I stared down at the stage and the crowd of people below who were listening to Payne Addiction. Randy and his band were on a special promotional tour for the soundtrack of a hot, new movie release. It explained why I hadn’t seen him around Music Haven for the last few months. He and his band were busy recording their song for the soundtrack.

Though he’d been in town for a couple of days, we hadn’t run into each other. Of course, that might have been different had I not spent the last three days sulking in my suite. I had little choice when I knew what leaving meant. At some point, I would run into Mia.

Resisting the urge to go to her wasn’t easy. I proved that after she ran away from me at the masquerade ball. She never answered the door when I pounded on it and begged her to talk to me. It was a massive blow to my ego.

As I knocked back my glass and consumed the rest of my drink, I returned to my seat at the bar. Max was waiting to refill my bourbon, but he wasn’t the only person there. Chris was sitting in the spot where Bentley usually sat, sipping on a beer. When he realized I was looking his way, he waved.

“Hey, Ayden. You got a minute?”

“Yeah. What’s up, Chris?”

After we shook hands, I took a drink from my glass. Chris played with his beer bottle, staring at it for the longest time. He gave me a sideways glance a few seconds later.

“You want the good news first, or the bad news?”

My stomach knotted. “Save the best for last, I guess. What’s going on, man?”

“After you texted me when you returned, I called the lab to see what was taking so long on the DNA results we had done before you left.”

“And?”

Chris’s gaze fell toward the bar again. “The results were inconclusive.”

Processing what he’d said, my skin grew clammy. It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. Not knowing was worse than knowing. Was the universe working against me?

“That’s just great. I should have known I wouldn’t get answers. It’s like I’m being punished for something.” I took a long chug from my drink as Chris cleared his throat.

“Just because the results were inconclusive doesn’t mean you can’t still get answers.”

I lowered my glass back to the bar and drew my brows lower. “You’re confusing the shit out of me. How can I still get answers?”

“I still have samples frozen in my lab. We’re going to send one to another facility. I have an old colleague that works at a state-of-the-art laboratory for genetic testing and studies. He’s assured me that he will not only get the results, but he’ll also give them with the highest accuracy available on the market.”

“If he’s this good, how come you didn’t send the results to him first?”

Chris glanced at me again. “The test is expensive. I didn’t want to burden you with the expense.”

“So what’s changed?”

“My friend was going to do it for free, but someone else volunteered to front the cost.”

I straightened my back at his response. “What do you mean, someone else fronted the cost? Who was it?”

Grimacing at my question, Chris took a few long drinks of his beer. Then he returned it to the bar. “I’m not at liberty to say, but I can assure the person was more than willing to pay for the test. Either way, it’s been taken care of. I sent out the samples in a courier just before I came in here.”

It was bad enough to think someone paid my portion of something. What was worse was not knowing who had done it, or why. Was this something the mysterious person would hold over my head?

Lies surround you, Ayden McAllister. You’ve been given false information . . .

The text I received the night Izzy lost the baby played through my mind. Was the person who sent the text the same one who paid for the DNA test? It seemed possible, and it also had me curious to know if that person was the real father.

“How long will it take for the results to come back?”

I waited for Chris to finish his beer and wipe off his mouth before he answered me. “That’s the only other kicker to this. It’s going to take longer for the results. For one, it’s going to take time to get to the facility. Second, it will go through a series of stringent testing to get the most accurate results. That takes time.”

“I don’t care how long it takes as long as I get answers.”

“You’ll get them, Ayden. I promise.”

Chris nodded as I heard someone sit behind me. When I peered over my shoulder, I found Darius frowning. He didn’t acknowledge me until he gave Max his drink order.

“Good to see you among the living.”

I nodded. “Figured it was time to have a drink and sulk outside my suite.”

Max handed Darius the drink he ordered then went to his next customer. Darius lifted his glass, motioned for me to raise mine, then clinked them together. “Cheers, man. Here’s to us for landing on Mia’s shitlist once again.”

Growing speechless, I said nothing as I mimicked my friend and took a drink. The rest of the liquor poured into my mouth before I returned the glass to the table. Max grabbed it on his way through.

“Ayden, I gotta run,” Chris explained as he patted my shoulder. “The hospital just called. I have a patient I have to see, but I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Chris.” I waved goodbye as he made his way toward the exit. Once he was out of sight, I refocused on Darius. “You wanna talk?”

Darius stared at his half-empty glass and shrugged his shoulders. “Discussing the problem doesn’t really change it, does it?”

“Depends on what the problem is.”

Chuckling at my reply, Darius waited as Max handed me another drink and walked away. Once he was out of hearing range, he looked at me again. “Looks like you’re not the only person Mia’s ignoring. She won’t talk to me either. I tried calling and texting, then I finally went to see her.”

“What did she say?”

Darius swirled the drink in his hand then pressed the glass to his forehead. “She said she didn’t want to speak to me right now. I asked her when we could talk, but she just shrugged and said she’d find me.”

At least he had that much. Mia hadn’t even spoken to me since the night of the party. I didn’t know if she ever would again. If that were the case, I had no one to blame but myself.

Damn it.

“I’m sorry, Darius. It’s my fault she’s pissed with you.”

“Bullshit.” He played with the rim of his glass and stared across the bar. “I’m the one who suggested we do this. Mia’s just being stubborn right now. She’s going to come around and realize that you love her, you’re not going anywhere, and the two of you belong together.”

It pained him to admit such a thing. He didn’t have to tell me that he was still in love with Mia. Anyone could see it in the way he looked at her—hell—even the way he talked about her. Some guys would take advantage of the situation between Mia and me and try to steal her away. Not Darius.

“I hope you’re right, but at this point, I don’t know. Mia hasn’t made any attempts to talk to me, and she hasn’t answered my texts or calls either. Maybe I’ve screwed things up one too many times.”

“We’ve all made mistakes, bro. At least you didn’t cheat on her like I did.” Darius studied me a moment and then scoffed. “Believe me. She’s going to forgive you for what happened at the hospital as much as what happened three nights ago. Why don’t you try talking to her after the show tonight?”

“She didn’t take my calls or texts. What makes you think she’ll talk to me?”

“Because it’s harder to avoid someone when you’re face-to-face with them.”

“It didn’t matter in your case.” I wasn’t trying to be a smartass by throwing something painful in his face, but I had to prove a point.

“What does it hurt to try? The worst she can do is ignore you.”

Gripping my glass in my hand, I thought about what he said as I took a drink. I kept telling myself he was wrong, no matter how much I wanted him to be right. He had to be right, because the thought of my life without Mia . . .

“Dude, don’t look now, but Mia just came into the bar.”

I glanced at him then at my glass, fighting the urge to look toward the main entrance. Every part of me ached to see Mia. Three days without communication was far too long. Still, I had to keep my distance and allow her time to sort out her feelings.

“This is harder than I thought it would be.”

Darius nodded. “It’s hard to resist someone when your instincts are screaming at you to go to them. Just think back to how angry you were when you thought Mia had cheated on you. You didn’t want to talk to her or anyone.”

It was a moment in my life I wanted to forget, just like my relationship with Izzy. I wish I had never met her just like I wish I had trusted Mia and believed in her. While we may have gotten past that, it still hung over me like a storm cloud.

Slamming back the rest of my drink, I hoped the alcohol would settle my anxiety and help me relax. No such luck. My buzz increased, but so did my courage.

Without giving it another thought, I shifted my eyes to the entrance. Mia was standing a few feet away with Andi by her side. They were speaking to a group of women seated at the bar.

After a moment of gawking, I noticed the women wave goodbye before they walked toward the dance floor. Mia and Andi remained at the bar. Andi ordered a drink as Mia smoothed her hand over her pants. She looked amazing as always, but something about her was different.

She was glowing.

“Dude, what the hell are you doing?” Darius’s voice invaded my thoughts, but I didn’t turn his way. I couldn’t.

“The thought of not talking to her drives me insane. What can I say? When it comes to Mia, I’m weak.”

The urge to go to her was hard to resist. I jiggled my leg, doing my best to divert my attention. It wasn’t working. When I finally looked at Darius, he shook his head.

“Not until after the show.”

“You look amazing, Mia.”

I glanced at Andi as she sipped her martini and shook my head. “If you say so.”

“Seriously. You haven’t shown this much skin in . . . I don’t know how long.”

Smoothing over my pants, I drew in a deep breath, regretting my decision to help out an old friend. “If Dean hadn’t asked me to fill in for Missy tonight, I wouldn’t have this on. Maybe I should have declined.”

“Decline a duet with Dean Dorsey? Uh, hell no. I’d love to go on stage and sing with him. It sucks that Missy has strep throat, but enjoy the moment for what it’s worth.”

Andi used to have a huge crush on Dean. They continuously flirted after he and his band came to Music Haven to work with my grandfather. Even though I knew how much she cared about Bentley, her fascination with Dean still existed.

“Are you sure I look okay? I feel bloated.” I turned toward the right-hand bar to give her a better view of my stomach. She examined every inch of me before shaking her head.

“You’re barely showing. I can see a little bump, but it’s because I know it’s there. You feel weird because you’re hiding the truth from a certain someone.”

I placed my hand above my navel and twisted my body toward her. “Are you sure you can’t tell?”

Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes moved past me. Whatever caught her attention didn’t hold it for long. When she finally looked at me, she leaned closer. “Don’t look behind you. Ayden’s at the corner of the other bar with D. He’s staring at you.”

Doing the exact opposite of what she asked, I peered toward the corner of the bar. My eyes locked with Ayden’s. A moment later, I faced Andi. “I gotta go. We’ll chat later.”

My legs burned as I quickened my steps and spoke with a few guests on my way past them. I sensed Ayden’s eyes on me but I didn’t acknowledge him, at least not until I was at the corner of the bar. It was at that precise moment I made the mistake of glancing his way.

He stood from his stool, but I didn’t wait to see if he would speak to me. I walked as fast I could, high heels and all, and made my way to the staircase that led backstage.

As I wedged myself through the crowd gathered near the stairs that led to the main floor, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. There was no time to see who it was. My body was spinning around. When I stopped, I was face-to-face with Ayden. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before his eyes lowered to my stomach.

When he looked at me again, his face creased. “Chemo getting the best of you?”

Relief flooded me. He didn’t suspect my pregnancy. He was still focused on the idea that I had cancer. I needed to tell him the truth, but I wasn’t ready. He returned earlier than expected and I didn’t have time to think over my options.

Who was I kidding? I had plenty of time. I just couldn’t make a decision.

“I’m not on chemo, Ayden, and I don’t have cancer.”

“Then why were you holding your stomach? I know chemo makes people nauseous.”

“So does stage fright.”

His head tilted to the side. “Beg your pardon?”

Before I could answer him, I heard someone call my name. Both Ayden and I turned in the direction of the sound and found Dean Dorsey walking our way. He was sporting a cheesy grin as he looked at me.

“There you are. Oh, wait a second . . .” His gaze fell on Ayden then back to me. “Did I interrupt something?”

I responded with a quick no, but I heard Ayden say yes. Our mixed responses caused Dean to frown. “My bad. You’re Ayden McAllister with Breaking Silence, right?”

When Ayden nodded, Dean stuck out his hand and shook Ayden’s. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you guys.”

“Likewise.”

Ayden’s short response had Dean grimacing. “Dude, I’m sorry that I interrupted, but I have to steal Mia for a few. Maybe the three of us can hang out after the show.”

Things turned from awkward to uncomfortable quickly. The idea of the three of us getting together after the show caused every nerve in my body to pulse. I was sure it’s what Ayden wanted, so I wasn’t surprised when I noticed him nodding.

“Cool, man. We’ll see you then.” Dean shook his hand one last time then wrapped his arm around my shoulder, escorting me further backstage.

I would find a way to get out of the arrangement he just made, even if I had to lie through my teeth. I had no other choice. Hanging out with Ayden wouldn’t be good. Every second I was around him made my guilt increase. My time was up. I had to make a decision regarding our future.

Did I want to forgive Ayden and tell him the truth about our baby, or was it time to pack my bags and leave Music Haven?