I climbed in beside her and cradled her close, my heart breaking with every tear that fell from her eyes. I stroked my fingers through her hair and shushed her softly against her ear, hoping and praying she’d fall asleep before Marissa dared to enter this room again. The woman was a walking train wreck. Nothing but a nice few fucks and some good pictures together to help my career before she got pregnant and demanded we get married to save her own skin. I tolerated three years with that woman, trying to make things work for the sake of Asia.
And now, I was trying desperately to piece together her broken life with a woman who didn’t give a fuck about anything but herself.
“I love you so much,” I whispered.
Asia tucked herself closely against me, and soon her breaths evened out. I held her until she fell asleep, then eased myself out of bed to call Jorge again. I needed to keep him abreast of what was going on, and the fact that a doctor hadn’t come by to discharge us today meant we were probably staying another night. And now, with Marissa’s change of plans, there was no way in hell I’d be free to shoot that commercial anytime soon—unless Asia could come to the set with me.
“Hey, hey, hey. How’s the little one doing?” Jorge asked as he picked up my call.
I sighed as I stood in the corner. “We still haven’t been discharged.”
“You know, I figured that might happen. Asia’s attacks have been pretty rough lately. They probably wanna keep her to see if she has another one so they can find an origin point or something.”
I chuckled. “I keep forgetting your mother had asthma.”
“Yep. Did this many times with her, too. Don’t worry; it’s just protocol. And I’ve pushed back the commercial shoot to the weekend so Asia can get home and rest before you leave.”
I sighed. “Actually, about that.”
“Oh, boy.”
“Marissa finally showed up.”
He paused. “Better late than never?”
I shook my head. “That excuse only works so many times.”
“You right, you right. So, when will you be free?”
“That depends. If I can bring Asia to set with me? I can shoot as soon as she’s feeling better.”
“I mean, not that I don’t love your daughter, but kids on sets usually don’t work out as planned."
I shrugged. “Then, at least another two weeks.”
He hissed. “Son of a bitch.”
“Ex-husband of a bitch, is more like it,” I murmured.
Jorge barked with laughter. “Oh, dude, I don’t know what the hell you were thinking.”
“Just trying to do right by the family I created, even if it wasn’t planned.”
“Which is why it kills me that you have to pay for sex. Any woman out there would be willing to thrust themselves at your feet, yet you pay out the ass for escorts. Why do you do this shit to yourself?”
I shrugged. “Anonymity? Those women sign NDA’s for days before I even get in their presence. Can’t really do that to a regular, ordinary girl.”
“Well, maybe you should start thinking about getting someone in your life who’s a bit regular and ordinary.”
“Ugh, that sounds like a dream. But, for now, I’d just settle for some damn help.”
He snickered. “Well, I can’t come help, but Ginger might have found a couple of people interested in helping you out.”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You remember Eva? You met her briefly.”
“Uh… you’ll have to be more specific than that.”
