Page 35 of Her Supermodel Stalker
Jackson smirks but doesn’t move. His eyes turn to Jimmy instead. “Hi Jimmy, you’re a fine-looking boy. You’ve got my eyes and my hair! Lexi, I can’t believe you’ve been keeping my son a secret from me!”
“A secret?” I tremble with anger. “You knew about the child but didn’t want to acknowledge him!”
“That’s an unfair accusation, Lexi. You never told me about it,” he feigns surprise, fooling me for a second. I even start to doubt my memory until I recall he’s an actor.
“What’re you talking about?” Tears flood my face and I sob instead of speaking.
“I don’t like you!” Jimmy yells at Jackson. “You’re making my mommy cry! Go away!”
Devin escorts Jimmy and I out of the festival grounds, and head toward the parking, leaving our tent to the hands of Susie and another employee.
He settles Jimmy into his seat in the back. “I’m so sorry this happened, baby,” he kisses me before letting me into the passenger seat. “Are you all right?”
“I am. Thanks. I can’t believe it. What does he want?”
“Fame,” he says flatly. “Jackson Milhous is a little known actor. A juicy ‘scandal’ like this will get him media attention.”
“Even though he’s such a jerk in this case?” I lower my voice, “I mean, he abandoned his child.”
Devin shrugs. “Sadly, the media has a way to twist things around. They could paint it in favor of him.”
“Is that why he accused me of not telling him about it?”
“Exactly.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I sniffle. “I don’t care he gains a bit of popularity from this. But what if he fights for custody of Jimmy? Or simply pretends to fight, in order to prolong his appearance in the news?”
His lips press together. “I’ll make sure it won’t happen.”
Devin drives me home. For the rest of the day, my mind is in a frantic state. I keep thinking the worst despite Devin’s assurance. What if Jackson got custody to my child? Oh my God. I can’t live without Jimmy. I can’t even imagine it. He’s the purpose of my life! While playing with him in the afternoon, I frequently grab him to hold him and kiss him. The child looks bewildered and scared. “Are you okay, Mommy?”
“I am, Jimmy. I’m sorry.”
“Is it because of the man who says he’s my dad?”
I nod.
“Is he a bad guy?”
I pause. I don’t want Jimmy to grow up thinking negatively about his dad, but it’s unfair to hide the truth from him either. He’ll be asking, especially given what’s just happened. “Your daddy wasn’t ready to be a daddy when you were born, so he went away.”
He nods. “Did he leave you because of me?”
“No!” I say in a hurry. “It’s not your fault, child. He was just not ready to be a daddy when you were born.”
“Is he back because he’s ready?”
I pause again. Should I tell the child the truth, the ugly truth?
I decide not to.
“I don’t know, child,” I say. “What if he is? Would you give him a chance? Would you want to be with him?”
My heart pounds in my chest as I wait breathlessly for his answer. When Jimmy shakes his head, I burst into tears again.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
