“That was Chris. We need to get over to his office right now.”
Once he stood and helped me up, he grabbed my hand and started for the door. Confusion flooded me but not as much as fear.
“What did Chris say?”
Ayden continued rushing toward the door, dragging me just behind him. He didn’t stop to answer my question, but at least he gave me one. “Izzy’s at Chris’s office. She’s bleeding, Mia. He thinks she may be having a miscarriage.”
Chapter 14
~Mia~
I struggled to keep stride with Ayden as we rushed through the main doors of the condo. He broke the grasp he had on my hand then slid into the passenger side of the golf cart. I did the same as I sat behind the wheel and then sped toward Chris’s office.
Ayden didn’t say anything nor did he look at me. He gripped the seat with one hand and the roof support-bar with the other. His jaw set while he stared ahead. I wasn’t sure what thoughts were rolling through his mind. Was he nervous? Frustrated? Hopeful?
Although I didn’t wish any harm on my niece or nephew, I knew what type of life the child would be born into. If Izzy was miscarrying . . . I hated to think it, but it might be best.
It wasn’t that I was envious of her. Even if the baby belonged to Ayden, it didn’t mean I wanted what she had. Yes. I wanted children. I needed them to carry on Music Haven, but I didn’t want to have them until I was married.
My ring came into view once I parked the golf cart. Ayden wanted to marry me. He even mentioned wanting a family someday. If Izzy ended up miscarrying, I knew I wouldn’t be able to have children anytime soon. Unlike her, I didn’t want to cause her pain.
Ayden hopped off the golf cart by the time I turned off the key. He rushed inside the building before I could reach the door. After I followed him inside, voices sounded from the back part of the office.
When no one came to greet us, Ayden reached for my hand and marched toward the patient rooms. The closer we came to them, the more I could make out the voices. Chris was urging Izzy to calm down and relax. Izzy was sobbing.
I wouldn’t know until I saw her face if her tears were sincere, but I hadn’t heard my sister cry in years. Hearing it now made my stomach knot. It sounded pitiful. Maybe I’d been wrong about her. Maybe Izzy really did love her child.
The instant I saw her face, my assumption appeared correct. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she covered her abdomen with her hands. She hadn’t noticed us hovering in the door, but the instant Ayden stepped forward, her eyes landed on him.
Still, she didn’t say anything. She extended her hand as though she were reaching to one of us. I knew it wasn’t me. She hated me with every beat of her heart. It’s Ayden she wanted to come closer.
A few seconds later, she got her wish.
Keeping my spot in the doorway, I said nothing as Ayden went toward Izzy. He didn’t grab her hand. Instead, he stared at Chris who was punching something into the sonogram machine.
“We made it, Chris. What’s going on?”
Chris continued what he was doing as he answered, “I just finished a pelvic exam. Izzy’s cervix isn’t completely sealed like it should be. I’m prepping an internal sonogram so I can get a closer look at what’s we’re dealing with. I’ll know more in a few minutes.”
After pressing a few more buttons, Chris grabbed a long wand from the machine and turned toward Izzy. As he gave her instructions on what to do, Ayden turned his back to them. Chris inserted the wand inside Izzy, coaching her to relax and breathe.
As soon as the wand was where it needed to be, Chris studied the screen on the machine, taking his time to observe certain areas inside my sister. It went on for what seemed like forever. Then again, everything felt like it was in slow motion. My heartbeat grew louder in my ears as I observed the whole thing from the doorway, feeling like an outsider spying on someone else’s private moment.
Izzy was fixated with the screen, taking in everything she could. At least it’s what I assumed. She’d been so quiet since we entered the room, I didn’t know what to think.
“Please, Chris. Tell me something. Your silence is scaring me.”
“Give me time, Izzy. You need to relax and let me finish. Once I do, we’ll check on the fetus.”
When Izzy’s eyes filled with tears, Ayden touched her shoulder. “Give Chris the chance to do his job, Izzy. He knows what he’s doing. It’s going to be okay.”
I couldn’t deny Ayden was a stand-up guy. He was doing the right thing by showing my sister compassion. I hoped my sister wasn’t reading more into it. Or maybe I wasn’t reading into it enough.
I questioned that thought the moment I witnessed Izzy grab Ayden’s hand. When he didn’t back away, my stomach rolled again. Acid crept up my throat, making me ill. So did the sight before me.
I didn’t think it would happen. No. I told myself it would happen. Guess I’d been wrong. Ayden and Izzy were bonding over this baby. I felt it in my bones. My sister was getting exactly what she wanted.
Vibration at my hip distracted my thoughts from the scene unfolding before me to the phone at my side. I released it from the clip and took a few steps back. It was just who I expected it to be. Greg Robinson, an old friend of the family and my acquaintance in New York.
I’d avoided giving him an answer on whether I was bringing a companion along for the trip for our meeting. Considering I’d be staying at his estate, I understood why he needed to know. I wanted to invite Ayden along and would have if he hadn’t received the call about Izzy. Now, my sister was possibly having a miscarriage, and I was needed out of town.
I hated to leave like this. I hated even more that deep down, I knew it was best if Ayden remained here. If something else happened with Izzy while we were gone, he’d be upset with himself, and possibly me, for leaving. As much as I wanted him to come along, after seeing him and my sister interact, I could no longer deny one fact. The life growing inside Izzy meant something to him. He kept denying it, but I could see the truth.
I loved that Ayden had a huge heart. On several occasions, he stopped to play with some of the children around Music Haven, making silly faces and voices, playing a game of Tag, or pushing a few on swings at the community park. The kids were crazy about him. I knew he’d make a good father someday. He was proving me right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t because of a child we were having together. It was because of my sister.
Sending the call to my voicemail, I clipped my phone back in the holster and waited to see if Chris had anything to say. He hadn’t spoken since he asked Izzy to relax and let him finish. Once he typed a few more notes into the sonogram keyboard, he faced Izzy again.
“I have good news.” He pointed to something on the screen. “Do you see that?”
Izzy and Ayden stared at the screen. Both frowned as if they were clueless about what they were seeing. When Chris turned a knob on the sonogram, thumping filled the room.
“Is that what I think it is?” My sister asked the question with hope in her eyes.
Chris nodded. “Yes. It’s your baby’s heartbeat. It’s a little slower than normal, but as far as I can see, you’re not miscarrying.”
“I’m not?” Excitement resonated in Izzy’s voice.
“No, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe. As I mentioned earlier, your cervix isn’t completely sealed. You need to be off your feet as much as possible, and you need to cut out stress. If you can do that, you increase your chances of carrying to term.”
“Bed rest is going to be hard. How will I eat or go to the bathroom? How will I get to my appointments?”
“Don’t worry,” Ayden assured her as he rubbed her shoulder. “We’ll work something out.”
Once Izzy folded her hand over his, she smiled at him. “You’re the best, Ayden. This baby will be so lucky to have you as a father.”
I half-expected Ayden to bring up the paternity test again. His silence caused my worry to increase. Perhaps he didn’t mention it because he didn’t wa
nt to upset Izzy, but I thought it was something worse. He was accepting the possibility that he was indeed the child’s father.
Unable to witness another second of them bonding, I turned from the room and made my way back to the waiting area. Thankfully, the floor didn’t creak as I left. I didn’t want anyone to see my departure—the one from Chris’s office or the one I would make when I got on the family jet at the airport.
My chest ached at the thought of making the trip without Ayden. It would have done us both good to get away for a few days. At this point, I no longer felt that way. It was best for him to stay behind and help Izzy. As much as the thought bothered me, something else did even more.
If Ayden was getting attached to the baby now, what would he be like once it was born?
* * *
~Ayden~
Izzy hated me at this point. I was sure of it. The way her mouth fell open and her eyes narrowed on me was all the proof I needed. As relieved as I was to know she wasn’t having a miscarriage, I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression.
I cared about the life inside of her, not Izzy. The baby was innocent. If I were the father, I had to look out for the child. Hell, even if I wasn’t the father, I still had an interest in what happened to the baby. It didn’t ask to be created. Its mother did that out of spite. Why should a child be born into this world under those circumstances?
The baby’s safety and welfare is the reason I asked Chris about home health nurses. It’s why I suggested one be hired to take care of Izzy while she was on bed rest. I knew she wanted me to be the person tending to her, but I refused. I wouldn’t do that to Mia. It was hard enough for her to know the baby could be mine.
When I turned to check on her, my chest constricted when I found the doorway empty. She’d remained there once I came inside the room. Now she was gone, and I knew why. She couldn’t handle the sight of me comforting Izzy. I wasn’t even sure why I’d done it, other than the fact that I wanted her to keep calm so Chris could complete his exam.
As I hurried toward the door, Izzy called my name. “Where are you going?”
“I have things to do.”
“Like chase after my sister?”
I didn’t miss the snarky tone of her voice or the devious grin she wore. After taking the higher road and doing what I could to help her while she thought she was miscarrying, she repays me by mocking me. I shouldn’t be surprised.
Refusing to give her any more of my time, I faced Chris, who was cleaning up the equipment he’d used for the sonogram. “If anything else happens, let me know. Otherwise, I won’t be back until the paternity test is done. If you need more blood from me, let me know.”
“Will do.” Chris glanced at Izzy, who was glaring at me as if I’d just ordered her execution. I know he wanted her to remain stress-free, but she wasn’t making an effort to do so. Her constant sarcasm proved that to me.
Once I left Chris’s office, I noticed the golf cart missing. In the distance, I could see it parked in front of the condo. I hoped Mia had gone back to her suite. I wasn’t sure when she’d left Chris’s office, but I knew twenty minutes had passed since he informed Izzy she wasn’t miscarrying. Guess I’d spent longer talking to him about the exam, the sonogram results, Izzy’s bed orders, and having a nurse come in to take care of her.
Going into a sprint, I moved across the grounds with swift strides. All I wanted was to find Mia, pull her into an embrace, and assure her that despite her sister’s scare today, my feelings hadn’t changed. Hopefully, hers hadn’t either.
As soon as I opened the door to the condo, the air-conditioning cooled my face. It did little to soothe the anger cascading through me. I hated dealing with Izzy. Even more than that, I hated what she was doing. This was her attempt to draw me into her web of deceit. I’d been too concerned about the baby to realize it.
When I rounded the corner toward Mia’s suite, I heard another door open. I glanced over my shoulder to see who it was and found Andi and Bentley coming out of her suite.
“Ayden, wait up.” Andi quickened her steps as she raced toward me. Bentley wasn’t far behind her. Within a matter of seconds, both stood in front of me, panting.
“If you’re looking for Mia, she’s not in her suite.”
“Where is she?”
Andi pursed her lips, glanced at Bentley, and then she handed me a sealed envelope. “Mia asked me to give that to you.”
Her answer caused a chill down my spine. Where was Mia, and why had she asked Andi to give me an envelope? “Why didn’t she give it to me herself? Better yet, why isn’t she here to tell me whatever this note says?”
Andi didn’t meet my gaze. Instead, she pointed at the envelope. “Just read it.”
I slid my finger under the edge, tearing the paper apart. Inside was a folded piece of stationery. I pinched it between my fingers, opened it, and began reading the words written in Mia’s handwriting.
Ayden,
I’m sorry to leave like this, but I had a flight to catch. I wanted to invite you on this trip with me, but after Chris called, I never had the chance. I didn’t want to drag you away from what was happening with Izzy to ask you to go on a trip. It wouldn’t be fair to my sister, and after seeing how concerned you are for Izzy and her child, I thought it would be best if you remained at Music Haven. It sounds like she’s going to need your help.
I’m on my way to New York to meet with a business associate and family friend. At most, I’ll be gone for a few days. I’m truly sorry to leave under these circumstances, but I know Izzy’s in good hands. Chris is an excellent doctor, and I know how honorable you are. Both of you will take care of her.
One last thing. Will you take these next few days to process everything that happened this week? I know this is a difficult time for you, and I don’t want to do anything to make things worse. If I don’t call, it’s only because I’m processing things too. My time will be occupied with meetings as well. Just know I’ll return, and when I do, I’ll find you.
Thinking of you,
Mia.
Damn . . . She didn’t even sign off with I love you.
“I don’t believe this.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I lowered my other hand and clung to the letter. This couldn’t be happening. My fear of losing Mia felt more like reality. She’d been so strong and supportive since Izzy dropped the baby bomb on us. I’d repaid her by rushing to Chris’s office and comforting Izzy through the ordeal. Not one time did I acknowledge her presence.
Thinking back to the things we said, it made sense why Mia left without saying anything. I knew it was more than her not wanting to interrupt. She was hurt by my actions, despite how innocent they were. I didn’t care about Izzy. I was concerned for the baby.
“What’s going on, Ayden?” Andi studied my face as she waited for me to answer. I wasn’t sure what to say at this point. Had Mia said anything to her before she left?
“You saw her last. Did you talk to her?”
“Barely.” Andi hugged her shoulders. “I could tell she was upset. When she mentioned something about Izzy having a miscarriage scare, I assumed she was worried about her sister. When I tried getting her to talk, all she said was she had a plane to catch and to please give you the note.”
“What’s going on, Ayden?” Bentley placed his hand on my shoulder. “Did Izzy miscarry?”
“Chris thought she was, but he heard the heartbeat on the sonogram. He said her cervix isn’t sealed like it should be and she needs less stress along with bed rest.”
“Less stress?” Bentley’s brows shot up. “Does Chris realize she’s bringing that on herself? She’s the one causing drama for everyone, as usual.”
“He’s aware. I talked to him about getting a home health care nurse to help Izzy. I know she thought I’d volunteer, and I think Mia thought the same.”
I peeked at Andi long enough to notice her nod. Great. Now I knew for a fact that Mia misinterpreted the situation. Thousands of miles were separating us, and even i
f I called to explain, I had no guarantee she would answer.
“Andi, I know she’s going to be in contact with you at some point. Please, tell her I didn’t volunteer. I never had any intentions of taking care of Izzy. I also reiterated the message I told Chris to relay to her. Unless she can prove I’m the father, I won’t be going to any more appointments.”
Andi patted my other shoulder as she and Bentley did their best to console me. “You’re going to get a chance to tell her yourself. Mia won’t be gone long. She said three days tops.”
I leaned against the wall in the hallway and shook my head. “I don’t like her being far away from me thinking something that isn’t true.”
“Call her later and explain what happened. I’m sure it will relieve her mind.”
Yeah. If Mia answered my call.
I wanted to believe she and I would be okay once she returned from New York. Deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would lose her again. If that happened, I didn’t know what I would do.
As soon as Mia returned, I had to convince her that nothing had changed for me. I loved her, wanted her, and would do anything in the world for her.
Then again, why wait? Andi was Mia’s assistant. She had to know where she was going. Maybe I should take Mia up on her offer to go on the trip. She wanted me to go before everything happened with Izzy. Perhaps I could prove how much I loved her if I showed up in New York. She sure as hell wouldn’t be expecting it.
Of course, my plan could backfire and piss her off instead of proving how much I cared.
No words could describe what I felt for Mia. Such words didn’t exist. If she had any doubt, all the proof she needed was on her finger.
I would remind her of that once I arrived in New York and found her.
Chapter 15
Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2 Page 15