Page 147 of Hayden's Stalker

I follow her back to the rest of our friends, but I want to talk to Tati about what just happened. I know that it’ll look suspicious as hell if I make a beeline straight to her room, so I force myself to talk casually for a few minutes with the group before I look down at my phone.

“Tati needs to talk to me about a security thing.” I try to look worried and say, “I hope the stalker hasn’t sent another email or something.”

“Fuck,” Ariana says. “Let us know if they have.”

I nod solemnly, feeling guilty for my lies, as I move around Harrison to make my way to Tati’s room. I knock gently on the door and smile at both Ariana and Heather, who are both looking at me.

“Come in,” Tati calls.

I slide the door open and slip into the room before I close it behind me. Tati’s stretched out on her old bed and looking at me with her phone in her lap.

“I told them you needed to talk to me about a security thing.” I crouch at the side of the bed next to her but don’t dare to cuddle her or anything in case one of my friends opens the door for some reason. “Are you okay with all of this?”

“You left me alone with April, and it was so painfully awkward.” She cringes as she says it.

“Sorry, I didn’t know Heather would bring April over to talk to you, preciosa. I did, however, manage to hide all of your things in my room. I didn’t think this through when I said they could come on the bus.”

Tati laughs. “You have a track record of not thinking things through when it comes to this bus.”

“Apparently so.” I’m unable to resist leaning forward to kiss her quickly. “So, I might’ve donetoogood a job of hiding your presence in my life…” I trail off and chew my bottom lip, wondering how I’m going to get out of this situation with Heather.

“Uh oh, why?”

“Heather wants to set April and me up on a date. She thinks we would be ‘good for each other’ and that I ‘don’t have a problem doing long distance,’ so it’s fine that April’s going to LA, and I’m on tour.”

Tati’s eyes widen, then she gives a short, sharp laugh before she asks, “Did you say yes?”

“I told her I’d think about it. I’ll tell her no in the morning,” I assure her and lean forward to kiss her again. “There’s only one woman I want to go on a date with, and I’m only allowed out in public with her if she looks like a friend or hanger-on.” I winked at her.

Tati’s silent as she frowns at me before her expression clears, and she shakes her head. “She thinks we’re together, and she wants to force you to admit it.”

“She has no proof, though.” I shrug.

“Not unless you give it to her,” Tati points out.

I open my mouth to respond, but I’m interrupted by a knock on the door, and Gabriel calls out, “Are you in there, Hayden?”

“Yeah, I am,” I call back.

“Can you come out here for a minute?”

I’m surprised by this request, and raise my eyebrows. “Uh, sure.”

I stand and move away from the bed at once, just in case he takes this as his cue to open the door. Tati follows me out of her room, and when I look over, I see that Heather, Harrison, and April are all seated along the long sofa now, with Gabriel and Ariana standing next to one another near the entrance to Tati’s room.

Gabriel glances over at me and gives me a bright grin, looking happier than I’ve seen him in a long time, before he says, “Since everyone is actually in the same place at the same time for once, Ariana and I have something to tell you guys…” he trails off, and I gasp, along with a couple of the others, realizing what he’s going to say right before he says, “We’re having a baby.”

“Oh my god, congratulations!” I say and step forward to hug both Gabriel and Ariana.

“I knew it!” Heather exclaims as she jumps up from the sofa and quickly makes her way over to throw her arms around Ariana. “Your bullshit excuses about not wanting to drink before ten don’t hold water when it’s ten in the evening,” she laughs.

Gabriel and Ariana receive lots of congratulations, and we all shuffle around in the cramped space as we celebrate. After Tati congratulates them, I notice her slip away into her room again and look over to see Heather watching me. I quickly look down at my drink and take a quick swig as I avoid her eye.

About half an hour later, Ariana says, “Well, it’s been fun, but I’m absolutely wrecked.”

“I know how hard growing a human is,” Lita says with a laugh.

We all congratulate Gabriel and Ariana again before I knock on Tati’s door and ask her if she can let my friends out of the bus so they can all return to their own buses.

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