Read Learning To Fly (Fated Love Book 1) Online
Authors: Lauren Firminger
As I brushed the hair back from her face, I heard my phone buzz on the table beside me. Moving carefully so I wouldn’t wake her, I took my phone and saw a message from Lucas.
“Need to see you in our room.”
This couldn’t be good. Not at this hour.
“On my way. Send someone to watch Maddie.”
“On it, boss.”
I sighed and kissed her head as I carefully slid from the bed. Putting on jeans and a shirt, I kissed her shoulder softly and ran my nose along her skin before I pulled back and quietly left the room. Daniel was waiting on the other side, and I gave him a nod as I made my way to Lucas. He’d better make this fucking quick. It only took seconds for Lucas to answer the door when I knocked. Moving through the door once he stepped aside, I crossed my arms over my chest.
“All right. Make this quick. I have my girl in my bed, and I don’t like being called away from her, so let’s hear what couldn’t wait until morning.”
He handed me a piece of paper, and I raised a brow. Taking it from him, I looked down at it and frowned. On the piece of paper were letters cut out from newspapers and magazines saying, ‘He’s mine bitch. Go back to where you came from or else.’
I cursed and handed it back to him. “Where the fuck was that found?”
“On the bus after the show.”
I dropped onto the nearest seat. “How the fuck did someone get onto our bus?!”
“I dunno, man, but we can’t find anything on the cameras, and no one saw anything. Do we tell Maddie?”
I shook my head. “She is already on edge about Josh. This would just piss her off and upset her. You need to find out who did this. I can’t have her worried about someone else. She is losing it over not getting any answers from her friends on where Josh is. One more thing and she may run to her uncle to hide. I can’t lose her, I just fucking can’t. I don’t care what you have to fucking do, bro, but just find them.” I hung my head and clasped my hands behind my neck. Lucas came and crouched down in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“Bubba, breathe. We got this. We won’t let anyone near her. I promise you that. You aren’t going to lose her. We haven’t let you down yet, have we?” I shook my head. “See. We won’t start now.”
I lifted my head. “How much shit can she take before she decides enough is enough?”
“Our girl is tough, bro. I think you need to give her more credit. Don’t hide this from her. She will be pissed if she finds out some other way. Don’t hide it, or you may lose her that way.”
I sighed. “Was that all?”
“Yes,” he said as he stood up.
Pushing myself up out of the chair, I eyed the letter. “I’ll talk to her in the morning. Hold onto that.” He nodded, and I left the room. I needed my girl in my arms.
After returning to the room, getting undressed again and going back to bed with Maddie and safely tucking her back in my arms, I stared at the ceiling and thought about what a clusterfuck this was all turning out to be. Not only did we have her psycho ex to deal with but now someone from my team was out to get her. It had to be someone from my team.
Right?
It was the only way they could have gotten onto the tour bus without raising suspicion. Someone random never would have gotten that far. That didn’t leave me with a lot of options, though because all the women who were on this tour were either those opening for me, the wives of my guys, or maybe one or two from the record label. None of whom I have had much to do with. Before Maddie came into my life, I didn’t really date much. Sure, I had a few one-night stands that didn’t really mean anything, but as far as girlfriends go, I could count them on one hand and didn’t really think they would be a problem. I would just have to make sure Maddie was taken care of when she was in the crowd watching.
So far, to my knowledge, everyone had been really welcoming to Maddie. I was being selfish in wanting to keep her with me despite knowing how risky it was. I just couldn’t not. If she was with me, then I at least knew she was safe. Wrapping my arms a little tighter around her, I rested my head against hers and closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep. Daniel was just outside. In a few hours, they would do a shift change and someone fresh would watch. I had to keep telling myself they had this under control. I listened to the sound of Maddie’s breathing and let it lull me to sleep.
I couldn’t have been asleep for more than a couple of hours when I felt Maddie jerk out of my arms and sit bolt upright. “Darlin’?” Before she could answer me, Maddie was out of the bed and bolting for the bathroom. Pulling back the sheets on the bed, I threw on a pair of boxers and pulled the sheet off the bed. Entering the bathroom, I wrapped it around her and then pulled her hair back with one hand while rubbing her back with the other. Once she finished throwing up, she flushed the toilet and wrapped the sheet tighter around her as she moved to brush her teeth. Pulling her to me once she was done, I slid my hand beneath her hair and rubbed her neck and just held her.
“You okay, darlin’?” She shook her head no and tightened her arms around me more. Her body began shaking in my arms, and I knew she was crying. “Hey, darlin’, it’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re okay.” I rubbed her back and tried to get her to calm down before she was sick again. “Calm down for me, darlin’. Whatever it is we can handle it.” She shook her head no again and went to pull away, but before she could, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her back to bed. Lying down beside her, I wrapped her back up in my arms and just held her close to me. I needed her to relax again so I could find out what the hell just happened.
I don’t know how long we lay there, but when I finally felt her relax again, I had to check she hadn’t fallen asleep. Leaning my head back just a little, her blue eyes met mine, and I grinned. “Hi.” Maddie lifted her head and pressed her lips to mine.
“Baby, there is something I need to tell you.”
“Uh oh. Good something or bad something?” I asked.
“Depends on your take of it.”
I nodded as she started chewing nervously on her lip. “Go on, darlin’. No matter what, I’m not going anywhere, baby.” She kissed me again and nuzzled back into my neck. I tried not to worry over her not being able to look me in the eye as I started to run my fingers through her hair. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.
“Morgan… I’m pregnant.” I lay there for a minute just to let those three words sink in. Clearing my throat
“Did I just hear you right, darlin? Pregnant?” Maddie nodded her head, and I shifted so I was hovering over her. “How sure?”
“Ninety-nine point nine percent. I had a blood test done after a positive home pregnancy test. I’m about eight weeks.” I kissed her lips soft and then kissed all over her face.
“Best damn news I have ever heard, darlin’.” I felt her relax beneath me, and she finally gave me a smile.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t want to add to your stress.”
“Hey, now. None of that. This is not a stress. This is good news.”
“Even if it’s only been four months?”
I nodded. “I plan on marrying you, darlin’. Four months or four years. It doesn’t matter to me as long as I get to keep you.” Maddie nodded.
“Stuck like glue, baby.” I kissed her again and shifted down to kiss her belly.
“Fuck, I love you, Maddison.”
“I love you, Morgan.” I moved to lay down beside her and pulled her close. My baby was having my baby.
After the words came out of my mouth, I felt like I was going to be sick again. Damn nerves. His excitement was infectious, though. I could finally relax some now that he knew and it would all be okay. I wasn’t about to bring him down from his high, but I knew eventually he would see the danger, and then the cotton wool would come out for him to wrap me in. I should call my uncle and get him to make sure he had his house in Tasmania ready in case I decided to go home rather than be on tour dealing with morning sickness and all that jazz. Plus, being in the crowd wouldn’t be safe. I would need to be in the soundstage or backstage. As if he could read my mind, Morgan chuckled.
“Just relax, darlin’. We’ll work it out.”
I laughed and nodded. “I hate when you do that.”
“I know.”
I closed my eyes as I cuddled into him more and let my body relax in his arms.
I woke up the next morning feeling lighter than I had in weeks. I had been trying to find the right time to tell him I was pregnant since I’d found out, but there were always a million things going on at the time, and I didn’t want that to be the moment his life changed. I was selfish and wanted his complete attention. My subconscious and body planned differently, though. I dreamed something had happened to Morgan, and he had died without ever knowing. I would never let that happen.
Now that he knew, he would know why I wasn’t drinking with everyone else. He wouldn’t worry when I told him I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to hang out backstage or back at the hotel. I wouldn’t have to try to hide my morning sickness or explain why I needed to see my doctor over here. He would be with me every step of the way now. It hadn’t felt right to keep this from him. Morgan and I didn’t keep secrets from each other.
Stretching a little and feeling the empty bed beside me, I put on Morgan’s Clemson jersey and a pair of panties before walking out of the bedroom. Seeing Morgan standing out on the balcony with his back to me, I moved through the open door and wrapped my arms around him from behind.
“Morning, darlin’.”
Despite my smile, I just grunted at him. It was my normal morning response, and he chuckled as his hand ran along my arm.
“I know, darlin’. I wasn’t there when you woke up. I have a good excuse, though.”
“Mmm? What’s it this time, baby?”
Morgan turned in my arms so that he was now looking down at me. Standing at six foot two that wasn’t hard to do. “I’ve been thinking…”
“Did it hurt?” He narrowed his eyes at me, and I laughed.
“Sorry. Go on, baby.”
“Smartass. Maybe now I won’t tell you. I know how much you love surprises and all.” It was my turn to narrow my eyes at him, and he laughed. I couldn’t help but grin. We hadn’t been this relaxed since we left Tasmania. “All right, all right. I’ll tell ya, darlin’. Better yet…” He got down on one knee, and I gasped as he held up a ring to me and grinned.
“Maddison Rose, I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. I can’t imagine not having you in my life. Now you have given me the best gift any man could ask for, second to your heart. Now, I want to take your last name. So, Maddie, love of my life, mother of my child, my everything, and so much more, will you be my wife? Will you marry me?”
I tried to hold back the tears and nodded with the biggest grin on my face. “Fuck, yes!” He slid the ring on my finger and stood up, pulling me close. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him softly and whispered, “You’re forgiven.”
I wasn’t a morning person. I never had been, and I don’t think I ever would be. This though was worth being awake for. Morgan was the complete opposite. He was up with the sun despite how late we got to bed after his shows. The days we had off, he wouldn’t get straight up. Those mornings he would stay in bed with me until we had to move to eat or Lucas needed us, or whatever the case may have been. Early morning flights had Morgan all but carrying me down to the car. Yes, I was that spoilt. If he had to wake me, then he made sure to have coffee ready to go.
Daniel was the one who learned not to wake me. Word quickly spread when I put Daniel on his ass, not normally an easy feat for someone as tiny as me—it’s amazing how quickly they go down when you junk punch them. Morgan and Lucas damn near died from laughing so hard. Morgan was quick to say I told you so when Daniel needed ice for his junk. While Lucas got him sorted, Morgan got me back to bed. Since that day, it was one room for them and one for us. They would only come to ours if we told them it was okay or if it was an emergency. Thankfully, we’d not had any of those.
Now was going to be different, though. With bean, I wouldn’t be able to have my morning coffee, and knowing my luck, my morning sickness will start at some stupid hour, so I will be awake and grumpy from no coffee. I just know Morgan will think it’s cute. It’s going to be a fun few months.
“Darlin’, if you don’t stop thinking, I am going to take you back to bed.”