Love Desired

by Kelli McCracken

My heart raced faster with every step I took. I was walking with such speed that I almost tripped near the end of the bar. The stage was in sight as I weaved through the people spread about the grounds. When I didn’t see Wesley anywhere in the bar, I knew where to look for him.

  He liked hanging out backstage. That much about him hadn’t changed. Neither did the way he approached young girls, giving them the sad, sappy story he once fed to me. What a jerk. Why had my life been plagued by this asshole so much that I couldn’t get rid of him? Was I suffering karmic influence from a former life?

  I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. All I knew was I had to get Wesley to admit the truth to me, as well as to Ayden.

  As soon as I made it backstage, I heard someone shouting my name. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Andi sprinting toward me. She and Bentley were sitting just behind Ayden and me when we had our argument. I knew Andi saw me get up and walk away. Knowing her, she’d asked Ayden what had happened before rushing off to find me.

  She couldn’t fix this. I know she wanted to, but I had to handle this myself.

  “Go back to Bentley, Andi. Enjoy your evening. I will handle this.”

  “Oh no, you don’t,” she scolded me as she grabbed my shoulder and forced me to stop. “Wesley’s not supposed to be around you. Don’t go to him. That’s what he wants, Mia. You know the game he’s playing.”

  “Of course I know! I have to prove it to Ayden.” My voice cracked. It felt as though a weight was dragging me down. My muscles grew weak, and I wanted to fall to the ground and cry.

  I couldn’t. I had to defend myself against a man who was an expert liar and manipulator. This explained why he’d been on such good behavior. He’d been plotting his revenge. Last night, he’d set it in motion.

  I should have been more on guard. Now I was going to pay the price with my relationship. If Ayden and I broke up over this, I would be convinced of a horrible truth. I was destined to be alone.

  If that happened, Music Haven would not be passed down to generations after me. It would cease to exist once I was gone. My grandfather made it clear that the business had to stay in the family. I couldn’t even sell it to save it.

  The burden of that is what had me breaking loose from Andi’s grip and continuing my search for the man that made my stomach churn.

  Wesley disgusted me. The last thing I wanted was to see him right now, not with all the anger flowing through me. Still, I refused to go back on my promise to my granddad. The only way I’d ever have a shot at happiness or having a family was to get Wesley tossed out of Music Haven. Otherwise, he’d torment me for the rest of my life.

  “Mia, please stop. Let me confront him instead.”

  “I’ll know if he’s lying. Trust me. No one can read him like I can.” I wish I had that skill set when I first met him. It would have saved me heartache.

  I was halfway to Wesley’s office when Andi cut me off. “Mia, stop. Don’t worry about Wesley right now. You and Ayden need to talk. You never told him the whole story about what happened with Wesley and Izzy, did you?

  “No, and it won’t matter now. Ayden will think I’m making it up.”

  “Are you forgetting that I was there to witness what happened when you exposed him? I can back up anything you say.”

  “He’ll just think you’re lying to cover my ass. I have to confront Wesley first.”

  Stepping around her, I went to Wesley’s door and barged inside to berate him. All I found was an empty room. He had to be close by. There was an open beer on his desk, and it was still cold. Knowing him, he was somewhere slumming.

  “See, he’s not here. You’re not meant to talk to him right now, Mia.”

  “The hell I’m not.” I made my way out of the office and continued to the left wing. By the time I got past some of the steel lighting supports, I had found the man I was looking for, and just as I suspected, Wesley was doing his best to woo one of the young sound production interns.

  As soon as she saw me, she backed away and left him standing at the foot of the steps. When he saw me coming, he didn’t hide his pleasure at seeing the way I was glaring at him.

  “You asshole.”

  “Mia. It’s good to see you too, though I should remind you, we’re not supposed to be talking.”

  “You don’t have to remind me of anything, Wesley, but since you brought it up, let me ask you something. Who the hell did you send to my suite last night? Furthermore, how did he get in? You don’t have a key, and my locks were changed after I broke things off with you.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I didn’t let anyone in your room last night. Like you said, I don’t have a key.”

  “Don’t play games with me.” I shoved my finger into his chest, causing him to take a step back. When I went toward him again, Andi came between us.

  “Calm down. This isn’t going to help matters.” She leaned closer to me before she continued, “Remember, everything gets reported to the board right now.”

  Just as she backed away, I saw Ayden. He was approaching in the distance. Bentley wasn’t too far behind him. From what I could see, he was saying something to his friend, but Ayden wasn’t listening.

  “It looks like your latest boy toy is heading your way. I better go so you lovebirds can—”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” I seethed the words as I jabbed my finger in his chest again.

  “What the hell is going on?” Ayden asked once he reached us.

  “I was just asking Wesley the same thing. I believe there is something he wants to tell you.”

  It didn’t seem as if he’d heard me. He was too busy glaring toward Wesley. “I doubt there is anything I want to hear from this liar.”

  “Liar?” Wesley chuckled. “What am I lying about this time?”

  Ayden came at Wesley just as Bentley reached us and managed to get between them before Ayden could punch him. “He ain’t worth a night in jail.”

  Wesley’s chest shook as he laughed heartily. “What’s got your panties in a wad, McAllister?”

  Bentley’s arms flexed as he did his best to keep Ayden from rushing my ex. Andi didn’t hesitate to hurry down the steps to help him, not that he would let her get close to Ayden. I was about to join them when Wesley cleared his throat.

  “You need to watch this one, Mia. He’s got a problem with his fists. He likes hitting people.”

  “Only people who provoke me,” Ayden growled from behind Bentley.

  “And how did I provoke you? Oh, wait. This is about Mia, isn’t it? She told me that some guy was in her suite.”

  Anger had blinded Ayden. I knew it the second he tried rushing Wesley again. Bentley kept them apart while Andi begged Ayden to stay calm and listen. He wasn’t seeing or hearing anything past what he thought he saw in my bathroom. This was a nightmare, one I was reliving, one I would relive in any relationship. Wesley would make sure of it.

  “This is about more than some guy being inside her room and you know it. If you are somehow involved in this, no one will be able to protect you, Wesley. No one.”

  Each word Ayden gritted through his teeth made the hair on my skin stand. I hoped he was attempting to defend my honor, but as angry as he was, I couldn’t be sure.

  “I have no reason to lie about anything. If some guy was seen leaving Mia’s suite, then I told you so.” Wesley’s words made my blood go cold. My stomach knotted as I thought about what he said. Had he been plotting this from the beginning, planting the seeds of doubt in Ayden’s head? Then I noticed Wesley grin. “Sorry. Can’t I say I didn’t warn you.”

  “About what?” Ayden asked.

  “If you would have listened to my advice when we first met, we wouldn’t be here doing this right now. I’m sorry you had to find out about Mia like this. She’s beautiful, but she can’t be faithful.”

  “You lying son of a bitch.” The words rushed past my lips as I glared at my ex. “This has you written all over it! Who is this guy? How much did you pa
y him to go along with it?”

  When Wesley began laughing, I lost it. This asshole was determined to ruin the rest of my life if I didn’t do something about it. Something had to give. I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I guess destroying my first relationship wasn’t enough for you. You had to ruin my happiness again.” My eyes burned as I felt moisture forming in them. I refused to give this man any more of my tears. He’d already stolen too many. “You’re a coward, Wesley. You don’t have the balls to be a man.”

  “Mia, be honest with the guy. You owe him that much. It’s okay if you want to get something on the side every once in a while. I’m open to taking you back.”

  It was like a flash of lightning hit me. Rage darkened my vision, and that fine line between reality and sanity snapped. I was finished being the woman he thought he could push around. It ended today.

  I tried to walk away. Everything inside of me was screaming to put one foot in front of the other and get the hell out of there. My heart kept me frozen in place. I wanted revenge, and so I got it the only way I could at the moment. I drew my arm back and launched my hardest right hook toward Wesley.

  Hot, searing pain erupted through my hand when it made contact with his mouth. A second later, I pulled it against my chest as I winced. Then I noticed Wesley stumbling backward. It wasn’t long before he lost his balance and fell on his ass. If it weren’t for the mess he’d made of my life today, I would have enjoyed this moment. Instead, I glanced at Ayden one last time before walking away.

  It wouldn’t do any good talking to him, not after Wesley told him more lies. I didn’t doubt Ayden believed them. How could he not after what he saw in my bathroom? It’s what Wesley wanted, because once again, he’d successfully plotted against me.

  Still, I’d hoped the part of Ayden that fell in love with me, that part of him that swore he’d protect me from Wesley, would see through the lies. I was wrong. The fact that he didn’t say a word as I walked away was all the proof I needed.

  Each step I took toward my suite shattered my heart into a thousand pieces.

  * * *

  ~Ayden~

  It wasn’t easy to watch Mia walk away. I wanted to follow her and demand the truth. Why did she play me? After hearing what I’d gone through with Izzy, she knew how much something like this would hurt me. The rational part of me wanted to believe this was a setup. The rest of me considered every word I just heard, and that was the part of me that had been broken by Izzy.

  My entire body burned with anger as I struggled to keep myself in check. All I wanted was to finish what Mia started—to knock Wesley out cold, leave him lying on the ground like the trash he was. If Bentley weren’t holding me back, I would.

  At least I got satisfaction in seeing the blood on his hand after he wiped off his mouth. It was the same spot where Mia had struck him. He was lucky it was her. Had I managed to get a hold of him, he’d be missing teeth as well.

  “Crazy bitch,” he mumbled before wiping his hand on his jeans. Then he looked my way. “See what I have to deal with?”

  “You got what you deserved,” Andi chimed in. “You’re lucky she didn’t cold-cock you.”

  “Please. Mia hits like a girl.”

  “Yeah. That’s why you’re bleeding,” Andi snorted. She glanced toward me and then toward Bentley. “Excuse me. I’m going to check on Mia. She needs to know someone believes her.”

  It wasn’t until she left that I realized people were looking our way, both backstage and on the grounds. I was sure some of them had seen what happened, including the fact that Mia had hit Wesley.

  “Come on, man. Let’s grab a drink and get you calm,” Bentley urged me as he tugged me in the opposite direction.

  I didn’t argue. Getting drunk seemed the best option now. What else did I have to do? Mia was gone. I doubted she would answer the door if she knew I was on the other side. There were too many emotions invested. Any conversation we had wouldn’t end well.

  Bentley and I made it back to our seats. My friend ordered me another bourbon then grabbed a beer from his bucket. By the time Max brought my drink to me, I had just enough time to taste it when Bentley asked the question I was waiting on.

  “What the fuck, man?”

  “My thoughts exactly.” I took another drink, knowing damn good and well that wasn’t what he was thinking. His comment was in regards to my behavior. The frown on his face said as much.

  “Dude, you need to get a grip. Why are you buying into this bullshit?”

  “How do you know it’s bullshit?”

  His mouth gaped as he observed me taking another drink, but it didn’t remain that way long. “I know it’s bullshit because I believe the woman I’m with. I trust her. Mia may not have told you much about this asshole, but Andi has told me plenty.”

  I ignored him as best as I could. The last thing I wanted to do was fight with him. I wanted to enjoy the liquor, the way it warmed my body, easing some of the tension in my neck.

  No matter how much I consumed tonight, one thing I knew for sure. Nothing was going to ease the ache forming in my heart. I didn’t want to believe this was happening again. I didn’t want to imagine that Mia could break my heart. Yet here I was, questioning everything she’d told me. Was any of it real?

  Had I given Wesley too much credit?

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  I gazed at the photo of my grandfather, the gigantic one that hung inside my office. He had a good heart and did what he could for people. From the moment he met Wesley, he did what he could to get him involved in Music Haven. It was his way of paying him back for helping me get through the pain of losing D.

  Wesley had both of us fooled. It was my fault he came to Music Haven. I should have seen through his bullshit. Back then, I didn’t have the knowledge I have now. He was a snake, and he knew exactly when to strike.

  “Mia?”

  I didn’t flinch when I heard Andi’s voice. All I could do was stand beside my desk and stare at the picture. If my grandfather were still alive, he’d take care of this mess. Hell, I wouldn’t be going through this. He would have tossed Wesley out as soon as I’d discovered the truth.

  Andi’s footsteps sounded behind me. Then her hand touched my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know anymore.”

  She squeezed my shoulder softly then wrapped her arm around me. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

  Shrugging, I glanced toward the floor. “What’s there to talk about? He did it to me again, Andi. Wesley ruined things between Ayden and me. I’m never going to be free of him.”

  “Don’t talk like that. We’re going to figure out a way to get him out of your life for good. He broke into your room somehow. You can press charges against him.”

  “And he’ll just find a way to get out of it. He always does. Besides, it’s his word against mine.”

  “Bentley saw a strange guy leaving. We have proof someone was in there.”

  “But all he has to do is say I invited him.” I gripped the edge of the desk, using it to support my weight. What I wanted to do was crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep.

  “What about the condom?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know anything about a condom. When I woke this morning, I went to get a drink of water and used the main bathroom. By the time I changed clothes and grabbed my hairbrush, the cleaning crew arrived, so I headed to the office to get out of their way.”

  “Still, it’s possible whoever cleaned your bathroom saw it. We need to find out who was working and ask them what they saw.”

  She was right. We could question the cleaning staff, but it didn’t mean it would prove my innocence to Ayden. I wasn’t even sure if it would help me build a case against Wesley.

  “I’ll make a phone call in the morning, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Wesley will claim he knows nothing about it. Without concrete proof that he let someone into my suite, I don’t have much to go on.”

  “Th
en we’ll get the proof. The security cameras will show us something. Maybe we will recognize the guy he let in, or we can ask around if anyone has seen him. I think we can get him to turn on Wesley.”

  Andi walked around my desk to access my computer. She typed in something, made a few clicks with the mouse, then leaned closer to the screen. After a few minutes of silence, she motioned me to come closer.

  “I’ve got the footage pulled up. Let’s see what Wesley’s been up to.”

  Forcing myself to view my computer, a chill ran down my spine when I saw Wesley walking into the condo with a dark-haired man. He glanced around the hall as if he were looking to see if anyone was around. Then they moved to my door.

  With the way Wesley had his body turned, it was impossible to see if either of them inserted a keycard inside the slot, but it wasn’t long before the door opened. Wesley stuck his head inside, probably to see if I was in the living room or kitchen. Then he motioned the guy to go inside my suite. Just before the stranger did, Wesley passed something off to him.

  “What the hell?” Andi mumbled. She froze the screen and zoomed in enough that it appeared to be a silver package. “Is that the condom?”

  “It sure looks like it,” I answered.

  When she replayed the footage, the man closed my door, and Wesley walked away. I never saw the stranger’s face, but he’d definitely been inside my home.

  “Okay. We have proof that Wesley broke in and let some strange man into your suite.”

  I shook my head. “No, we have a video of him letting someone inside, but no proof of how he opened the door. All he has to do is say I gave him a key.”

  “Damn it.”

  Andi grumbled something under her breath as she fast-forwarded the footage. A few seconds later, she stopped again. The stranger had opened the door and peered into the hall.

  “Who the hell is he?” I asked, but Andi didn’t answer me. The footage held every ounce of her attention. We both stared at the screen as the stranger pulled the door closed and left my suite.