Wesley had warned Bentley and me about who we spent time with while we were here. I’d brushed him off that night. I knew he was an asshole, but now I couldn’t help but wonder if he was right.
The clock on the living room wall chimed, announcing the top of the hour. I glanced toward it, not surprised to see it was late. Seven o’clock to be exact.
Mia would be finished working in an hour. She’d given me space today to work on songs, but she would want to see me this evening. I wasn’t sure if I could face her just yet. Too much didn’t make sense and I couldn’t wrap my head around anything.
I should have spoken with Bentley after I returned from Mia’s suite. All I could do was tell him that Mia was asleep. He wanted to get Andi involved, but I asked him not to say anything until I spoke with Mia. It hadn’t been easy to get him to quit asking questions or to promise me he wouldn’t tell Andi.
Since no one had shown up at my door, I figured he kept his word. He would also be looking for me soon. We usually met around this time for drinks. Guess that’s why I was hesitant about going to the bar. I didn’t know if I could talk to anyone about what I’d discovered.
Then again, maybe it would help. I was just too afraid of finding out that nothing was what I thought it to be, including my relationship with Mia. Losing her meant more than losing our opportunity in the music industry. It meant losing a part of myself.
Forcing myself to stand, I slid my keycard into my pocket as I stared at the one to Mia’s suite. I debated on placing it in my back pocket, where I kept it. Would I even need it tonight?
A text distracted me from my thoughts. I grabbed my cell off the bar and opened the message Bentley sent. It surprised me that he’d taken this long to send one.
Dude, where are you? Are you okay? I’m worried you’ve gone to do something stupid. If you don’t reply back, I’m coming to find you.
Releasing a long sigh, I knew my time was up. I punched in a reply, not wanting to divulge too much information over text.
I’m about to leave my suite. We’ll chat when I get there.
Tucking my phone in another pocket, I didn’t wait to see if Bentley replied. Instead, I left the suite in my wake and headed toward the arena. I’d never dreaded going there as much as I did tonight.
A warm breeze greeted me as I trudged across the ground, each step making my stomach twist. My mother always taught me to hope for the best but to expect the worst. She thought it would make the disappointment less traumatic. Maybe it did, but I think it taught me to be pessimistic. So did a nasty breakup with the world’s craziest woman.
After a quick sweep through the entrance and hallway, I moved into the bar and lingered by the opening. It was a packed house tonight. Mia and Andi were at the end of the opposite bar, working as usual. She was so invested in whatever she was doing that she didn’t see me.
As always, she was beautiful, and yet, I noticed something odd. Her skin was pale. It was hard to see her from this distance, but something had me questioning the truth behind the text she’d sent me. Perhaps she had been sick. This could be what I hoped it was . . . My overactive imagination.
I spotted Bentley when I was a few feet from the corner where we always sat. He was downing a beer from the bucket in front of him. Judging by the three other empty bottles, it wasn’t his first.
Just as I sat down, Max faced my direction. He held a bourbon bottle in one hand and a beer in the other. I pointed to the liquor bottle, giving him a thumbs-up before focusing on Bentley.
“You look like shit,” he smirked.
“I didn’t sleep well. Had a lot of shit on my mind.”
“That’s understandable.” Bentley drummed his fingers against the counter as if he were contemplating what else to say. “You going to clue me in to what’s going on, or do I have to guess?”
Once Max set my drink in front of me, I thanked him. It gave me a much-needed distraction. I had to collect my thoughts and decide whether to share what I’d seen with Bentley.
“You have no idea how fucked up my head is right now.”
“You’re right. I don’t know. You won’t talk to me.” He grabbed another beer from his bucket and twisted the cap. Then he chugged a few drinks.
“Ben, I’m not even sure what I saw. I don’t know how to explain it to you when I don’t understand it myself.”
“It’s easy. Go back to the moment you went barreling out of your suite and into Mia’s. Recount each step with me and tell me what happened.”
If only it were that simple. He had no clue what talking about this would do. I didn’t trust my voice not to reveal the emotions I was struggling with.
“You should have let me talk to Andi last night. If she doesn’t have an answer, she will damn well get you one.”
“Again, I’m not sure what’s going on yet. Part of me thinks Wesley and Izzy are up to something. The other part isn’t sure.”
“What do you mean? What do they have to do with anything?”
“I’m just overthinking everything. My mind is in overdrive.”
“Well, I’m ready to overextend my foot and give you a swift kick in the ass if you don’t start talking. Ayden, I’m serious. What the hell is going on with you?”
I exhaled as a bitter taste formed in my mouth. I didn’t want to do this. Talk. Think. Feel.
“Mia and Izzy . . . They’re half-sisters. That doesn’t mean they’re anything alike, right?”
“Of course not. You said that yourself already. Why are you questioning it now?”
I didn’t get the chance to answer him. A pair of arms wrapped around me as firm breasts pressed against my back. In an instant, I flung away the arms entrapping me and stood. I pivoted on my foot, ready to give Izzy a mouthful for touching me until I realized it was Mia.
It was only a brief moment, but I saw something in her eyes that made me feel ashamed. Fear. After spending the night thinking about everything that had happened up to this point, I was so sure it was Izzy coming to mess with me.
“I’m sorry,” I spoke the words softly as I reached for her only to hesitate a second later. She didn’t. A few steps brought her less than a foot from my face.
“No, it was my fault. I startled you.”
“Only because I thought Izzy was trying to mess with us again.” This time, I pulled her closer. The longer I stared into her eyes, the harder I searched for the truth. Had she slept with another guy?
Guilt consumed me as soon as the thought crossed my mind. How could I doubt Mia after what we’d shared? I promised her that I trusted her. I was doing the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do. I was allowing my insecurities to mess with me.
“I missed you this morning. When I saw you here, I shut down early so we could spend some time together since last night was a bust.”
“Yeah.” I regretted the sarcasm in my tone as soon as I said the word. She noticed it right away, just like I knew she would.
“I’m sorry about last night.”
Was this her way of admitting her guilt and at the same time, hiding what she did? “What do you have to be sorry about?”
“Because I got sick last night. I don’t know what happened, and I’m still not feeling up to par but I’m better.”
My eyes fluttered closed. I focused on Mia’s words, dissecting them, questioning them, churning them over and over until I couldn’t take the thought of what they might mean.
“Ayden?” Her hand warmed my cheek as I looked at her.
“Mia, I have to know something.”
“What is it?”
I found what strength I had and forced myself to ask the question. “Were you alone last night?”
Her face contorted in confusion. “Of course I was. I sent you a message and explained that I wasn’t feeling good. I went straight to bed after I sent it to you.” She studied my face a moment. “Why are you asking me this?”
“Some guy was in your room last night.”
“What?”
“Ben
tley saw him leaving your room. When I found out, I came to check on you.”
She studied me a moment as her forehead wrinkled. “Are you being serious right now?”
“Yes. I have a right to know the truth.”
“I went back to my room alone last night. I told you I wasn’t feeling well.”
“If that’s the case, why did Bentley see someone leaving your room just an hour after you sent me a text asking me to stay away? Was it a cover-up?”
“For what?” Her voice hit a higher tone. If not for the music coming from the stage, I was sure a bunch of people would have been looking our way.
I hated what my questions were doing to her as much as I hated the fact that I was asking them. Her reaction had me second-guessing myself until I remembered how well Izzy had played me. She would have made a great actress with her fake tears because they were believable. Now I was wondering if Mia had the same acting ability. Was this for real, or was it an act to make me feel like a piece of shit once again?
“Were you trying to keep me away so you and some guy could hook up?”
At this point, I had no control over my mouth. Each word I uttered sunk me further into a hole I wouldn’t be able to escape. I was drowning in my own stupidity, or was it my salvation? Was I preventing myself from going down another road that would end in some woman ripping out my heart?
“I can’t believe you just asked me that? What is wrong with you, Ayden? Why are you acting this way?”
Nosing closer, I stared into her eyes. “I was worried when I got your text and decided that I didn’t care if you were getting sick. I was coming to take care of you. I went to your medicine cabinet to see if you had a thermometer.” The lump in my throat wobbled when I tried to swallow. “That’s when I saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“The condom floating in the toilet, one I know for a fact didn’t come off my dick.”
Her nostrils flared as tears began to well. “You think I’d sleep with someone after what we’ve shared?”
Shrugging, I tried to turn off my feelings. “It wouldn’t be the first time a girl cheated on me.”
“I didn’t cheat on you. I have no idea how Bentley could have seen someone coming from my room!” She got a strange look in her eye and then said, “It must be Wesley. That’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
Nodding again, I gritted my teeth. “How could Wesley be involved in this? If he wanted to set you up, he would have been the one coming out of your room. Just be honest with me, Mia.”
“I’m telling you the truth. Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because I’m insecure, okay?” I growled the words. “You did something similar to me after Izzy showed up. You questioned me the night you thought I was smiling at her.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “You’re right, but I didn’t accuse you of sleeping with her.”
The moment she stood, a wave of panic flooded every one of my senses. I grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. “Don’t leave.”
“I’m going to find Wesley and figure out what’s going on. There is no way that he isn’t involved. Then, maybe you’ll believe what I’m telling you.”
Jerking her hand out of my grip, she stormed off to the other side of the bar, escaping my grasp when I reached for her. “Mia, wait.”
My voice was muffled by the music. She was too far away to hear me, but Andi wasn’t. I didn’t miss the frown on her face when I turned toward her and Bentley.
“What the hell just happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
As soon as I stood, Andi came up to me and pushed me back onto the stool. “I don’t care if you want to or not. Bentley said something was wrong with you. Now I’ve witnessed you and Mia arguing. What’s going on, Ayden?”
“Why don’t you tell me, Andi? You’re Mia’s best friend and assistant. Is she telling the truth about how she feels about me, or is this all just a game to her?”
Andi’s mouth gaped a few seconds before she tightened her lips. “I’m not sure I should even acknowledge your question. I’m shocked you even asked it.”
“You wouldn’t be if you saw what I did.”
She cocked her head as she studied me. “What exactly did you see, Ayden?”
I stuttered for a response. Saying this wasn’t getting any easier. I didn’t want to be the asshole I was being, but this was my life. I had to protect myself from being screwed over again. Granted, Mia wasn’t out for my money. I didn’t have any yet, regardless of the record deal. Besides, losing money wouldn’t hurt me as much as being played the fool.
“Bentley spotted a guy coming out of Mia’s suite when he came to get your sweater.”
“What the—”
“Let me finish,” I insisted. “I went over right after he came to my suite and told me. When I got there, Mia was asleep. I knew she wasn’t feeling well, so I went to look for a thermometer in the bathroom. I found something else.”
Choking on the words that were supposed to follow, I swallowed the acid creeping up my throat. I hated this, especially the way Andi was looking at me.
“What did you find?”
“There was a condom in the toilet. It wasn’t mine.”
Between Bentley’s open mouth and Andi’s wide eyes, I wasn’t sure who was more shocked at my words. They glanced at each other, both shaking their heads before turning back to me.
“Don’t you see what’s happening?” Andi snorted.
“You think Wesley is setting her up. So does she. That’s why she stormed off. She said she’s going to confront him.”
“Great.” Andi slapped her hands against her sides. “I cannot believe you would question this. How many times has she told you about him and the things he’s done to her?”
This time, I raised my hand and motioned her to stop talking. “Mia hasn’t told me much. All I know is that she found out Wesley lied to her and caused her and her first boyfriend to split. She also said Izzy’s conspired with him before, which I thought about tonight too. I haven’t seen Izzy today, or believe me, I would have questioned her.”
Slumping her shoulders, Andi massaged her temples and released a deep sigh. “It’s not my place to tell you all the details. Mia will in time. Honestly, I’m not sure you deserve to know now.” She raked her eyes over me then backed away. “You have no idea how wrong you are about this. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make sure Mia is okay.”
“Andi, I never said . . .”
She didn’t wait to hear me explain. Instead, she waved away my comment and rushed toward the other side of the bar. Bentley pleaded with her not to leave, but she wouldn’t look at him. It made my guilt increase.
When he turned back to me, stress wrinkled his face. “What the hell, man? Did you really accuse Mia of sleeping with another guy?”
“It wasn’t my intention to accuse her of anything. It came out wrong.”
“So you don’t believe she cheated?”
“I don’t know. All of this is like a dream. You think you may have had one, but you can’t recall any details. I don’t know what to think.”
I motioned to Max to bring me another drink then downed the one he’d set in front of me. I’d let it sit long enough to get warm, but I didn’t care. I wanted to feel numb.
Stupid idiot. That’s what I was. I should have thought this conversation through before I brought it up to Mia. I had no proof that she’d slept with anyone. My fear was driving me to react to this situation, and poorly at that.
“Ayden, are you sure you saw what you did? I’ve heard stories about Wesley, how he’s set her up in the past. It makes more sense that he’s doing it again.”
“You’re right. This could be a setup. Still, I can’t deny things have been weird between Mia and me since Izzy showed up.”
“I think that shit is in your head. What woman wouldn’t be upset to find out that her sister and her boyfriend used to date?”
“She
thought I was smiling at Izzy the other night.”
Bentley took a drink from his beer then played with the label. “I understand why Mia was worried. Andi said Izzy ruined her first relationship as much as Wesley did. I don’t know what went down, but Andi blamed both of them for what happened.”
“I can’t draw any conclusions until Mia and I have a rational conversation.”
Hopefully, Mia would still talk to me after what I’d said to her.
As much as I wanted to find her and ask her to speak in private, I wanted something else more—to confront Wesley. I needed to question him myself. Depending on his answers, I might even let my fist do the talking for me. He didn’t deserve any less. Either way, he was fucking with my head.
I didn’t think about anything else but finding him. There was an urge inside of me, an urge to beat the truth out of Wesley. He wasn’t worth it, of course. I knew that deep down. Still, it didn’t steady my pulse or the anger rising in me. I felt like a bomb about to explode.
“Where are you going?” Bentley called to me, but I didn’t answer. I continued around the bar until I reached the end.
If the arena were on its hydraulic system, I would have been near the VIP box. Instead, I walked into the open space between the end of the bar and the stage. A few choreographers were working with clients, but for the most part, the area was full of people chatting.
I weaved my way through the crowd as adrenaline pumped through me. If Wesley were in the arena, he would most likely be hanging out backstage near his office. By the time I was halfway there, I spotted Wesley near the steps that led to the left wing. He talked with a younger girl, probably in her early twenties. Whatever he said, it made her laugh. There was no doubt she was flirting with him.
Fucking asshole. If he was the person trying to sabotage my relationship with Mia, no way was I allowing him to stalk his next play toy. Before I was through with him, no woman would want to be near him. It would be impossible anyway.
I would leave him in a full body cast.
Chapter 15
~Mia~
Love Desired Page 15