Baby Steps

Ch. 14 Tom POV

Tom

London.  The place that I call home but right now I feel the furthest from home. My home is not here anymore. It's in California with Willa and the twins. Staring out the hotel windows I take in the rainy view. As soon as the red carpet appearance is over I'm on the next flight out back to L.A and away from Ashley.

A knock at the door pulls my gaze from the hotel windows. Phil walks in with Ashley and her entourage in tow. I internally groan as Ashley saunters in. I remind myself this is our last red carpet together and then next month they'll release our break up article. But thankfully this is the last time I see her. Ashley is wearing a frilly dress that gives off the illusion she's hiding something. I clench my jaw at the stunt she's trying to pull. I just hope she'll end this little charade after our break up is announced.

"We have to leave in ten minutes." Phil says while typing away on his phone.

Ashley saunters over to me with a determined look in her eyes. She reaches up to adjust my tie but I grab her wrist and push it away.

"I got it." I grit out through clenched teeth. Just touching her makes my skin crawl.

Ashley narrows her eyes at me. "Don't be petty, Tom."

I huff out a humorless laugh, "Petty is what you are doing, Ashley." I step closer so my voice is low, "Stop pretending to be something you are not. It won't look good on you when this all comes crashing down."

Ashley scoffs while crossing her arms. "I'm not the one pretending. Maybe you should ask your little baby momma what she's hiding." She smirks.

Even the mention of Willa coming out of her mouth has me seeing red. "What are you on about?" I ask.

She shrugs with an evil smirk on her face before she turns away and walks out the door with her entourage behind her.

My pulse races as I think about what Ashley is implying. Willa wouldn't hide anything from me. She didn't  hide twins from me because she thought I knew about them. We are still getting to know each other so anything I don't know yet is fine. Willa is an open book when it comes to her feelings. I think back to that one picture I saw on the mantle. Young Willa with, who I am assuming, her family. Yet, she doesn't talk about them. I can't help but wonder if they are still in her life. Shaking the thoughts away I head for the door. Whatever Ashley is implying I don't want to know. Willa will tell me everything eventually.

We make our way outside and to the town car waiting for us. Ashley scoots close to me and rests her arm on my leg. I brush her off immediately. "Don't." I say. She scoffs and scoots closer to the window.

"You are throwing a good thing away Tom." She says while crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have a few good things waiting for me back in L.A" I counter back.

She huffs, "So good that she kept your kids from you. If she's even being honest about that."

I grit my teeth and take a deep breath. Ashley is really pushing my buttons tonight. I will not give her the satisfaction of losing my control.

"Keep their names out of your mouth." I can feel my blood boiling but I have to keep it all under control.

If looks could kill I would be six feet underground with the daggers Ashely is throwing my way. "Ever think that maybe that woman planned getting pregnant by you?" She asked.

I rub a hand down my face, exhaustion seeping from my pores. "I am not even going to entertain that idea."

Ashley scoffs, "Well, I have it on good authority that your baby mama planned the whole thing to trap you."

"And who has told you this?" I asked. I can feel my heart rate start to race.

Ashley turns in her seat to face me and I can't help but look at her.

"Tom, did you know she lost her whole family a few years ago?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What? Where did you hear that from?"

She pulls her phone out and starts swiping through it before she shows  it to me. There's an article about a collision, a drunk driver swerved into oncoming traffic and killed the occupants in the other car. Then there is an obituary for each occupant and at the bottom is Willa's name as the surviving family member.

I think back to the family picture I saw. Willa lost them all at once just before meeting me. Could Ashley be right? Could Willa have wanted to start a way to form a new family? I quickly dismiss those thoughts. Willa would never do that. I shove the phone back in Ashley's hands.

"You had no right to dig into Willa's past." I scolded her.

"But you admit she never told you any of this." She presses on.

"Willa has ever right to keep this to herself until she feels comfortable sharing. What you did was an invasion of privacy and I am so glad we are ending this farce tonight."

The car finally comes to a stop and I don't wait for them to open the door. I hop out and plaster on a fake smile until I can get out of here.

As I make my way down the red carpet my mind is constantly on Willa. And why she doesn't feel comfortable sharing her family's past with me. I want her to feel comfortable and safe enough with me to confide in me. I want to be the shoulder she cries on when she is missing her family.

I want it all with Willa. And now I have to prove it to her.