in one hand.

When our eyes connect, my helmet drops to the ground.

It has been five long months since the last time I heard her voice. Longer since I looked at her face.

And now, here she is, right in front of me, blinking at me with those big blue eyes of hers, and she’s pregnant.

What the fuck?