Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2

by McCracken, Kelli

  “Bentley, get him out of here,” Andi grumbled as she walked up to me. “Mia doesn’t want him in here.”

  When he advanced toward us, I shook my head. “Don’t do this, Ben. I need to talk to her.”

  “Bro, you’re not going to accomplish anything tonight. Talk to her tomorrow after we get back to Music Haven and we’ve all had some sleep.”

  Mia wouldn’t look at me when I turned back around. I reached out to her, touching her arm, but she turned toward the wall. She curled up on her side as her shoulders began shaking. I heard her crying, and the sound ripped me in two. There was nothing left for me to do.

  All I could do was stare and beg her to hear me out as Bentley pulled me away.

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  Whoever said love hurts didn’t know what they were talking about. Love didn’t hurt. Love crushed the human soul. It broke the spirit, splintered the heart, and debilitated a person to the point where breathing took a lot of effort.

  Each time I drew air into my lungs reminded me of that. Every inch of my body ached. When the room began to spin, I closed my eyes and hugged my chest. If I didn’t, I was sure my heart would beat its way out of my chest and fall onto the floor. It would be just as well.

  What use did I have for a heart?

  Mine got broken, time after time. It wasn’t even anyone interfering with my relationship this time. Yeah, I could blame my sister, but she isn’t the one who forced Ayden to say the things he had before he disappeared into her room. He said them of his own free will.

  My chest tightened. It worsened each time I heard Ayden say my name, begging me to talk to him. When the pleas grew muffled, I drew in a shaky breath. At least he was out of the room. I should feel better, but I didn’t. My stomach did somersaults, causing acid to churn its way up my throat.

  I was sure I would throw up, but no such luck. All I did was lay there, suffering. Maybe it’s what I deserved. Perhaps when it came to life, a person only got a shot at love and happiness or fortune and fame. It didn’t seem fair that the choice had been made for me. I never asked to be born into the life I was. Why couldn’t I have love?

  Footsteps drew my attention to the end of the bed. I didn’t look in the same direction, but I listened. The heels on Andi’s sandals clicked against the floor, signaling her approach.

  Her hand patted my foot a second later. “Mia?”

  “Yes?” The word stuck in my throat.

  “Are you okay?”

  Shrugging, I inhaled a long breath and blew it back out. It did little to settle my nerves. The last thing I expected was for Ayden to come to my room. His apology surprised me more, and as much as I wanted to believe the words coming out of his mouth, I couldn’t.

  His actions proved more to me than anything he said. The woman he claimed to despise and the child he refused to claim were suddenly his only concern. He was taking the blame for Izzy’s miscarriage, but deep down, I knew he blamed me.

  Andi disrupted my thoughts when she sat down in the chair she’d occupied earlier. Her forehead wrinkled as she reached over and rubbed my arm. “Talk to me, Mimi.”

  It had been ages since she’d used the nickname she’d given me when we were younger. She did it when she was the most concerned about me. It was her way of breaking the tension.

  Still, I didn’t know if I could hold a conversation with her. I was confused. Ayden’s words still haunted me. Now he was saying he didn’t mean anything he had said. I didn’t know what to believe anymore, but I couldn’t keep putting myself through this.

  “Thank you for getting him to leave.”

  It wasn’t the response she was expecting. The way her brows folded said as much. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault he got in here. I had to use the restroom, but I never thought he would have come in.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not. Ayden shouldn’t have been in here stressing you again. You don’t need to worry about anything right now. It’s why the doctor gave you something to keep you calm.”

  “Whatever he gave me didn’t help.” I hugged myself tighter. “I feel like I could fall apart.”

  She scooted closer to the bed and leaned her other hand on the rail. Then she rested her chin atop it. “You’re one of the strongest women I know, Mia. I know you’re hurt, but you will recover. You always do.”

  Did I? I was forced to pick up the pieces of my life when D and I split up. Even my brief relationship with Wesley hurt me enough that I struggled for weeks to trust anyone. I may have moved on after those relationships ended, but I wasn’t sure I’d recovered at all.

  A knock on the door had me refocusing on Andi. I cringed at the thought of who it might be. As I glanced at my friend, she was already getting up from her chair.

  Before she could react, a tall figure walked to the foot of my bed. I didn’t acknowledge who it was. I didn’t want to know at this point. Yet the second Andi’s tension faded from her shoulders and she returned to her seat, my fear decreased.

  “Miss Brooks, are you awake?”

  I turned to my back and faced the doctor who’d been taking care of me. He pushed his glasses from the bridge of his nose back into place once we made eye contact.

  “Yes, sir. I’m awake.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  Did he mean physically or mentally? I wanted to ask which, but in reality, I was sure he was asking about my physical state of being. It’s why he was treating me. I’d passed out in the middle of the ER waiting room.

  “I feel groggy.” It was the truth, even if there was more to it. My chest felt heavy, my stomach was in knots, and every nerve in my body pulsed with the ache in my heart.

  I didn’t want him to know that. It would land me on the couch of a local shrink, the last place I wanted to be. My problems were my own. I didn’t need some outsider asking me personal questions about my life.

  “Your grogginess is to be expected with the medication we administered. It should wear off in a few hours.”

  Adjusting my position, I scooted further up in the bed. My muscles ached in protest. The medicine the doctor had given me made me feel as though I’d been hit by a steam engine an hour late to its destination.

  “Did you get my results back?”

  He nodded as he opened my chart and wrote a few notes inside of it. “I also consulted with the physician you saw during your trip to New York. He was supposed to be contacting you tomorrow,” his eyes shifted toward the clock on the wall. “I guess I should say later today, considering how late it is.”

  “What did he say?”

  The doctor continued writing in my chart. When he finished, he loosened one of the papers, scribbled something on it, then handed it to me. “His findings were the same as mine.”

  “Which is what?” I asked the question at the same time I accepted the paper from him. I scrolled over the words, growing more confused with each one until he said something I couldn’t ignore.

  “You’re not sick, Mia. You’re pregnant.”

  Chapter 20

  ~Mia~

  The more I processed what the doctor told me, the harder I tried to shut off my mind. Reality seeped in, sending me into a state of panic I’d never experienced. It couldn’t be possible. I could not be pregnant.

  “What did you just say?”

  “You’re pregnant, Miss. Brooks. Judging by the hCG level in your blood work and the date of your last period, I’d say you’re only around 4 to 6 weeks along. All your tests from the doctor you saw in New York came back clear, except the blood work, which showed the same thing.”

  Andi was staring at me. I felt the weight of her eyes but didn’t look her way. Right now, my world was crashing around me.

  “I, uh . . . I don’t know what to say.”

  I didn’t miss the way my doctor’s face pinched with concern. “My apologies, Miss Brooks. Normally, this type of announcement excites most of my patients. If this isn’t a welcomed pregnancy, you do have options.”
>
  Options? Did he mean abortion or adoption? While I supported a woman’s right to choose, abortion wasn’t an option for me. It was a personal choice.

  Adoption was out of the question too. I couldn’t carry a child for nine months and give it up. Financially, I was in an excellent position to start a family. Besides, I wanted children.

  The thought repeated in my mind. It was the precise moment the reality of the situation hit me. Ayden had given me the one thing my heart had desired for the last year. Now I would have someone who would inherit the legacy of Music Haven.

  I had an heir.

  “I’m not interested in other options at this time, so what should I do from here?”

  Andi whispered under her breath, but it was loud enough that I heard her say, “Thank God.”

  “If you want to go through with the pregnancy, I advise you to see an obstetrician as soon as possible. I’ll have my nurse gather some pamphlets for you to read, and we’ll get you started on some prenatal vitamins. While she’s getting your stuff, I’ll get to work on your discharge papers. You can get dressed. It shouldn’t be much longer.”

  “Thank you.”

  Once the door closed and I knew my doctor was gone, I found the courage to glance at Andi. She was staring at my stomach as she shook her head. “I can’t believe it.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  This time, she met my gaze. “You didn’t realize you were late?”

  “Andi, as crazy as life has been lately, my period was the furthest thing from my mind. I’ve been a few days late in the past.”

  “You’re more than a few days late this time Mia. If you’re 4 to 6 weeks, that means you got pregnant right after you and Ayden reconciled.”

  I thought back to that night. After Ayden and I made amends and decided to get back together, we’d made love. It had been intense—passionate. The thought of it made my skin pimple. After weeks apart, we’d spent the evening wrapped in each other’s arms. It had been beautiful. Now I knew it was more special. We’d created a life that night.

  The thought made my insides swim. A giddy feeling overcame me, leaving me craving the perfect picture I envisioned in my mind. It consisted of Ayden and me, the two of us happily married and raising a family. Was it really this close to my grasp?

  “God, I feel like such an idiot,” Andi huffed as she shook her head and covered her eyes with her hand.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I told Ayden to give you space and that you needed time apart. That’s the last thing you need.”

  I glanced toward the foot of my bed. “Don’t be so sure.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Andi frowned when I looked at her, but it didn’t stop me from answering. “Izzy just suffered a miscarriage. Ayden may or may not have been that child’s father. How can I tell him about this baby? It’s like a slap in the face to my sister and the child she lost.”

  “You had no control over what happened with Izzy. It’s not like you pushed her down the stairs. She fell. It was an accident.”

  We both knew that, but I knew my sister too. She would twist this around for her benefit. I could hear it now. She would claim that I knew I was pregnant and was jealous of her and her child so I pushed her down the steps to get rid of her baby.

  If she accused me of such a thing, it would be a lie. As much as I hated the thought of Ayden being the baby’s father or the idea of Izzy raising the child, I didn’t want it to die.

  “We both know my sister is crazy, and I’m sure this miscarriage has sent her further off the deep end. She’s going to blame this on me. What am I going to do?”

  “You’re going to tell the father of your child that you’re carrying his baby, and you’re not going to worry about your sister.”

  I shook my head as fast as I could. “No! I can’t tell Ayden I’m pregnant.”

  Fear spread throughout my body at the thought of telling him the news. As much as I wanted to believe he would be happy, I couldn’t forget the things he’d said to me. What if he was right? Maybe he wasn’t meant for a relationship.

  If that were the case, he wasn’t ready for fatherhood either.

  “Mia, you have to tell him. He has a right to know.”

  “You heard the stuff he said to me earlier. Ayden left me to process that while he went to see my sister, the woman he says he can’t stand.”

  “I know you both felt guilty over what happened, but neither of you is at fault. Ayden was reacting to that and talking nonsense. You know he loves you. Didn’t you see how much it hurt him to leave this room?”

  Throwing the blanket off my legs, I swung them around the edge of the bed and stood. I found my clothes sticking out of a bag on a stand. As I dumped it on the bed, I thought about Andi’s question.

  “I’m afraid, Andi. Every time something bad happens in our relationship, Ayden doesn’t react to it well.” As I pulled my pants to my waist, I pressed my hands to my abdomen. “I want this child to have stability.”

  “You’ll have that with Ayden. Yes, things have been rocky lately because of outside influences. Those are gone.” Andi pointed to my left hand. “If you’re questioning how Ayden really feels, look at the ring on your finger.”

  “So how exactly am I supposed to break the news? What do I say? Ayden, I’m sorry you lost a baby that may or may not have been yours. Let me replace it with a baby that is your child?”

  When I rolled my eyes, Andi crossed her arms over her chest. “Something to that effect but with a little more couth.”

  I shoved my head through the opening of my shirt and yanked it lower. “If you think Ayden and I should be together, why did you chase him out of here?”

  “It’s what you wanted. You’re my best friend, Mia. I’d do anything for you.”

  Her words moved me. My eyes burned as they moistened. I didn’t want to take my frustrations out on her. She didn’t deserve it. Yet I didn’t want her bossing me around either. I was facing a serious decision, and a choice had to be made. It was mine to make, no one else’s.

  “Andi, I love you like a sister. You’ve been more of one to me than my own flesh and blood. I appreciate everything you do for me, especially when you’re my voice of reason. However, this time, I have to trust my gut.”

  “Ayden is going to figure out you’re pregnant. He’s not stupid, Mia. If you keep this from him, it means I have to lie to Bentley in the process.”

  “You don’t have to lie to him. All you’ll be doing is withholding information until I make a decision.” She shook her head, but it didn’t stop me from walking around the bed and reaching out for her hands. “Andi, please. Keep this between us for now. Ayden and Bentley will be on tour soon. That will give me time to figure things out.”

  “Mia—”

  “You want them to succeed, don’t you?” I waited until she nodded before I continued. “They need to do this tour, Andi. If Ayden finds out I’m pregnant before they leave, he won’t go.”

  As much as she wanted to argue her point, she conceded. “Fine. I’ll keep it between us for now. Once they come back from the tour, you’ll have to tell Ayden then, especially if you start showing right away.”

  “I’ll figure that out before then. Just please help me with this. I hate asking you to cover for me, but if you don’t . . . I’m not sure I can stay in Music Haven.”

  When I turned to get the rest of my belongings, Andi grabbed my shoulder. “You would really leave Music Haven?”

  “I don’t want to do that, but yes. I have to do what’s right for . . .” My emotions got the best of me as I cupped my belly. From this point on, the decisions I made would affect my child. I had to put my baby first. Right now, he or she needed me to be calm and free of stress. If that meant leaving Music Haven until I could deliver, that’s what I would do.

  “It’s okay, Mia.” Andi rubbed my shoulder. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need, I’ll be here.”

  “And you promise not to t
ell Ayden about any of this?”

  When she nodded, I felt a sense of relief. It didn’t last long when I turned to look at her. Standing just a few feet away stood Ayden. His face was scrunched in confusion. I wasn’t sure why, but the longer I stared at him, the more I questioned one thing.

  How much of our conversation had he heard?

  * * *

  ~Ayden~

  Seeing Mia standing and dressed in her regular clothes filled me with a sense of relief. The hospital gown made her skin pale and sickly. Now that she was in her usual attire, the golden tone of her skin had returned.

  Something inside of me stirred to life. I wanted to go to her, take her into an embrace, and promise her that I would love her until my dying day. I would grovel too. Whatever it took to win back her trust, I would do it.

  “What are you doing in here?” Andi asked.

  Before I could answer her, Mia added, “How long have you been eavesdropping on our conversation?”

  “Long enough to know you’re hiding something from me. What’s going on, Mia?”

  She and Andi glanced at each other. I searched their faces for clues to the secret they were hiding. I had no idea what it might be, but my gut pulsed a warning, urging me to find out.

  Mia’s chest rose and fell with deep breaths before she answered me. “It’s nothing you need to worry over, Ayden. I think we’ve said enough to each other for one night.”

  It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear but the one I expected nonetheless. I’d hurt her with my careless words. Now I was paying the price for being an idiot.

  “Hear me out.” It didn’t appear as if she wanted to listen, but after she glanced at Andi again, she faced me once more. “Mia, I’m incredibly sorry for the things I said earlier. After what happened with Izzy, I felt so responsible and I took it out on you. Neither of us is at fault.”