Jack's elbow rested on the arm of the computer chair, his legs extended and body slouched, rolling a pen in between his fingers as he stared at the girl across from him.
"I'm sorry for not talking to you after that night...A lot of shit was happening and I couldn't find time." He apologized to the girl sitting across from him.
Kiana bounced her leg up and down, giving him an unsure and small smile. "It's okay." She lied.
Sensing how nervous she was, Jack inhaled deeply through his nose and decided to get to the point. He straightened his back, his eyes peering into hers.
"Listen, what we did was unprofessional and it shouldn't happen again. And I'll take most of the blame, because I still had a wife and you were my client, so yeah I fucked up."
Kiana purses her lips together for a moment then shifts in her seat. "Where does this leave us?"
Jack let out a heavy sigh, almost positive that Kiana wasn't getting the picture and he knew it was completely his fault.
"I have a family and I have a wife who I love with every cell in my body, so I can't do this, Kiana. You're an absolutely beautiful woman and there are guys who will treat you better than I will are out there. I'm here to help you make an album, that's all."
Kiana swallowed hard and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry." She put on a sheer fake smile, making Jack frown back at her.
"It's not your fault and the album will be ready soon...But um, my wife wants a word with you. Everything's gonna be okay, I'll be right outside the door." He patted her knee then left the room before she got a say in this.
Selena walked in and took Jack's seat. "Hi." She smiled politely, shaking Kiana's hand as if this wasn't the woman who slept with her husband.
"Hi." Kiana barley whispered, not prepared for anything that's to come, so she said the first things that came to mind. "I didn't mean to ruin your marriage, I am sorry from the bottom of my heart. I'm not like this and I don't know what came over me that night, I'm just so so sorry."
Selena shook her head. "You didn't ruin anything. Our relationship was already broken, and you did nothing but show me something I already knew."
"But I knew he was married to you." A tear slipped out of her eye and down her cheek, but she didn't wipe it away, wanting it to go unnoticed that she was crying.
"He knew he was married." Selena leaned forward and took Kiana by surprise when she thumbed her tears away. "You're a grown woman and he is grown man, both of you are at fault, there's no denying that, but I forgive you."
Kiana blinked owlishly. "Why?" She choked up.
Selena gave her a smile that was forced and quick. "Because I love him and I have a family with him and I also forgive him. What kind of woman would I be if I laid in bed with him every night, completely happy and in love with him, but stay awake, bitter and hateful towards you?"
Kiana nodded, not responding otherwise.
"I'm still going to let him help you with your album, but I already told the both of you how I felt, so if it happens again, please believe me when I say I will bring hell."
"All my intentions were to only make this album, it won't happen again."
"Take this as a lesson. You're young and you're gonna make a countless number of mistakes until you truly realize where I'm coming from as a wife and as a mother. Use this to improve yourself and make yourself a better woman, it's gonna be okay. I will move on from this and so will you. We were separated, so I kinda gave him permission to do this, I guess, but it doesn't show anything but true intentions. This doesn't define you, just don't let it happen again."
It wasn't being hidden that Kiana was taking by complete surprise. She thought that Selena would try to to fight her or blame everything on her, but she was the exact opposite.
Selena stood up from the chair. "I hope the next time we meet that it's on a different occasion other than this. Have the day you deserve."
She let out a sigh of relief once she got to the door, not thinking that she could keep her composure, but she did and she was proud of herself and how much she matured.
If it was seven years ago, Jack would have gone missing and Kiana would be trying to get the blood stains out her clothes.
Once she left the room, her eyes fell on Jack who was posted against the wall. "I swear to you that you don't deserve me and there's no argument about that, so don't even say anything to me."
Of course Jack wanted to argue about that, but he knew that he couldn't because it was true. He didn't deserve her as a woman and she didn't deserve the shit he put her through, not even the slightest bit.
He silently followed her outside and into the car. Starting the car up, he looked over at her. "Do you want anything to eat before the interview?"
"No. Let's just go get the kids then take me home so I can get ready." Selena's teary eyes focused on the autumn leaves outside the window, avoiding Jack's gaze.
Jack drove to the school and got out the car, wanting to leave her alone. He stood against the passenger door, arms crossed as he checked his watch that let him know it was about four minutes until the bell rang.
He turned around and opened the door. "How long are you gonna be mad at me?" Noticing the tear stained cheeks, he cupped her face. "Selena, baby, I'm sorry. I don't know what else I can do."
"I'm not mad and there's nothing else you can do." She wiped her face then fixed her eyes on the ground. "I don't even know why I'm upset in the first place. I gave you permission, so it was my fault, and not yours."
Jack sighed. "Selena, it's not your fault. I took advantage over us being separated and shit. We were still married and everything was my fault, I can admit that. Let's just move past this."
Selena didn't know how. And she knew why she was crying and it wasn't because of him sleeping with Kiana. It was Kiana herself.
Once she came face to face with the other woman ; the issue, her heart broke. Kiana was stunning and at the time, she was spending more time with Jack than Selena was.
Selena didn't want to compete for her own husband and now she was feeling as if she was being forced to because of her kids. She didn't want them to grow up in two separate houses and then again, she knew deep down inside that even if it wasn't for her kids, she'd stay because she loves him - like she always did.
They been here before and she knew there wasn't going to be a different ending, and that was a problem.
Just as Jack kissed her forehead, the bell rang and seconds later, kids flooded out of the school, including Dylan and Naomi.
"Daddy!" Naomi sang, running to hug his legs, Dylan just now exiting the doors, dragging his backpack behind him.
Jack picked Naomi up, kissing her cheek. "How was school?" He asked, setting her in her booster seat.
"It was fun. Hey, mama."
Selena turned around and grinned. "Hey, baby." She then seen her son throw his bookbag onto the seat and let out a tired sigh. "Everything okay, Dyl?"
"My teacher gave us a lot of homework and have a lot of books in here, so now my bookbag is heavy." He complained, putting his seatbelt on.
Jack got back into the front seat and started the car. "Well, we'll get a binder or something in a few, but for right now, we have to go to an interview and you two are coming with."
Selena sniffled and looked to Jack. "What am I supposed to wear? Is this okay?"
She referred to her camel colored sweater that stopped below her thighs with a side slit and her white ankle strapped pumps.
Jack observed her outfit for a second then shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. You look fine to me. You're always gorgeous, no matter what you wear."
"Get a room." Dylan groaned from the backseat making Jack snicker.
Jack glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "You want another sister or maybe a brother?"
"Huh? What does that have to do with what I said?"
"Daddy, the stork isn't here anymore. It's fall and he migrated. We can't have a brother or sister now." Naomi stated in a duh tone.
Jack and Selena laughed at their kids, making the previous tension go away and exit the car.
Jack put his hand on the back of Selena's chair where they had just finished her hair and makeup. "Don't answer anything you feel uncomfortable about. Just move on to the next if you don't want to answer it."
Selena nodded. "I know. I just don't understand why they would want an interview with me though. Why not you? You're the famous one."
Jack shrugged. "I already did this while we were on tour."
Selena took in a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever questions Anita Tran had for her.
"All ready?" A voice drew their attention to the door where a bearded man with a headset peeked his head through the door.
"Mhm." Selena put on a smile for his sake, instantly dropping it when he left. She stood from the chair and turned towards the black leather couch where her children were. "Mama's gonna go do the interview now, okay?"
The both of them nodded before she opened her arms for a hug. "Good luck mom." Dylan told her.
"Thanks boo." She kissed their heads then turned around and met Jack's eyes.
He stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You sure you want to?"
"Yeah." She answered quietly, pushing his hands away and easing out of his embrace, making his heart drop. "I'll see you guys in a few." Walking out the door, she told them she loved them then continued to what looks like a movie set chair.
In less than a minute, a woman with a platinum blonde ponytail and a deep set of grey eyes sat across from Selena. The crinkles around her eyes showed when she grinned and shook Selena's hand. "Hi, I'm Anita, thanks for coming. I didn't think you'd want to do this."
Selena gave her a small smile. "I was a little reluctant at first, but I thought why not?"
Anita thanked her again once more, and then the cameras began filming and she sat up in her seat, switching to journalists mode.
"We're here with one of the most famous, non-famous, celebrity wives. Wife of Jack Mercer, Doctor, and Mother, Selena Mercer. So, let's jump into this, what is it like being married to the most famous rockstar in the industry?"
Selena pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and answered,
"Well, behind the music, there is a man who is a human being. His life is nearly my life, whether I like it or not, so it can be hard sometimes. And secondly, I'm not married to a rockstar. I'm married to a man who has emotions and needs and wants. The Jack you see, isn't the one I see. He's not the rockstar around me, he's just Jack. We're both still young, but we matured fast due to having kids at a young age and I think that's what keeps the both of us grounded, honestly. There isn't a rockstar life for us outside of the rockstar life that you guys see."
"Thanks for setting me straight." Anita joked. "How does the marriage work? I mean with long distance and him always leaving? Isn't it difficult than most marriages?"
Selena nodded. "When he's on tour, it's on Jack and I to determine what kind of relationship we have. And the big part, is on me. Like what do I bring to the marriage? I could be the wife who understands and supports him or I could be the wife who makes it hard and makes him feel guilty for not being with us all the time. And I choose not to be that wife. We would talk every day. He'd call me whenever he finished a show or whenever he landed in another city and just whenever we both have time."
"Is there ever a time where you tell him he can't go on tour?"
"Never. Tour is where the money comes from and we have to pay the bills cause my job won't cover everything that we have, so telling him that he can't go on tour and do his job isn't an option."
"Jack is an amazing performer and is apart of an amazing band. He has incredible stage performance and he connects with his audience, what is it like to watch the man you love perform? Especially out in front of girls who throw their undergarments at him? Does it ever get weird?"
Selena chuckled. "No. If that's the only thing I pay attention to during his whole performance l, then I'm doing something wrong. There's something about watching him, completely lost in his element and doing something he's in been in love with since forever. I'm backstage a lot of the times, so I know who's getting in and who's getting out."
Selena could tell by the dark look in Anita's storm clouded eyes that she was about to start asking questions that were going to be more difficult and deeper than the last ones.
"And that leads us into our next question." Anita rested her elbow on the arm of her chair as her index finger was placed beneath her brow. "Because he is a rockstar and he's away for months at a time, and it's a part of the life. Do you ever wonder if he's cheating on you?"
Selena shifted in her seat and gave an uncomfortable smile. "Um, I don't ever think he is. I trust him and I feel that if he ever did cheat then it would be brought to my attention either by him or her or God."
Anita squinted her eyes and nodded. "Have you two thought about a third child?"
"It's been talked about, but I'm not sure yet. I'm happy with my kids now and if a third one was to be born, I'd love it just the same, but as for now, I think we're okay."
Anita straightened out her back and bored her eyes into Selena's. "Isn't there already supposed to be a third child?"
Selena's gut immediately twisted into a knot, her palms becoming moist. "Huh?" She stalled, caught off guard and not fully grasping why a stranger would ask such a personal question.l, especially when she had no knowledge of someone knowing.
"A third child...I heard that you and Jack suffered a miscarriage a few years back. Were you not taking care of yourself, was it the drinking problem you had, or was it the time you were in the com- "
Selena blinked back tears and before Anita could finish, she cut her off. "Can we take a break, please?" She asked, already getting up from her chair.
Liam put a hand on the small of her back and led her to a chair behind black curtains that was towards the back where she was separated from the crew and Anita.
"Where's Jack?" She croaked, taking the tissue that Liam had just offered her, dabbing the tears under her eyes.
"He went to get Naomi's blanket cause she was starting to fall asleep. I'll go get him." Liam walked out and pulled back the curtain, leaving Selena alone as she cried.
No matter how many years went by, the miscarriage that they had both suffered from still hurt them. They lost a child and Selena could've also lost her life. It was something that they never spoke about, and they wanted to forget that it ever happened.
After another minute, the curtain was pulled open by Jack. He kneeled down, staring up at her with worry filling his blue eyes. "What happened?" He asked softly, putting a hand on her knee.
Opening her mouth to speak, nothing but shattered breaths fell out as she failed to get out what she was trying to say.
Jack rubbed her arm. "Breath baby, breathe." He told her.
Selena wiped her tears with the tissue then steadied her breathing, only getting her to babble,
"She asked me about the miscarriage and she asked if it was from my drinking or cause of the coma and every time I think about the miscarriage, I think about what happened that night and I did drink after we had that fight and I don't know what exactly it was that took our baby but I do know that it was my fault one way or another...And even the kids we do have, I can't take care of them. We almost lost them too for God's sake." She finally took in a deep breath and sniffled hard, then croaked the next few words, "Maybe I'm just not meant to be a mom."
Jack's brows were drawn together as he shook his head. "What? Baby, that was not your fault, it never was. We have two beautiful children now and they're healthy and smart and great kids. We're doing an amazing job with them and I am so lucky to have you as the mother of my kids. Nothing else is going to go wrong, Selena, I promise you that I will not ever let that happen again."
Jack stood up and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, we're leaving." He pulled her out from behind the curtains and began walking to the dressing room. "Alright, that's it. We're done." Jack announced, getting displeased feedback from the crew and Anita that they both ignored.
Liam then walked towards the man behind the camera who still had it rolling, filming everything. "Turn this shit off." He then glared over at Anita. "We said, no fucking personal questions."
As they walked back to the dressing room, they could hear Liam shouting at everyone, letting them know that they crossed the line.
Once they got into the dressing room, Selena seen that the kids were asleep on the couch and she thanked God because they had no ideas about the miscarriage, it'd be a difficult thing to explain.
But then, how did Anita know? Jack and Selena never spoke about it and only a few people knew about it.
Bloggers and journalists always had their ways digging up dirt that most people didn't know about and they didn't care if it hurt anyone either, they only cared about the mess they were willing to make.
Jack framed Selena's face in his hands, thumbing her tears away. "I should've never let you do this. I'm so sorry." He pecked her forehead, then held her tightly.
Soaking his hoodie with tears, she held onto the back of his forearms as he comforted her with his warm embrace.
Jack leaned against the headboard as Selena's head rested at the foot of the bed. She stopped crying just about an hour ago, but it still bothered her that someone asked that.
Jack took a gulp of his beer as Selena asked, "Do you really want another kid, Jack?"
"Do you?"
Jack sat the beer on the nightstand and watched as Selena rose her brows almost frustratingly. "I'm asking you if you want to."
"You already know my answer." Jack began undoing the watch on his wrist. "I told you that I do like last week." He said, placing it on the nightstand next to the beer.
"Oh."
"Do you?" His tongue then grazed the bottom of his lip as he intently stared at her, waiting on a hopeful, "yes."
"I don't know anymore." She shrugged. "Do you think we can handle another kid?"
"I mean we can afford it and we just turned thirty, so it's not late and won't be late until another few years, so there's also no reason to rush. I'm not going anywhere, so if you're not ready then I understand, babe. I'm gonna always be right here."