Page 14 of Love is a Drum Beat
5
Jo
Rock stars weren’t supposed to fan girl.
Yet… days had passed since Dax Nelson stood in Jo’s living room, and she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. His music played from her Bluetooth speaker, a beautiful mix of instruments. The world loved Dax, but more than that, they loved his music. It was no secret he played each instrument himself. Jo tried guitar once before going right back to her drums.
Some people knew their place.
Others chose it.
Dax was a man who never questioned his ability to make music in any form, and it showed.
And what of the mystery? What would the world think of the Dax Nelson she sort of knew? He didn’t need to keep up a persona like the rest of them. Jo with her pink-tipped hair and leather jacket, Noah with his ripped jeans and practiced grins. All of them had parts of themselves they showed to the world.
Except Dax.
In a way, he was a mystery to her as well. He hadn’t gone to London with Drew and Ben, but she assumed it was because he had prior commitments. Noah said he stayed in case Jo needed anything, but she wasn’t sure she believed that.
She wasn’t used to people caring about her.
Dax barely knew her, yet he showed up at her door to check on her.
Something about the act made her uncomfortable. Dax, the man who rarely spoke to her, was the one who came.
And now he knew about the NDA.
Jo hadn’t touched it since Dax left a few days before, but it was time. Time to close the book on Blake Coleman and open a new one where alien baby was the star. With a deep breath, she slid the document into a brown envelope that already had stamps on it.
She got to her aching feet and hesitated at the door before remembering she couldn’t leave in case someone saw her. Scrolling through her phone, she found the number for the front desk.
A security guard answered. “Hello?”
“Um, hi. It’s Jo Jackson in apartment three-fifteen. I was wondering if you could send someone up to fetch a piece of mail.”
If she were a normal person, she might have to explain herself further, but she wasn’t normal. She was Jo Jackson.
“I’ll have someone up in a few minutes, Ms. Jackson. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“No, that’s all. Thanks.”
It wasn’t long before there was a knock on her door. She opened it to find a female security guard. The woman had the decency not to gawk at Jo’s pregnant state. The people who worked in the building knew their jobs depended on secrecy. “Ms. Jackson.” She smiled. “I’m told you have some mail you need help with.”
Jo nodded and handed the envelope over. “I…” She looked down at herself. “Well, I can’t very well go down to the mailboxes.”
“Of course.” She smiled again. How did people do that so easily? “We’re here to help. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No.” Jo didn’t want anyone else in her apartment, her life. She was a private person before, but now… it felt wrong. Famous people weren’t allowed their privacy. She’d known that since the day she and Noah signed the recording contract. “I’m okay.”
“Well, I don’t think we’ve met. My name is Arya. I work the night shift. Ask for me next time you call, and I’ll be more than happy to help you.” She gave one final smile and turned to walk down the hall.
“Thank you!” Jo called after her before shutting the door. There, it was done. Soon, that document would be in Blake’s hands—hands she’d let touch her. A shiver ran down her spine. The group didn’t understand. She’d seen it in their eyes. They tried not to judge, kept themselves from asking about her and Blake, but let’s face it, even she judged herself a little for it.
And it did the opposite.
She hadn’t told anyone why she did it or what had led her to that desperate place, but maybe that didn’t matter. It still happened, and now she had her alien.
It took her months to stop hating the pregnancy, but she’d gotten to the point of thinking of herself as a mom, and it wasn’t an awful feeling. Even when the doubts crept in, they weren’t strong enough to overcome the love she felt for a kid she had yet to meet.
