He's So Aggravating, But I Think I Like Him

Chapter Twenty Three

"Uhh..." Max said, looking around at the three of us.

I started shaking from nerves. I should have known I couldn't hide from everyone, especially since we'd all be traveling together for a while. And now, of course, I run into the one person I was hoping to avoid. My ex-boyfriend. My first love, which is sad, I know, but I was never a big dater in my younger years; and, I hate to say it, my baby daddy.

Ronnie cast me a side long glance and must've seen my expression, because he put a comforting hand on my lower back, which drew everyone else's attention.

Craig smiled at me, "I don't think we've met yet. What's your name?" He asked, holding his hand out.

I carefully put my hand in his, "Balery," I said. I trusted him to keep my real name to himself, since I knew I was trying to hide. Surprisingly, Maddie stayed quiet as well.

"That's beautiful," Craig said, pulling my hand to his lips. I shivered, I don't like all this male attention. I'm not used to it.

Ronnie shot a glare at him, making Craig smirk at him.

I got a text from Jacky.

Hey, can you come get Macy? She's destroying everything.

I sighed, I knew I shouldn't have left her with Jacky when I went to help him. He offered to watch her, but she loved her Jacky, and always tried to show off in front of him. Around all the drums and guitar strings and whatnot...

"I have to go get Macy, she's acting up," I told Ronnie, which made him laughed.

"She's tearing up Jacky's stuff?" He asked. I nodded.

At that, our little group broke up. Max and Craig took off to wherever they were going, same with Ronnie, and me and Maddie went back to the lounge to pick up my demon spawn.

When I wasn't looking, she smacked me in the back of the head.

"Balery? Come on, we read that book when we were in ninth grade."

Craig

That Balery chick is pretty hot.

And she has a kid. Either a kid or a dog... I'm thinking it's a dog if she's "tearing Jacky's stuff up", but maybe that will be something that can occupy Leila Rose for a while. A new buddy.

Maybe, I can convince Balery to go out with me. Besides her being incredibly beautiful, I wanted to get to know her better. I opened the door to my bus and was greeted with the smell of cheap air freshener. Because none of the guys or myself know how to clean.

"Hey, TJ got pizza. It's on the table if you want it," Robert piped up from the couch, his mouth full of pizza.

I smiled. I love pizza. I mean, I guess I have to, since I'm on tour all the time. I grabbed a few slices of pizza and put them on a paper plate. I plopped down on the couch.

"Where's Leila?" I asked Robert.

Immediately after, as if she heard her name, I heard little feet hitting the linoleum of the bus floor. A little blonde headed girl ran through the door, repeating "Daddy" over and over again. I let her jump into my lap. After listening to her talk about her day and me finishing my pizza, she asked about mine, so I told her the basics. And afterwards, I asked, "You like dogs, right?"

Max

I know her from somewhere, I have to. Her voice, I've heard it, I don't know from where, but I have.

Maybe she was a cashier at a store I was in, or a waitress at a restaurant, I don't know. I walked onto the Natural Born Killers bus, greeted by the sight of Clayton sitting on the couch, phone in hand.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Textin'," he said, drawing out the "i".

I laughed. He can be such a kid sometimes. I jumped on the couch next to him and looked over his shoulder, "Who you textin'?"

"Balery," he said. My smiled faltered. "We're talking about going on a date this weekend. She just needs to find someone who won't be super busy that can watch her daughter, Macy. She's a hellion, or so I've heard."

"I'll watch her," I offered.

Clayton raised his eyebrows, "You will?" He asked.

I nodded. I'll admit, my motives weren't entirely innocent. I wanted to talk to Macy, to figure out where I'd have met her mother before.

He typed something on his phone, presumably something about me watching Macy. After a long few minutes, she texted back.

"She said that was fine. She'll drop her off at six tomorrow night."