Little Secret, Red Hot Scandal

by Cat Schield

  “She’ll realize it wasn’t you.”

  “I don’t think she’ll ever believe that. She threw me out. I don’t know what that means. I’ve always lived with her.”

  This was sounding better and better by the second. “You can move in here,” he said, keeping his voice as calm and gentle as possible. Mia was vulnerable. He didn’t want to spook her. “Maybe this will all work out for the best,” he began. “It’ll be a fresh start.”

  “A fresh start?” She echoed the words as if she were tasting some strange and suspicious dish. “It’s not over.”

  “I thought you said she threw you out and fired you.”

  “She didn’t mean it.”

  “What if she did?” Nate intended to capitalize on this turn of good fortune. “You could come work for me. Live in Las Vegas.” Be with me.

  It was the same offer he’d made to her in Australia. The one she’d turned down without giving it a second’s consideration.

  “I could.” Her shoulders slumped. She shook her head. “But this isn’t how I wanted things to happen.”

  “What did you want?” Nate couldn’t stop his expression from turning grim. “Her blessing? She was never going to give you that.”

  “I know, but this seems so abrupt. It’s like she hates me. Knowing how important my song journal is to me, she ruined it. That’s six months of work. Gone.”

  His eyebrows went up; he couldn’t help it. “You forget you have the demos you made.” What he’d heard was pretty fantastic. “And you’ll write plenty more songs.”

  She made a face at him. “You make it sound so easy.” Taking him by surprise, she set her hand on his cheek and brought her lips to his in a sweet, poignant kiss. “Besides, those songs were special. They were about us. How I feel when I’m with you.”

  Nate’s heart gave a mighty thump. For a second he lost the ability to breathe. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I exist.”

  “You’ve always existed to me.”

  “I know.”

  When he’d left LA yesterday morning, he’d promised himself to keep his distance until she was ready to commit to being in a relationship with him. That vow went up in smoke as she eased closer and sifted her fingers through his hair.

  He had no words to deny her and no willpower to push her away. Letting his eyes close, he absorbed her breath on his skin and the gentle sweep of her lips against his. She touched him tentatively, as if she expected rejection at any second. Even if he had the strength to push her away, he’d never be able to do it. She soothed the places inside him damaged by his father’s abuse and the years he’d spent drowning in forgetfulness. Until she came along, he’d filled the gnawing emptiness first with reckless amusements, and then music.

  That he couldn’t hold on to her, couldn’t convince her his need was greater than her sister’s, had nudged him close to the dark places he’d once lost himself in. Good thing he was no longer a stupid twentysomething. He might have sought the oblivion of those earlier days in his career before he’d hit rock bottom and cleaned himself up.

  “About what you said to me the other night,” she said. “Nate, there’s something you should know—” she began, but he shook his head, cutting her off.

  “Don’t talk.”

  If they started a conversation he wouldn’t be able to take her in his arms and show her how much she meant to him. Standing up, he scooped her off the couch and headed for his bedroom.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, when her feet touched the floor beside his bed.

  “Very sure.”

  He lowered his lips to her soft neck and breathed in her clean fragrance. Her fingers coasted down the front of his shirt, unfastening buttons as they went. Anticipation coiled in his gut below where she laid her palms against his skin. He shuddered, eager to revisit the heat of her body sliding against his.

  “Tonight it’s just you and me.” And the beginning of everything.

  * * *

  Mia stood in Nate’s kitchen, surrounded by the leftovers from their Thanksgiving dinner, and smiled in blissful contentment. In the family room, Nate, Kyle and Trent sat on the couch in front of the big screen television watching football. It was the third game of the day and Mia wondered if men ever grew tired of watching a bunch of beefy guys pass, run and tackle.

  “What can I do to help?” Melody slipped into the kitchen and gazed at the packed countertops.

  “I’ve got this,” Mia said with a wistful smile. “But if you’d hang out and keep me company, that would be great.”

  “But you did all the cooking,” Savannah said as she passed with her infant son in her arms. She placed the boy in his father’s care and returned. “You shouldn’t have to clean up, as well.”

  “I’m happy to do it. Today was one of the best Thanksgivings I’ve ever had.” She pulled out plastic storage containers and began making meals that she intended to send home with everyone.

  She’d made enough food for twenty people and what they hadn’t finished was way more than she and Nate could eat by themselves.

  “I agree,” Melody said. “Last year Nate and I were on the road. Kyle and Trent went to Miami.” She paused and glanced at Savannah. “Did Rafe make you spend the holiday with Siggy?”

  “Unfortunately.” Savannah shuddered.

  Mia remembered hearing how Melody and Trent’s father was a terrible bully who treated Trent like the black sheep of the family for no good reason.

  While the two women began sharing tales of Caldwell Thanksgivings past, Mia worked methodically to restore order to the kitchen. Listening to their stories of family dysfunction eased some of her angst. Although she’d called her parents and Ivy to wish them a happy Thanksgiving, not one had picked up.

  It seemed impossible that after everything she’d done for Ivy her family could believe she was responsible for the leak. And with each hour that went by, it seemed as though Nate was right about her being permanently fired as Ivy’s assistant.

  No more demands for coffee or frivolous errands. No more being awakened at three in the morning when Ivy returned home from partying with her entourage, and having to fix waffles or quesadillas, depending on what her sister was in the mood for. Mia still wasn’t accustomed to the peace and quiet that came from not being her sister’s assistant any longer.

  It was nice playing house with Nate. Her gaze traveled toward the couch and lingered on the three men. Was this what a normal Thanksgiving was like? A house filled with great friends, good food and football.

  “Oh, I know that look,” Savannah said with a wistful sigh.

  Melody chuckled. “Do you recognize it every time you look in the mirror?”

  “I recognize it from when you and Kyle first started dating.” Savannah eyed her sister-in-law. “Don’t you think it’s time you two stopped playing games and started acting like you’re in love once again?”

  “Have you told him?” Mia kept her voice low.

  Melody shook her head. “I was supposed to today, but there never seemed to be an opportunity.”

  “We all gave you plenty of chances,” Savannah pointed out.

  It had been easy to isolate the pair several times over the course of the day, but neither Melody nor Kyle seemed at ease with each other. Three times Mia had watched them engage in awkward conversation before separating. Each time her heart had ached for the pair.

  With Savannah gently pressing Melody about her urgent need to talk to Kyle, Mia’s own mouth went dry. She’d made a similar promise to herself about telling Nate that he was going to be a father. With all the drama surrounding Ivy, and the frantic meal preparations, it had slipped Mia’s mind.

  She sipped from her water bottle to alleviate her sudden cotton mouth. Anxiety made her stomach churn. As soon as she told Nate he was going to be a da
d, her life would completely change.

  Together they would have to decide how to move forward. Mia’s hands shook. Despite his declaration that he wanted them to be together, there was a huge difference between building toward a committed relationship and becoming parents.

  Well, there was nothing she could do until everyone was gone. Melody was staying at her brother’s house while she worked on her album at Ugly Trout Records, and had ridden with them. When Kyle offered to give her a ride home, Mia and Nate exchanged a satisfied look.

  It took an hour for Savannah to pry Trent away from the game. Dylan was sacked out in his father’s arms and she declared it was time to head home and put him to bed. As the door closed on Savannah, Trent and Dylan, Nate turned to Mia.

  “And then there were two,” he said, his smile conveying both tenderness and desire.

  Mia couldn’t resist the invitation in his eyes. She lifted herself onto her toes, but just as her lips made contact with his, her phone buzzed in her back pocket and she instinctively flinched.

  “Ignore it,” Nate said, gathering her into his arms for a proper kiss that left her gasping for breath and aching for more.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and trembled as he slid his palms beneath her shirt and up along her rib cage to her breasts. Her nipples turned to hard buds as electric impulses sizzled and snapped along her nerve endings.

  Her phone buzzed a second time. Nate dragged his mouth from hers and cursed.

  “It might be my family,” she said, hope tugging at her voice. “Let me check.”

  “Sure. I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

  She blew him a flirtatious kiss and went into the family room to shut off the television and close the sliding glass doors that led out to the pool. As she walked, she pulled her phone out and keyed her message app. To her disappointment, the text hadn’t come from her family, but Yvonne, Ivy’s stylist. The dire message had her clicking on the attached link. A second later, she gasped at what appeared.

  For the last forty-eight hours Mia hadn’t had time to pop on to social media to see what her sister had been up to. And it had been a relief to be completely disengaged from all the Ivy drama. Nor had she felt any guilt, mostly because of the way her twin had behaved since the truth had come out about Mia’s songwriting.

  Now, however, all it took was a single Instagram post and she was right back in the thick of the craziness. Mia stared at the picture on her screen. It was a photo of the contents of a very familiar tote. Hers. Including the positive pregnancy test. Also hers.

  When had Ivy taken the picture? The answer came at once. The morning of the AMAs, after the television interview. Ivy had asked Mia to get her some coffee. She’d left her tote behind.

  Mia’s skin turned to ice. All this time her sister had known? Why hadn’t Ivy said anything? Suddenly Mia couldn’t breathe.

  “Mia?” Nate’s voice came from the direction of the master bedroom.

  “I’ll be there in a second.”

  Her attention returned to her phone. Suddenly, the screen lit up with her mother’s number, but Mia doubted she was reaching out to wish Mia a happy Thanksgiving. She let the call go to voice mail and blocked all incoming calls. Then she went back to staring at the picture.

  Before she spoke with anyone, she and Nate needed to have a conversation. Ivy’s bid for attention on social media had highlighted that Mia’s secret was out of the bag. Was it in retribution for her belief that Mia had spilled Ivy’s own secret? If so, why not announce that Mia was pregnant?

  Because this created a huge buzz. One that might distract everyone from the songwriting scandal and create confusion about the authenticity of all the latest Ivy Bliss stories.

  “Mia?” Nate sounded closer.

  She’d sat down at the breakfast bar when the room started spinning. Now she looked up and spied him standing a few feet away.

  “Sorry,” she murmured, struggling to focus, with her thoughts in turmoil. “Did you say something?”

  “I asked if you’re okay. You’ve gone awfully pale.”

  “I’m...”

  It was time to tell Nate that she was pregnant. In truth, she’d already delayed too long. The words were on her lips. She just needed to get them out.

  “I’m...”

  About to be very, very sick.

  * * *

  When Mia rushed out of the room, Nate picked up the cell phone she’d left behind and looked at the photo on the screen. A positive pregnancy test lay nestled atop a wallet, a familiar shade of lipstick and a teal-colored journal, which was probably the one Ivy had ruined when she threw it into the pool. His brain was slow to process the tableau.

  What was Mia doing with a pregnancy test in her purse? From down the hall came the sound of retching. Answers from that quarter weren’t going to come as soon as he liked. Nate glanced at the text below the photo. It was not Ivy’s feed, but that of her friend Skylar. Nowhere in the description was Mia’s name mentioned. The photo was teased with Ivy’s name and...his.

  Now Nate understood Mia’s abrupt flight from the room. Fury exploded inside him. Did she seriously in her wildest imagination think he’d ever touched Ivy? That he would do something so cruel to her? Was this why she’d been acting so strange lately? How long had she thought this of him? Obviously, she’d known her sister was pregnant since before they’d gone to the AMAs. Why hadn’t she asked him about it? That she had so little faith in him cut Nate to the core.

  And what of Ivy? Nate doubted this little stunt had been accomplished without her approval. She’d never tolerate such betrayal from her posse. He couldn’t imagine what this would mean for Mia. Would she see herself even more firmly bound to her sister? Or could this be an opportunity for her to break free of her family?

  Before he could ask that question, he needed to sort out what was going on in Mia’s head. Nate headed down the hall and found Mia on the floor in his master bathroom. She sat with her back to the soaker tub, knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. Although she’d doubtless heard his approach, she didn’t look up from the floor when he stopped in the doorway.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No.” Despite her stricken expression, the word came out with a sarcastic twist. She pushed to her feet and crossed to the sink. After splashing water on her face, she reached for her toothbrush.

  “You know I never slept with Ivy.” He paused, waiting for her reaction, and when none came, he continued, “I never touched her, never even looked at her in that way.”

  Mia closed her eyes and didn’t respond. Did she not believe him? Was that really possible, given everything they’d been to each other? Nate joined her at the sink and met her gaze in the mirror. Her only acknowledgment was a slight frown before she bent down to rinse the toothpaste from her mouth.

  “Why don’t you believe me?”

  “I do.” A tear trickled down her cheek. Air hissed between her teeth as she dashed it away. “But the fact is, it is your baby.”

  Nate couldn’t believe what she was saying to him. “That’s both ridiculous and impossible.”

  Mia turned to look at him at last. “The piece of the puzzle that you’re missing,” she said, her voice breaking on the words, “is that the pregnancy test doesn’t belong to Ivy.”

  “If it doesn’t belong to her, then...” The impact of understanding was like trying to walk through a closed glass door. He bounced off the invisible surface, his whole body rattled by the impact. “You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes.” She nodded as if for emphasis.

  Shock reverberated through him like thunder. “How long?”

  “Sydney.”

  “I meant how long have you known?” A voice in the back of his mind told him this was the best thing that ever happened to him. But it was a quiet reminder, easil
y drowned out by the anger that licked through him because she’d kept this a secret. “It had to be before Ivy threw your journal in the pool. I saw it beneath the pregnancy test.”

  “The morning of the AMAs.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  Her eyes widened. “It was a huge event for you. I didn’t want to ruin...”

  When she bit her lip and didn’t finish, he jumped in. “Why would you think finding out I was going to be a father would ruin anything?”

  She frowned at his aggressive tone. “I didn’t plan this. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap you.”

  “Trust me, that’s the last thing I’d ever think.” He gave a bitter laugh. “In fact I’d be overjoyed if that had truly been your motive. At least then I could count on you and me being together.”

  She didn’t immediately respond to his accusation, but a hot burst of color flared across her cheekbones. “That’s unfair.”

  “Is it? You still haven’t explained why you didn’t tell me as soon as you realized you were pregnant.”

  “I was scared, okay?”

  “Of what? Me?”

  “Of everything changing.”

  “What’s so horrible about that?”

  “You just don’t understand.”

  But he did. She’d rather remain in her sister’s shadow, where she thought it was safe, instead of taking a chance with him.

  “When are you going to stop hiding behind Ivy?”

  “Hiding? That’s not it. You know how she is. What she’s struggling with. Every time I’m not there for her something terrible happens.”

  And there was the core of their problem.

  “You can’t be your sister’s keeper forever.” Nate lowered his voice as he fought for calm. “She’s never going to take responsibility for herself if you and the rest of your family don’t stop enabling her.”