Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2

by McCracken, Kelli

  I thought closing the door would erase her from my thoughts. Out of sight, out of mind. Yeah, right. The old adage was bullshit. Mia hadn’t left my mind since the day I met her.

  “Earth to Ayden. Dude, you already drinking?” Bentley chuckled.

  “Sorry. I zoned out for a minute, but I haven’t been drinking.”

  “Well, you should be. Dude, it’s your birthday. Live a little.”

  Living with a broken heart was hard. The constant fullness in my chest made it difficult to breathe. I couldn’t remember a time when I was this miserable.

  “We made plans earlier. I was just waiting on you, but I guess you . . . Never mind.”

  I pushed off the couch and double-checked my pocket for my key. I didn’t get two steps toward the door before Bentley raised his hands.

  “Hang on a second. What were you going to say?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go. I’m ready for a drink.”

  “Hell, no. Tell me, Ayden.”

  Damn it. Why did he have to be so insistent? He didn’t know how to leave something alone.

  “I was headed to your suite earlier, but when I opened the door, I saw you and Andi.”

  Leaving it at that, I knew he would figure out the rest. Sure enough, he did. His mouth parted just before he snorted. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that man. We, uh . . . we’re together again.”

  Big surprise. I knew it would only be a matter of time. While I understood why Andi was upset with him, it wasn’t like he’d cheated on her. No. I was the one who looked guilty of cheating. Izzy made sure of it. Now I had lost Mia for good.

  “Congratulations, Ben. I’m happy for you. Andi’s a good person.”

  “Too good for me. You know my history. I’ve never had a serious relationship. Never wanted one.”

  “Until Andi.” It wasn’t a question for him to answer, but he nodded anyway. “Come on. Let’s go drink.”

  Once we made it into the hallway, I closed my door and followed Bentley toward the main exit. Mia’s door came into view, but she was no longer standing there. I didn’t expect her to be, but part of me wished she were. It hurt to see her, but at the same time, it was like I could take a breath without feeling like I was suffocating.

  The sun hit my face once I walked outside. It had begun its descent into the horizon. I’d watched it rise in the East this morning after tossing and turning most of the night. Back when Mia went missing, I’d spent many mornings doing the same. It had become a habit, one that helped me do a lot of soul-searching.

  This morning had been no different. It was the moment that I decided to never allow myself to care for another woman. It’s not like I could when I was so messed up over Mia. For the amount of time we were together, she’d managed to claim my heart. I’d never fallen in love with someone as fast I had her.

  I contributed it to the fact that we became friends before it went any further. I’d never had that with any other woman. Izzy was a one-night stand that turned into a regular fling that I eventually allowed to move in with me. That’s when she started fucking with my head. We were never friends. I tried to be a hero and save her from what I thought was a bad situation. All she did was use me.

  “You’re too damn quiet,” Bentley grumbled as he waited for me to catch up. “And too slow. Maybe you need one of those shots with the energy drink. We gotta get you out of this funk.”

  Good luck . . .

  I kept the thought to myself as we approached the arena. “I’m good. Those things wire me. I don’t feel like being wired.”

  “Ayden, I know this is about Mia. I understand but don’t let it get you down tonight. Celebrate the fact that you’ve made it to twenty-seven fucking years old. Life’s too short to worry about anything else.”

  He was right. I knew it, but it was easy for him to tell me this after he and Andi reconciled. Would he be saying the same shit if they hadn’t?

  Trudging through the hallway, I kept my thoughts to myself. I didn’t want to argue with Bentley. He would stick by what he’d said no matter what. None of this would matter after a few drinks, anyway. I would silence my mind.

  As soon as we sat on the stools in our favorite spot, Max approached us. “There’s the birthday guy. Are you ready to celebrate?”

  His response left me speechless. I never told him what day I was born. It must have been Bentley.

  “Thanks, and yes. The usual.”

  “I’ll take one too,” Bentley added.

  Max’s face scrunched in confusion. I imagined mine looked the same. We both were gawking at Bentley, disbelieving what he said. Not one time since we arrived had he drank liquor. It was always beer.

  “What?” he asked in a defensive tone. “I’m celebrating with my buddy tonight. You only live once, right?”

  What was with him and the whole life is short comments?

  “All right. Two bourbons coming up.” Max went to work on our drinks while Bentley pulled out his phone. He tapped his screen a few times, then began typing. After another tap, I heard the sound of a text sending.

  “You’re away from her for fifteen minutes and you’re already texting.” I forced myself to smile after teasing him.

  “She texted me first. I was just responding.”

  I didn’t reply. Max had returned with our drinks. “Here you go, guys. Happy Birthday, Ayden. I hope you enjoy your evening.”

  “Thanks, Max.” I had barely spoken the words when I heard someone else wishing me a happy birthday. Ryan and Jason gave me fist-bumps once they approached me.

  “We wanted to stop in and have a drink with you for your birthday.” Ryan patted me on the back as Jason stared at our glasses.

  “What are you two drinking?”

  “Bourbon,” Bentley and I answered at the same time.

  “Guess that’s what we’re all drinking then.” Jason faced Max who was already getting the glasses ready. It didn’t take him long to pour the amber-colored liquor into them or bring them back.

  “You da’ man,” Ryan’s hearty voice made Max laugh.

  Once he left to wait on other guests, I consumed half of my drink. I could feel my friends watching me, but ignored them. They were all involved with someone. I was the one who was alone. If I wanted to drink because of it, it was my right.

  “Looks like someone’s performing tonight.” Jason pointed to the stage. “I didn’t see any concerts on the schedule.”

  “Yeah, me neither,” Ryan added. He, Jason, and Bentley all turned to look at the stage. I kept facing the bar, caring little about their discussion. All I wanted to do was make it through the night.

  “Mic check.” A thick British accent accompanied the voice sounding over the speakers. I tried to tune out the sound as I finished off my drink and accepted another one from Max. Guess he was keeping my glass on full tonight. I appreciated it more than he knew.

  “Holy shit,” Jason mumbled.

  Before I could ask what was wrong with him, the same voice resonated over the speakers again. “This one goes out to Ayden McAllister. Happy Birthday, bro. Hope it rocks.”

  A sudden coldness hit my core. I turned to face the stage once I heard my name. What I discovered had me blinking hard and rubbing my eyes. It couldn’t possibly be who I thought it was.

  Then the music began. I stared in disbelief as I watched Distortion play on stage. How was it possible that my favorite band was not only performing live, but they’d also wished me a happy birthday? Was this a dream?

  “Good evening gentlemen.”

  I turned toward the voice and found a man staring back at me. I didn’t recognize him, but for some reason, I felt like I should. He was older than me. The lines on his face said as much, as did the gray stands peeking through his jet-black hair. It matched his mustache and goatee. Blue eyes gazed out of gold-rimmed glasses and seemed to hold humor within them.

  “Pardon the interruption, but which one of you is Ayden McAllister?”

  I pointed to myself. “I am.” />
  He reached his hand forward to shake mine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McAllister, and Happy Birthday.”

  “Thank you . . . How do you know it’s my birthday?”

  “I will explain.” His mouth widened in a smile as he raised a glass he’d been holding at his side. “Do you mind if I get a refill first?”

  Shaking my head, I said nothing as Jason got up from his seat and offered it to the stranger. He motioned for Ryan to scoot over another stool once he did. Both were observing the man just as intently as Bentley and me.

  “Hey, Max. Can I get a scotch, clean?” He glanced at my friends and me again. “Does anyone else need a drink?”

  We all shook our heads. No one said anything, but I knew they were just as confused and curious as I was. Whoever he was, he was confident. The way he carried himself said he held a lot of clout.

  Once Max filled his order, the man focused on me. “So, I should probably introduce myself. My name is George Thompson.”

  My throat dried. “The George Thompson, as in the most famous entertainment agent in the world, the same one who represents Distortion?”

  “That would be the one.”

  “Holy shit,” I mumbled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “The same, Ayden. I understand you’ve been a huge fan of my clients for years.”

  The more he talked, the more confusion spun through me. How did he know so much about me when I’d never met him before tonight?

  “You’re correct. Distortion is part of the reason why my friends and I have pursued music careers. This is Bentley Price, the drummer for our band.” I waited as they made their introductions. “To your right is Jason O’Neal, our bass guitarist, and beside him is Ryan Connor, lead guitar.”

  They took a moment to say hello to each other while I stared at George in disbelief. After they were finished, he drank his scotch and observed me.

  “So, to answer your question, I knew this day was personal to you because someone called and asked me to bring Distortion here to perform for a birthday.”

  “Who?”

  George took another sip of his drink. “The daughter of dear friends of mine. She told me that someone special to her was having a birthday and asked if I could get the guys to perform. She said you were a huge fan but never had a chance to see them play live.”

  Was he talking about Mia or Izzy? Both knew how much I loved this group. They knew I’d never seen them in concert. The friends he mentioned could have been Brandon Brooks and his wife, but I was guessing he meant Mia’s father, and possibly her mother.

  Still, this didn’t seem like something Mia would do. She didn’t want to forgive me, let alone speak to me. Why would she ask my favorite band to come here and perform?

  If she didn’t, it meant Izzy had. It made more sense, especially as hard as she’d been pretending to want me back. Her lies didn’t fool me. This was all a show for her sister. If she’d invited a band here for me, I’m sure Mia was all the more convinced that I’d fucked Izzy.

  Damn it. I could not catch a break.

  After a few more drinks, George set his half-full glass on the counter and chuckled. “I’ll admit that when she called, it surprised me. I’ve told her for years that she could call if she needed anything, but she’s never asked me to—what’s the old adage—pull strings.”

  “And you’re saying she did this time?” I still didn’t know whom he was referring to when George nodded his head.

  “The guys just came off a six-month tour. They were ready for a vacation. Once they heard about the situation, they decided to postpone and come here.” George’s gaze drifted past me. His face lit up a second later. “Here she comes now.”

  I snapped my head toward the left bar, hoping like hell I didn’t see Izzy. My gut twisted at the thought. If she’d convinced George Thompson that she as a sweet, kind person, he was a bigger fool than I was.

  What I saw in place of Izzy had me doing a double take. Mia and Andi were walking together as usual. The difference was both were looking toward our group, and they were smiling.

  I’d never considered the possibility that he could be referring to Andi. He never said that his friends owned Music Haven. Maybe she was just showing me kindness on my birthday since I was alone. Now that she and Bentley had made up, perhaps she was willing to forgive me too.

  “Such a beauty, isn’t she?” George spoke the words in a soft voice. “Just like her mother.”

  I still wasn’t sure which one he meant until he opened his arms and stood. “Mia, darling. You’re as gorgeous as ever. Wow . . . you’re the spitting image of your mother.”

  “That’s the best compliment anyone could ever give me. Thank you, George. It’s good to see you.” She leaned in to hug the older man as I realized he must have been a friend of Morgan Brooks before she passed. Maybe he’d had a thing for her. Who knew? It didn’t matter either way. All I cared about was the fact that Mia had invited my favorite band to perform on my birthday.

  Now that I knew it was her, I only had one question. Why?

  Mia’s eyes seared me every second I remained the center of her attention. My heart seemed to beat slowly as my skin pimpled. Then a wave of heat engulfed me from head to toe. The reaction was nothing new. She’d always had that effect on me. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much I needed her to need me.

  “Happy Birthday, Ayden.”

  I worked my mouth to form words, but nothing came out. God, I missed her. She had no clue how saying something so simple had such an impact on my heart. This wasn’t just me wanting her. This was me needing her.

  “Thank you,” I finally answered. “It’s been a good birthday.” My voice didn’t shake like I feared it would. Many thoughts and emotions were barreling through me. There was no point in getting up my hopes. Just because she’d done something nice for me didn’t mean she’d forgiven me. It didn’t prove we’d get back together.

  Still, George said Mia told him the birthday was for someone special to her. What exactly did she mean by special? How could I be anything to her when just a few days ago she wouldn’t talk to me? Had something changed?

  Maybe it was my comment the day she followed me out of the arena. I’d snapped at her. She never said anything after that nor did I.

  Instead, I’d gone back to my suite and fell apart. I couldn’t take it anymore. Being around her hurt too much. It was like someone knocked a hole in my chest and I couldn’t catch my breath. She was the air I needed.

  The more questions I asked myself, the more confused I became. None of this made sense.

  “I’m glad to hear you’ve had a good day.” Mia’s voice resonated through my body, awakening every nerve within it. It remained that way, even when she turned her attention to George. “I’m off to meet with the new sound producer I hired. I’ll try to catch up with you later.”

  “Take care of your business, sweet girl. I’ll be here until morning.”

  Nodding at him, she glanced my way once more, then acknowledged my friends. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen.”

  A round of thanks came from Bentley, Ryan, and Jason before Mia walked back toward the left bar. Andi was just behind her. She stole a kiss from Bentley before she sprinted off. I assumed both were going backstage. That’s where the sound producer office was located.

  With every step she took, my eyes followed until she was out of my sight. Then the ache returned. It forced me to spin back toward the bar and grab my drink. I finished the last bit before I caught George staring at me.

  “Something happened on your end to cause the breakup, right?”

  His question caught me off guard. I was glad that Bentley, Jason, and Ryan were discussing something else instead of listening to our conversation. Had Mia told him what happened between us or was I easy to read?

  “I believed something I shouldn’t have, and I let it fester until it ruined what we had.”

  As much as I respected George, I didn’
t want to give him every detail of what went down between Mia and me. It reminded me of what a fool I had been and the one time I was no better than Wesley.

  I never wanted to be compared to him, but the night Mia left, I’d treated her horribly. How could I expect her to forgive me? Deep down, I didn’t. It’s why I was struggling with the fact that she’d cashed-in a favor with George and brought my favorite band here.

  George released a long sigh as he played with the rim of his glass. “For someone who went through tough times in her adolescence, she hasn’t let it break her. She takes after her mother, Morgan.”

  It seemed as if he wanted to say something else. Instead, he finished his drink. I assumed it had something to do with his friendship with Morgan, but I decided not to pry. Some things were better left unsaid.

  “For what it’s worth, Ayden, I believe Mia’s forgiven you.”

  Those were dangerous words he was tossing around. He didn’t know the power they held over me. “What makes you think so?”

  “Mia doesn’t ask for favors even though half of this industry owes her plenty. She’s worked for everything she has. Brandon Brooks trained her from the time she was a wee little thing to run this place.”

  “That’s what I’ve been told.”

  George nodded and glanced back toward the bar. “It was a good thing he didn’t depend on his son. Mia’s father, Shane, had a breakdown after Morgan’s death. When Brandon’s wife, Amelia, died a few years later, he was all Mia had.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. I’d never heard much about Mia’s family other than the fact that her mom died when she was young, and it was because of Izzy’s mother. It was enlightening to hear more about what happened.

  “I’m sorry to bore you with stories I’m sure you’ve heard.”

  “It’s interesting hearing it from another point of view,” I assured him.

  “Dude, you need another drink,” Bentley said as he slapped me on the shoulder. “It’s your birthday. Let’s party.”

  As he called for Max, I noticed George smiling. “You want another drink?”