Page 61 of She's the Star

“Can I swing by your hotel and check on her?”

Even though I’m furious with him, I don’t want to keep him away from our daughter. It’s important to me that she has both of us in her life. “Of course. I’ll text Nolan to let him know.”

He nods again and slowly traipses out of the room.

TWENTY-THREE

NOLAN

My hands are shaking when I hang up the phone. I’m going to have to sit in front of a camera and discuss my life. I’m going to have to answer questions that I’m not sure I have answers for. It’s basically my worst nightmare. Except for the part where Amber is going to be sitting next to me.

My head drops onto the pillow beneath me, and I stare at the ceiling. I’m starting to think that I’ll weather just about anything to be with Amber.

Fake dating. Invasive interviews. Public judgment. Adjacent fame.

My phone vibrates with a text. Teddy asked if he could swing by the hotel to see Maddy. I told him yes.

If I wasn’t worried about waking Maddy, I’d groan out loud. Teddy is about the last person I want to see right now.

A second later, another message appears. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll call him and tell him no.

I sigh. Amber has other things she needs to be doing. It’s fine. Get ready for your show and I’ll handle Teddy.

Teddy Fucking Lance. The balls on that guy. I’m not a violent person but if I were I’d kick his ass. Why is he determined to make Amber miserable?

We’re quite close to the arena so it’s only about ten minutes later that I hear a knock at the outer door of the suite. I shift Maddy so I can slide her into the crib that’s next to the bed. Before I can set her down, her eyes blink open. They’re watery and a bit puffy, as if she’s been crying instead of sleeping.

The knock sounds again—a little louder this time.

“Do you want to answer the door with me?” I ask. Her mouth screws up like she’s going to cry so I tuck her against my chest, weave my way through the suite, and pull open the door just as the knocking resumes.

With his fist raised, Teddy nearly falls into the room. At the last second, he restores his balance and without looking up or moving forward, he starts fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket.

“Want to come in?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything.

“Umm…yeah.” He shuffles into the room, and I let the door fall closed with a thud. His gaze stays locked on his zipper as he bites his lip and runs his free hand through his messy hair.

“You wanted to check on Maddy?” I ask when he still doesn’t break the silence. Part of me can’t believe he’s here. The other part thinks he wants me to yell at him.

“Oh…umm, yes.” He finally looks up and zeroes in on Maddy’s pink cheeks and watery eyes. “She looks…cozy?”

“She’s extra cuddly with this fever.” I start to hand her to him, but he puts his hands up and backs into the door. Maddy whimpers and clutches my shirt as if she doesn’t want to leave my arms. “You don’t want to hold her?”

“I’m not really…good with babies.” He drops his hands and starts fiddling with his zipper again.

Annoyance zips through me. “She’s your daughter.”

He flushes. “She might cry if you give her to me, so it would probably be best if you keep her.” He says it like it’s a statement of fact and there’s nothing he can do about it.

“You don’t hold her when she cries?” I ask incredulously as my annoyance increases. I know I haven’t seen him with her very much, and I did witness his mad dash out of the pool, but he’s got to be kidding. Why is he even here if he doesn’t want to hold her?

“Um…not really. Amber’s better at that kind of thing. So I just…um…stick to playing with Maddy when she’s happy.”

My eyes narrow in judgment, but he can’t see my expression because he’s back to focusing on the stupid zipper.

“Teddy, take your daughter right now,” I demand as I adjust my grip and press her against his chest. He grabs her before he can stop himself.

I release her, and then hover in front of them because I can’t believe I just told him what to do and I don’t entirely trust him not to drop her. Her already miserable eyes fill, and she starts crying exactly as he predicted. It isn’t the loud screaming she excels at—more of a pitiful whimper—but it’s still enough for him to look like he’s going to puke.

---