Page 86 of How to Date a Rockstar

Summer leaned in to speak with me privately. “Listen, Knox,” Summer began, her voice firm but gentle. “You’ve been holding onto this for years. Maybe it’s time to hear Hugh out and find out the truth — for your own sake.”

I knew she was right. Closure would never come if I kept running from the truth. “Fine,” I muttered, my gaze locked on the snow-covered cobblestones beneath my feet.

“Alright,” I sighed, mentally bracing myself for the conversation. I turned to Hugh. “Hugh, this is my wife, Summer.”

Hugh smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Summer.”

She nodded her head. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Not knowing about our falling out, my brothers had mentioned Hugh over the years. “I’ve heard you have a son?”

“Uh, yes, my lad, Alfie,” he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ve just had a new wee bairn, Finlay. My wife and I have two now.”

“Congratulations,” I said, forcing a smile.

“Thank you.” Hugh shifted his stance nervously. “Congratulations to you, too, for your success with the band. I’ve been following you from the start and I even went to a concert a few years ago when you were in Edinburgh.”

“Thanks.” I nodded, feeling a small sense of pride in my band’s success.

“Of course,” Hugh replied, his voice softening. “I’ve always been a fan of Ghost Parker. You guys are amazing.”

As we exchanged pleasantries, the snow continued to fall gently around us, casting a hushed blanket over the festive town square. The scent of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts drifted through the air, adding to the enchantment of the moment.

“Listen, Knox,” Hugh began hesitantly, breaking the silence. “There’s something I need to tell you about Aila.”

“Go on,” I said, steeling myself for whatever revelation awaited.

“One night, while you were out playing a gig,”—he took a deep breath, looking painfully reluctant to continue—“Aila and I got together. I don’t even know why it happened. It was only that one time. We both regretted it, and it never happened again.”

I gritted my teeth. “I already knew that you fucked my fiancée, Hugh.”

His wince turned to surprise. “You knew all along? Aila told you?”

“Nae, she didn’t tell me,” I glowered at him. “That day, I found out and confronted her. That’s when she ran off crying and got into the accident.”

I glanced at Summer, her face awash with concern and sympathy, and then back to Hugh. His eyes were filled with anguish, a far cry from the cocky demeanor I’d known so long ago.

“I want you to know how truly sorry I am for what happened with Aila,” Hugh said, his voice cracking with remorse. “I hate that I so carelessly betrayed our friendship. I’ve regretted it every day since. Aila and I both regretted what we’d done. We agreed it was a rotten mistake and to never talk of it again.”

“Then why did I find that note you wrote to her?” I accused in a tight voice. “The one telling her to not go through with the wedding? You were pressuring her to tell me.”

“Aye.” He looked down at his feet. “I thought you should know about it before you married her. There were other circumstances ... It was all such a long time ago. I made so many mistakes.”

“Other circumstances?” A dawning realization began to bubble in my gut. “Did you know she was pregnant?”

“You knew?” Hugh gasped, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Aye. Her parents told me. The bloodwork from the accident investigation came as a surprise to all of us.” My words were bitter and sharp. “Including me.”

“I found out only a few weeks before your wedding. She came to the cottage one evening and blurted it out. She was in a total panic.” His voice trembled as he spoke. “She thought the baby was mine because we hadn’t been careful that night.”

The weight of Hugh’s words hung heavily in the air, like the fog that blanketed the Scottish hillsides. Summer grabbed onto my hand, reminding me of her constant support.

“I told her that she had to tell you the truth.” Hugh’s face was etched with pain as he recalled that night. “If it was my bairn, I had to know. Aila begged me to drop it, but I threatened that I’d demand a paternity test after the bairn was born. She wanted to tell you after the wedding, but I didn’t think that was right. She was hysterical, so I dropped it for the time being. She started avoiding me, so I left her that note. I knew I was putting her in a tough position, but ... I just never imagined what would happen.”

“It was a horrible accident,” I mumbled the words that the therapist had told me, finally starting to see a glimmer of truth in them.

“After the accident, I was too much of a coward to tell you. You were already grieving so much, and I thought it would be better for you if you never knew about the affair or the bairn.”

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