Wrong for You (Before You #3)(60)

“I need some coffee.” Alec left the room before Jax or anyone else could question him. He didn’t know what to do about the fundraiser for the Foundation. It didn’t look like Violet would ever call him back and holding a fundraiser without the support of the Foundation seemed desperate. In order to finish planning the fundraiser, he needed Violet’s help, or at least someone who worked at the Foundation, and he knew a couple people worked there on a regular basis now because he tried to call Violet there, too.

Alec poured a cup of coffee and sat down in the break room. Fleetingly, he wished he had some whiskey to add to the coffee to dull his thoughts of Violet and his guilt-ridden conscience. He should have told Violet who he was the minute he filled out the application and if not then, at least before he touched her, but he hadn’t because he liked that she wanted to be with him without all the crap related to his band.

“Do you want some?” Marcus said, holding out a silver flask.

“No,” he answered, despite his craving. Drinking away his problems made him like his mom and he’d do almost anything not to be like her. Just as the thought penetrated his mind, his stomach rolled with disgust. Lying to Violet about his identity was just like his mom. Fucking awesome. Like mother, like son. His mother lied to keep the man she wanted and he lied to get Violet.

Marcus sat down in the chair across from him and took a swig from the flask before slipping it back into the inside pocket of his jacket. That explained why he hadn’t bothered taking it off the entire morning. “So what’s really going on?”

Alec didn’t do the sharing thing and neither did Marcus. That’s why they gravitated to each other. “What’s going on with you?” Alec shot back at him. Marcus hadn’t been acting normal since a month before the tour ended, and judging from the flask inside his jacket, things had gotten worse rather than better.

Marcus laughed, his gray-blue eyes flinty and bouncing with an anger so unlike Marcus, Alec leaned back in his chair. “I have a son, that’s what’s wrong with me.”

Alec’s mouth fell open. “Are congratulations in order?”

“Apparently, your congratulations are eight years overdue, but what the f*ck…better late than never, or least that’s what my f*cking ex-girlfriend told me three months ago.” His voice was scornful and filled with so much emotion, good, bad, ugly and everything in between.

“What are you going to do?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet and that’s all I want to share today.” Marcus propped his feet on the white table, crossing his legs at this ankles. “It’s your turn. I’m sure your problems don’t have anything on mine.”

“I met this woman in Montana and I f*cked it all up. She won’t answer my calls.”

Marcus laughed and his gray eyes brightened for a second before turning hard and cynical again. “I’m not surprised. What’d you do?”

“I lied to her about my identity.”

Marcus whistled. “How’d she find out?”

“Her brother came home from vacation and he recognized me.”

“That sucks.”

“That’s it. That’s all you have to say?”

“Don’t expect me to give you advice. My ex pissed me off and I ran away to join a band. Now I have a son I don’t know.” Marcus shrugged. “You might want to talk to Jax or Cam. They have a better track record.”

“I love her,” Alec blurted out before he could stop himself.

“You love who?” Taylor asked, walking into the room, her blue eyes shocked. He hadn’t seen her since he came home, but she looked happy and softer even though she now had red streaks in the front of her hair. The last time he saw her, it was purple. He liked that she hadn’t changed herself for Cam unlike when she was with her ex-boyfriend.

“What are you doing here?” Alec asked.

“Cam called and said you weren’t acting like yourself,” Taylor’s eyes never left his.

“I’m leaving,” Marcus said.

“Thanks, man,” Alec called after him. “Let me know if you want to talk about the stuff with your ex.”

Marcus halted but didn’t turn around. “Thanks for the offer, but it sounds like you have enough going on without adding my problems.”

“The more the merrier,” Alec said.

“What was that about?” Taylor asked.

Alec shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

Taylor smiled and held up her hand. “Oh, come on.”

“You won’t get it out of me. It’s his story.”

“Fine.” Taylor chewed on her lower lip. “So who do you love?”

Alec groaned. He’d hoped Taylor would ignore that. “It’s a long story.”

Taylor sat in the chair next to him. “Well, start talking. You have thirty minutes until Jax comes in to get you.”

“I met someone in Montana. She runs the Foundation.”

Taylor’s eyes lit up and he shifted in his chair. “So that’s what this fundraising thing is about.”

“Yes and no.” He groaned. ”She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Change her mind.”

“That would be easier if she’d answer my phone calls or one of my texts.” Alec slid her his phone. “Look, I’ve been trying to contact her for a week.”