Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2 Read online

  I massaged my temples as a stress headache began. I didn’t know what it would take to get through to Ayden that we were over. Perhaps nothing would because there was some truth to his words. A part of me didn’t want things to be over.

  “Ayden, I don’t know what you want from me?”

  He leaned closer to my face and said in a soft voice, “Your forgiveness.” When I didn’t respond, he eased back. “Mia, I was an idiot. You warned me about Wesley and what he was capable of doing, and I still played into his game.”

  “Yes. You did.” I clenched my teeth. I had to keep a level head in this discussion instead of giving into my emotions. Besides, now that we were having this conversation, I wanted to hear what he had to say.

  I didn’t miss the pain his face revealed as his brows knitted and the corners of his mouth turned downward. The longer I looked at him, the more my heart kinked.

  “I never meant for things to get this bad between us,” he confessed. “The night I questioned you about what happened, I wanted to get to the truth. Instead, I let my fear control me.”

  “You lost your trust in me, Ayden. That hurt more than anything, especially after everything we’d shared.”

  “I know.” He reached for my face but hesitated before he touched me. His hand fell back to his side, and his shoulders slumped. “I wish I could go back and change what happened. I can’t, but it doesn’t mean we can’t start over. If you still love me as much as I love you . . .” When his eyes met mine, they burned with desperation. “You still love me, don’t you?”

  I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling. My voice wouldn’t cooperate, not that I wanted to speak. I didn’t want to admit he was right. Still, I nodded. As soon as I did, relief covered his face.

  “Mia, you mean more to me than anything. I don’t want to lose you.”

  God, he was making this hard. Everything he was saying . . . I’d longed to hear these words. It was what I dreamed about while I was in California with D. I’d had so many dreams that Ayden and I had reconciled. Waking up was always painful because I was forced to face reality.

  “Ayden, how can we get past what happened? If you don’t trust me—”

  “I do, Mia. I trust you. I’m just afraid I’ve screwed things up too much.”

  He glanced across the arena, toward the bar. When I did the same, I spotted D sitting on the stool where Ayden and Bentley always sat. He was looking our way too.

  “I know Darius is your ex. He’s the one you were with when Wesley and Izzy messed with your life the first time. He’s the one you turned to when I . . .”

  His voice cracked. It caused me to flinch. I wasn’t thinking about anything else but comforting him when I touched his arm. “I needed a friend who wouldn’t judge me. D is my friend. I knew he would understand what I was going through because we went through the same thing.”

  “So there are no feelings between you two?”

  I wasn’t sure if he was worried I was still in love with D or if his jealousy was rearing it’s ugly head again. I could convince him the former wasn’t true. I wasn’t sure I could do anything about the latter.

  “I won’t lie and say there are no feelings. We still care about each other. We always will.”

  He glanced at the ground again before I could finish. The way his head hung, I was sure he was admitting defeat. It would be the perfect opportunity to convince him that he and I were over.

  I couldn’t.

  “Ayden, look at me.”

  He shook his head slowly, accentuating each twist. When he gazed at me once more, I grew speechless. His nostrils flared as he fought to contain his emotions. Then his hands curled around my arms, and he drew me closer.

  “I want another chance, Mia. I want a chance to prove to you that you’re all I want and need.”

  “And what if Izzy and Wesley don’t give up? What if they try to do something to tear us apart again? Who are you going to believe?”

  “You.” His face grew closer to mine again. “I will never doubt you again, Mia. I trust you, and I need you to trust me.”

  “Me trusting you was never an issue.”

  He nodded as his eyes shifted lower. “You’re right.”

  Growing quiet, he kept his focus on the floor, not saying much of anything. Maybe I’d been too harsh. I didn’t enjoy hurting him even though he’d broken my heart.

  “Mia,” he gazed up. I waited for him to finish whatever he wanted to say. He didn’t.

  He kissed me.

  While it wasn’t one of those kisses that made my body melt, there were many emotions packed into it. It was tender, short, and enough to melt the ice in my heart. My resolve was faltering.

  He pulled away but held my face between his hands. “I want you to give me another chance. I will beg for it if that’s what it takes.” I tried to interrupt, but he shushed me. “Listen to me. There’s something I need to tell you, something that will require you to be a better person to me than I was to you.”

  My stomach knotted. “I’m not following you.”

  He leaned his forehead to mine and released a deep sigh. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, another voice cut him off.

  “I see you two are back in love again.” Izzy’s sarcastic comment made me grit my teeth.

  Ayden hadn’t pulled away nor had I. The gentle squeeze he gave me said he didn’t want to let go, but he did so reluctantly. When I turned toward my sister, her lips contorted in a sinister smile.

  “What do you want, Izzy?”

  “I just wanted to congratulate you two. I didn’t think you’d forgive him for what happened.”

  “It wouldn’t have happened if you and Wesley hadn’t schemed against me again.”

  Her eyes shifted to Ayden as her smile turned lazy. Then she focused on me once more. “Oh, I’m not talking about when you left. I’m talking about what happened later when Ayden invited me into his suite and fucked me.”

  Chapter 5

  ~Ayden~

  Every inch of my body thrummed with fear and anger as I glared at Izzy. She was enjoying every second of it too. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was humiliating her sister or me. Maybe it was the fact that she did it to both of us. Whichever the case, her smugness hinted to her satisfaction.

  When Mia turned to me again, she studied my face as if she was looking for answers. Did she realize that this was what I wanted to tell her? More importantly, would she do as I’d asked? Would she be a better person to me than I was to her?

  I needed her to believe in me.

  “Did you sleep with her?”

  My mouth parted as I prepared to plead my case. Someone interrupted.

  “It’s another trick, Mia.” Andi came storming up to us. Bentley was just behind her. I hadn’t noticed either of them since I approached Mia. They must have been standing close by, just in case my conversation with Mia blew up. “Izzy’s trying to get the focus off her and onto someone else. It’s what she does.”

  “Trust me, Andi, it’s true,” Izzy taunted. She glanced at Bentley this time. My heart sank. I knew what was next. “If you don’t believe me, you should ask your boyfriend. Bentley’s the one who discovered us the next morning.” When Andi faced Bentley, Izzy chuckled. “I think it turned him on when I got out of the bed to dress. He sure was staring at my body.”

  “You lying bitch.” Bentley stepped forward, but Andi pushed him back.

  “Tell me she is lying.”

  “It’s not what she’s making it out to be. Ayden jumped out of bed as soon as he saw her. He told her to leave. When she stood up, we both turned our back to her.”

  Andi fisted her hands on her hips and inched closer to Izzy. “You love putting everyone through hell, don’t you?”

  Izzy shrugged. “I’m just telling the truth. Don’t be upset with me because your man can’t do the same.”

  I didn’t realize Andi had punched Izzy until I saw her fall backward. Andi dove toward her, but Bentley grabbed her arms, preventin
g her from jumping on top of Izzy and finishing what she’d started. While Izzy wiped the blood from her lip, Bentley struggled to pull Andi away.

  He begged her to calm down, not that it did him any good. When she finally broke free of his grasp, she bolted away. Bentley followed.

  When I refocused on Mia, I didn’t miss the disappointment in her eyes. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t sleep with her, Mia. I swear on my life.”

  “Why is she claiming you did?”

  I was relieved at how calm she appeared. Her voice didn’t shake like mine. I hoped it didn’t make me sound guilty. With all the anger and fear rushing through me, I couldn’t help it.

  “After you left, I went back to my suite. Izzy was waiting there. She tried to get me to invite her in, but I told her no. I passed out in my room but forgot to take my key out of the door. That’s how she got in.”

  “So she went inside your suite and snuck into your bed?”

  “Yes.” I wasn’t sure if she believed me. I couldn’t read her when her face held no emotions. “If you have doubts, check the security cameras. It will prove she let herself in. Past that, all I can do to prove my innocence is to tell you the truth.”

  “Which is?”

  Her question caused my shoulders to tighten. I contemplated my next response, hoping I wouldn’t say something that upset her further. “We didn’t have sex. She’s trying to set me up like Wesley did you. Please, don’t believe her lies. Be better than me.”

  I held my breath as I waited for her to respond. All she did was look at her sister and then me. Izzy had made it back to her feet, but she sported a swollen lip. The split had stopped bleeding, but the ripped skin was disgusting to see. So was Izzy. I hated her.

  “Mia, please. Talk to me.”

  She peeked in my direction, but something else caught her attention. I turned in time to see Darius approaching. He’d been watching Mia and me when we were talking. I was sure that he had witnessed Andi punching Izzy. If he knew Izzy as well as he claimed, then he knew the chaos she was causing was far from over.

  “What the hell is going on?” His stern voice was directed toward Izzy. So was his gaze.

  Yet it was Mia who answered. “Izzy is being Izzy.”

  “That’s a loaded response, doll. You know how she is. Don’t let her lies get to you.”

  Mia glanced at me. “I’m not sure if it’s a lie.”

  It felt as though I had the wind knocked out of me. She doubted me. No matter how much I’d begged her, it wasn’t enough to convince her I was telling the truth.

  Karma was crossing me off her list. I knew that for a fact as another scene unfolded in front of me. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I tried to object, but my voice failed me.

  All I could do was watch in horror as Mia stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Darius’s.

  My body grew heavy, each limb feeling as though it weighed two ton. Facing Mia hadn’t been easy. I’d struggled to find the courage to approach her. It didn’t seem to be in vain until Izzy showed up. I should have known she’d get to Mia before I could explain what happened.

  No matter how much I wanted to question her about why she believed her sister over me, I had no right. I’d done the same to her, even though I knew what kind of person Wesley was.

  As soon as she eased back, she and Darius stared at each other. Neither said a word, but I saw the chemistry between them. It shook me to the soul.

  Mia turned away and found me once more. “I believe you, Ayden, about as much as you believe that kiss wasn’t real.” She nosed closer. “Feels good, doesn’t it? Getting your heart ripped out. There’s no other feeling like it.”

  Without another word, she pivoted toward the bar and stormed in the same direction. I did nothing more than watch her weave through the crowd, between the bars, until she disappeared through the main doors.

  Izzy took a few steps toward me when Darius grabbed her shoulder. “Your best bet is to get as far away from him as you can. Trust me, he doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

  I lowered my eyes so that I didn’t have to see her. I didn’t hear her respond either, but I did hear her footsteps as she walked away. The fact that she was gone provided me with a smidgen of relief. It wasn’t enough to combat the anger burning through me. Darius was still standing close by, but after seeing him and Mia kissing, he was the last person I wanted to stick around.

  “She’s gone, Ayden.”

  “Thanks.” I managed to say the words without sounding too hateful. When I found Darius, he was wincing.

  “Dude, what just happened with Mia? I thought—”

  “Save it, Darius. Looks like you win.”

  “Excuse me?” His brows folded as he jerked his head back.

  “You said if Mia wanted you back, you wouldn’t be able to refuse her. I guess your wish came true.”

  Darius waved his hands in front of him. “No, man, you’re wrong. The kiss proved nothing but the fact that what Izzy confessed hurt her. As much as I would love Mia to love me, it won’t be like this. I won’t be second best. Until you’re out of her heart, I will be.”

  I leaned against the table where Mia and Andi had been working as I tried to wrap my mind around this whole situation. “I don’t know how you can say you’re second best. She just kissed you in front of everyone to prove a point. She’s over me.”

  “Yeah, she was proving a point. That she can hurt you as much as you hurt her. It doesn’t mean she wants to be with me.”

  “Whatever.”

  Darius slapped his hand against his forehead and squeezed his head. “Dude, shut up. Sometimes I think you say shit to convince yourself as much as everyone else.”

  I glared at him, then focused on the bar. What I wouldn’t give for a drink right now. I needed something to calm my nerves. Darius was my friend. He’d helped me in the past. I didn’t want to fight with him.

  “This isn’t about me convincing myself or anyone else of anything. I’m stating facts. Mia turned to you when I broke her heart. When she returned to her home, she brought you with her. Don’t tell me she doesn’t want you back.”

  “I saw the two of you talking. You kissed her, and she didn’t push you away. Things didn’t get bad until Izzy showed up.”

  “Don’t remind me.” I motioned him to walk with me to the bar.

  As we made our way across the open floor, I thought about what I was going to confess to him. If he really wanted Mia back, he could use the information against me. Still, he would find out the moment he talked to Mia. He might as well hear it from me.

  “Izzy told Mia that I fucked her the night Mia left. I swear I never touched her. She snuck into my room to set me up. Mia believes her lies, but I guess it’s what I deserve after believing Wesley over her.”

  Darius didn’t say anything. He didn’t even look my way. He followed me to the corner bar and sat on the stool beside me. “Max, can we get a couple drinks? Bourbon. Two of them.” He glanced at me once Max gave him a thumbs-up. “I figured this conversation required something a little stronger than beer.”

  Nodding at him, I waited until Max set the glasses in front of us and then rush off to another customer. I didn’t waste any time lifting my glass to my lips or taking a drink. Darius didn’t either.

  When we returned our glasses to the bar, he crossed his arms and leaned them on the edge. Then he shook his head.

  “Darius, I never touched Izzy.”

  “I believe you. I know what she’s capable of doing.”

  “Yeah, but you actually slept with her.”

  He took another drink from his glass then held it below his mouth. “I was stupid enough to believe Izzy’s lies, which is why I did what I did. Your situation is different. Mia knows her sister. She’s upset right now, but she will calm down.”

  “Maybe she will, but that still doesn’t mean she’ll forgive me.”

  As he took another drink from his glass, I joined him. Mine was half gone when I ret
urned the glass to the bar.

  “Neither of us can predict the future, Ayden, but I can assure you that I’m not moving in on your territory. Give Mia time.”

  “It’s not going to be easy. There’s an insistent urge inside of me to find her and make her listen to reason. I hope she’ll at least look at the security footage to see Izzy letting herself into my suite.”

  “I’m going to do one better.” He stood and faced the main doors. “I’ll make sure she checks it.”

  “How?”

  He didn’t miss a beat when he replied, “I’m going to talk to Mia.”

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  My heart pounded as I stood inside my living room, unsure what to do at this point. Images ran through my mind, each one representing an action or reaction to the bomb my sister dropped. One thought bothered me more than the other.

  I had kissed D.

  There was another thought that made me uncomfortable—the bewilderment and pain in Ayden’s eyes. It didn’t give me the satisfaction I was hoping for. He’d begged me to be the better person, but I reacted in the worst way possible. I’d also given my sister what she wanted. I’d walked away from Ayden.

  This was turning into a nightmare. I should never have pursued a relationship with him. I knew that going in, but I let my emotions get the best of me. I gave into my desire. The price I was paying was too high. My heart had been through enough.

  Taking a deep breath, I did my best to settle my nerves. Every part of me was shaking. I was tempted to do as Ayden asked and check the security footage, but I feared what I would find.

  A round of knocking sent my thoughts scattering. I stared at the door, debating on whether to answer it. It could only be a handful of people, and there were only two I would consider talking to. Andi or D. I didn’t want to see Ayden, and if Izzy had the nerve to show up at my door, I’d knock her flat on her ass.

  Another knock rattled the door before a voice accompanied it. “Mia, open up if you’re in there.”