With a quick turnabout, she was gone.
I stared in utter shock, unsure if I should yell her name or dart after her. The second I realized Andi and Bentley weren’t chasing her, I did. What they did next didn’t matter. My stride was faster and longer. I’d catch Mia before she could get far.
As she made her way through the backstage corridor, I glanced behind me to see if our friends were following. They were. That fact was the reason I quickened my step and hauled ass toward Mia.
She was just a few feet away when she darted inside one of the dressing rooms and shut the door. I grabbed the handle once I reached it. Much to my dismay, it wouldn’t turn. Mia had locked it.
Slapping my hand on the door, I put my mouth near the opening. “Damn it, Mia, open up. This isn’t going away. Neither am I.”
“Leave me alone, Ayden.”
“Not going to happen.”
The door cooled my ear as I pressed against it to listen. Mia didn’t respond, but I heard her walking around. If she thought she could wait and I would leave, she was wrong. This conversation was happening tonight, and it was the first of many.
“Ayden,” Bentley called my name as he and Andi joined me in front of the door. “Dude, you’re not going to accomplish anything right now. Give her some time to cool off.”
Andi nodded in agreement. “Let’s go grab a seat in the VIP box and watch the performance. You can talk to her after the show.”
“You go grab a seat.” I dropped the tone of my voice so she’d know I was serious. “I’m not finished talking to Mia, but trust me, I’d love to hear your explanation on why you kept this secret.”
Andi scoffed. “You know damn well why I kept it. She’s my friend, and she asked me not to say anything. It wasn’t my place.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say. Doesn’t matter. I know the truth now, and I’m going to resolve this tonight.” I shook the door, not surprised to find it was still locked. Andi came back into view as I pointed to the knob. “Unless you want to repair this door, I suggest you give me the code to enter it.”
The harder Andi glared at me, the more I worried she wouldn’t help. I’d get the door open regardless, but I didn’t want to destroy property to do it. The fewer reasons I had to get arrested, the better.
When Andi’s face softened, I saw regret in her eyes. She didn’t want to admit she was wrong, but she wanted to do the right thing. In reality, I should have given her more credit. If not for her, I would still be in the dark about the pregnancy.
Without saying anything else, she reached her hand toward the door and entered a code into the lock system, overriding the need for a key. The lock disengaged soon after. I didn’t have time to waste. Once Mia heard the noise, she would relock it.
The door swung wide as I entered the dressing room. It slammed shut a second later, drawing Mia’s eyes toward mine. They widened as she gawked at me.
“Get out!”
“Not a chance in hell. We’re going to talk.” I reengaged the lock, not that it would prevent Andi from getting in. It would help keep Mia inside the room with me.
“I have nothing to say to you, Ayden.”
Smirking at her, I strolled across the room, close to the couch where she stood. “Good. I don’t need you to say anything right now. It’s my turn.”
Mia moved around the couch when I was a few feet away. She kept going backward trying to avoid me, but I didn’t stop. She ran out of options once her back collided with the wall. As I stood mere inches away, I placed my hands beside her head, entrapping her.
“You’re not going to change my mind.” She taunted me with her words, but I didn’t let it sway me from my task.
“Damn it, Mia. Quit with the stubborn act. You owe me this conversation. It should have happened months ago when you first learned you were pregnant with my baby.”
Her eyes found mine again. The anger inside them faded, but she was still resisting me. The way she shook her head proved as much.
Perhaps I should try a different approach. I’d been angry since the truth was revealed. If I showed Mia kindness and restraint, maybe she would open up to me.
“I know I’ve hurt you on more than one occasion, and I’ve said so many things that did the same. By no means am I perfect, but . . . I have a heart, Mia. It’s full of so much love for you. The baby only deepens that because it deepens the bond between us. You can’t tell me you don’t feel that.”
“I never said I didn’t.” Her voice shook when she spoke. “This baby may deepen the bond between us, but for how long? When will you be running off to my sister’s rescue again?”
I slapped my hands against the wall, causing her to flinch. It filled me with regret, but I was tired of these accusations.
“I feel nothing for your sister. You’re the one I want to share my life with. You’re the one I want having my . . .” I reached toward her stomach but hesitated when she covered it with her hands. Instead of touching her belly, I stroked the back of her hand, teasing her skin. “This is what I want, Mia.”
My eyes watered as my emotions got the best of me. I still couldn’t believe my child was inside her. The whole time Izzy was pregnant and claiming me as the father, I wished it had been Mia. My wish had come true.
Staring at her, I noticed the tears forming in her eyes. It gave me hope that I was breaking through to her. If that were the case, it was time to win her back. This window of opportunity wouldn’t last forever.
It only took a second to draw her into my arms. Her mouth parted, releasing the sweet scent I longed for. There wasn’t one part of her that didn’t affect me, especially her lips. Every nerve pulsing inside my body convinced me as much. So did the fire consuming me when her tongue rolled with mine.
Mia’s hands glided up my chest. The ache inside me increased. Had I broken through the wall she’d placed around her heart? I sure as hell hoped so. The thought of losing her—
Her mouth broke from mine as she pushed me back. Every ounce of resistance I sensed in her before had returned. Her guard was up, and she didn’t want me anywhere close.
“I can’t do this.” The effect of our kiss sounded in her voice, the way it had that deep, throaty sound. She wanted to appear unaffected, but I knew the truth. Our kiss meant something.
“Mia, stop.”
“No, Ayden, you stop. I made a promise to a dear friend that I would watch her performance tonight. She was one of my mother’s close friends and it meant something for me to be there.”
“Are you kidding me?” I rubbed my face and shook my head in disbelief. “Mia, what you and I have to discuss is far more important than anything else. I just found out that I’m going to be a father. You can’t walk away from me. We have a lot to discuss.”
“Which can be discussed after the show.”
As I thought about what she said, she slipped away from the wall and rushed toward the door. At least she tried. I grabbed her hand before she could get away and drew her back into my arms.
Her body heated mine as I leaned in to give her another kiss. The way she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly back was enough for me to believe she wanted me to kiss her. Instead of giving her what she was expecting, I planted my lips near her shoulder and slid them up her neck.
I had to make her remember all the reasons she fell in love with me. Our child hadn’t been created because of a one-night stand. It was created from the love we’d made.
A soft moan escaped her throat. It increased my hope that I was getting through to her. I still affected her the way she did me. It had to count for something.
“Stop it.”
The words left her mouth in a whisper that I wanted to ignore. I didn’t. I eased my head back, but I didn’t release her. I couldn’t.
“You are not going to do this to me.” She pushed me away again, but this time, there was more force behind it. I stumbled back a few steps before I righted myself. When I looked at Mia, she pointed toward me. “If you
want to talk, we’ll do it after the show, but I’m leaving this room right now. I’m not letting down my friend.”
“So you’ll push me aside instead. Guess I know how little I matter to you.”
She winced at my words. Things grew silent a moment as the awkwardness between us increased. Then she glanced at the floor. “You matter to me, Ayden. You’re the father of my child. I’m not pushing you aside either. I can’t reschedule the concert, but you and I can talk later.”
“Is that a promise?”
“As long as I’m not exhausted.”
I snorted at her reply. “You better find a second wind if not.”
She was already trying to find a way out of this, but I refused to allow it. Regardless of what happened between us, she owed me this conversation. The life inside of her guaranteed as much. I wasn’t walking away from my child.
Before the evening ended, I would be waiting for her, ready to finish what we’d started.
Chapter 8
~Mia~
As I pulled the golf cart out of the parking space where Andi had left it earlier, my thoughts turned to Ayden. I drove around the arena, unable to get him off my mind. His kisses had been desperate. I had sensed how much each time his mouth passed over mine.
Three hours later, my lips hadn’t stopped tingling. Ayden’s hot breath and full lips left me in a haze, one that pulled me under his spell.
It didn’t take much for me to get lost in his kiss and in him. It’s what my body wanted, as did my heart. It was my mind causing the problem. It clung to all the horrible things that happened between us.
At least he’d kept his distance while Stevie and I hung out after the show. I worried he would approach us and ask to speak to me in private. Part of me hoped that if I avoided him long enough, he’d get tired and go to bed.
That hope increased when I noticed him leave the bar twenty minutes before I did.
As I passed the brick wall and entered the community, the condo came into view. The closer I grew to it, the more my insides trembled. If I was quiet, maybe Ayden wouldn’t hear me enter the building. There was always the door to my office, but the deadbolt was in place. I couldn’t open it.
Parking the cart near the sidewalk, I turned off the key and eased out. My heart raced as I approached the door. From what I could see, only one light was on inside Ayden’s suite. I wasn’t sure which, but it didn’t appear to be the bedroom.
The air vent above the door blew my hair about as I crept inside and proceeded toward the hallway. As soon as I came around the corner, I checked Ayden’s door. It was closed.
Relief cascaded through me. I’d have enough time to get in my suite, shut off the lights, and head to bed. He wouldn’t know I was in my suite unless he searched for me. By then—
All thoughts scattered the second I turned toward my suite and took a step. Ayden leaned against the wall beside my door. His dark, piercing eyes locked with mine and buried into my soul. I held my breath, afraid to move or speak.
“Were you hoping I was in my suite so you could sneak into yours?”
My throat tightened. No matter how much I struggled to speak, nothing would come out. Ayden had caught me. There was no backing out of it.
Pushing myself forward, I kept a slow stride. The closer I grew to him, the slower I moved. I was not looking forward to this conversation. Yet part of me was anxious to hear what he had to say.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” It was the only response I could give him and the only one he would accept. Offering excuses wouldn’t get me anywhere.
As I stepped closer to the door and pulled out my key, I saw him in my peripheral vision. He was staring at me, watching every move I made. “I was getting worried that you’d snuck off to another suite for the night.”
He didn’t trust me, and knowing that hurt but I couldn’t be angry. I’m the one who kept my pregnancy from him. Of course he didn’t trust me now. It had me regretting my decision to lie.
Once the door opened, I slipped inside and placed my key on the counter. The door clicked closed, and my heart slammed harder. We were alone in my suite. Our conversation would begin at any moment, but what would come from this? Where would Ayden and I stand once we said everything we had to say?
Turning to face him, I found him leaning against the door, staring in my direction. He met my eyes, then his lowered to my belly. The light above him made his eyes twinkle. Had he noticed my bump?
Andi swore to me that she couldn’t see it because of the shirt I was wearing. Ayden almost touched it earlier when he had me backed against the dressing room wall. Judging by how fixated he was with my abdomen, I was paranoid he’d somehow caught a glimpse. I still hadn’t told him how far along I was.
“Do you want something to drink?” I wasn’t sure he’d heard me until he shook his head. A second later, he took a few more steps in my direction. His eyes hadn’t moved from my abdomen.
“I can’t believe this.” His throat wobbled as he swallowed hard and stopped less than a foot from me. Then he gazed up. I noticed the tears in his eyes. “How could you keep this from me?”
Guilt crushed me. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” He scoffed at my response. I waited for him to begin his diatribe on my behavior and the truth I’d kept from him. Instead of complaining, he shook his head. “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.”
“Are you serious?” I snapped. “Look what has happened to us.”
“Everything bad that’s happened is because of our exes.”
I massaged my temples, the stress of this conversation already weighing on me. “You’re right, Ayden. Wesley and Izzy caused problems between us, but you’re the one who said I would be better off without you. You gave up on us the day my sister miscarried.”
“I did no such thing.” He minimized the space between us to a few inches. “Yes, I said some stupid shit that night, but I was feeling guilty over what happened. Once I had time to process everything, I was ready to apologize.”
“Ayden, you’re not the only person who felt guilt over Izzy’s miscarriage. I felt it too. When you said those things to me . . . it shattered me.”
“I’m sorry.” His raspy voice sent a chill up my spine. So did the way he caressed my cheek.
Once he lowered his hand, I met his eyes. “After I found out about the baby, my guilt increased. It didn’t feel like the right time to tell you. You needed to process what happened with Izzy’s child.”
“That kid wasn’t mine. The one inside of you is.”
My heart fluttered. I liked that Ayden was showing a possessive side of him when it came to our baby. It meant he cared about our child. I knew it was because he cared about me too. That knowledge thawed some of the ice around my heart.
“I understand why you gave me space, Mia, even if I didn’t like it. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me when I returned. I’ve been back for two weeks. You’ve had plenty of time to tell me.”
There was no way to deny what he was saying. Tears sprung from my eyes as I lost the battle with my emotions. “You’re right. I should have told you, but . . .”
The truth clung to the tip of my tongue. Saying it was harder than I imagined. I didn’t like to show weakness, but I couldn’t deny what frightened me more than anything.
“I’m scared, Ayden.”
In an instant, my face was pressed against his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me as his hands stroked my back. I loved being in his arms. They made me feel safe, and I needed security now more than ever.
“There is nothing for you to fear, Mia. I’m here and will be every step of the way.”
“This isn’t about us, Ayden. I’m afraid of something worse. My sister.”
He eased his head back to study me. “Izzy? Why are you afraid of her?”
Unable to answer, I moved out of his embrace and walked into the center of the living room. A picture on the wall caught my attention. It was taken years ago when my si
ster and I were ten. I was smiling in the photo, but Izzy wasn’t.
It wasn’t long after the photo was taken when she told me how much she hated my family, Music Haven, and especially me. She swore she would make my life miserable, and she held true to her word. Every time she came around, something in my life went to shit.
These last few months had been no different. If anything, they’d been worse. Izzy was determined to make sure I lived a lonely life. So far, she had succeeded.
“Mia, talk to me. We’ll never have a successful relationship if you keep things bottled up.”
“My sister will never let us be happy. Nothing I say will change that.”
The heat of his body radiated to mine once he walked up behind me. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and convince me that everything would be okay. Even if he did, I wouldn’t believe him. I knew my sister better than anyone.
“Your sister has done everything in her power to keep us apart, but she hasn’t succeeded. We wouldn’t be here right now having this conversation if that were the case. We’re here because our love for each other is stronger than anything she throws at us.”
“She will lose her shit when she discovers I’m pregnant. Izzy still blames me for her miscarriage.”
“I told you to ignore her.”
“Those threats she made were real, Ayden. You may think it’s a joke, but I’m not calling her bluff. This is why I didn’t tell you about the baby. I’m trying to protect our child.”
My voice shook again. I didn’t like living in fear. There wasn’t much my sister could do to me that I couldn’t handle, but my child was off limits. So was Ayden. I would walk away from him and raise our child alone before I allowed either of them to get hurt by Izzy.
Spinning me around to face him, Ayden cupped my face and leaned closer. “I will not let Izzy hurt you, either of you. I promise. Please trust me, Mia. Let me take care of you for a change.”
His lips swept over mine in a tender kiss. I thought he would deepen it, but to my surprise, he eased his head back and leaned it against my forehead. Then he released a sigh.
Love Deserved (Rock N Roll Heiress Book 3) Page 7