Page 49 of Muse (Fighting Fate)

I poured myself a coffee and went to sit across the table from her. I debated whether or not I should tell her about Mia. I knew she’d keep it quiet, so I wasn’t worried about that. Deciding what the hell, I went for it.

“I was with Mia.”

I watched for her reaction, hoping it was going to be a good one. Her expression went a little confused before suddenly clearing. “Do you mean Aiden’s Mia?”

“No, I mean my Mia, but yes, Mia is Aiden’s sister.”

Her eyes widened as she took in my meaning. “Your Mia? Are you dating her?”

I could tell she was a little excited about this prospect, but she kept her enthusiasm down while she waited for my answer.

“Yes, we’re dating.”

A smile a mile wide spread across her face. “Oh my god, really? I mean, I hardly remember her. She’s barely around when I see Lillian, and then she’s always so shy and quiet. I do remember her being beautiful though. When are you going to bring her around?”

I watched her with amusement. I didn’t know that me having a girlfriend would be such exciting news. The idea of bringing her around my family actually gave me a bit of a thrill, but it was too risky – especially with Ruby. She would blab to Aiden the next time she saw him for sure.

I sighed. “It’s complicated. We haven’t told anyone we’re together yet.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Why not?”

I sighed. “Mia’s not ready to be in the spotlight just yet, and we’re kind of getting a lot of attention right now.”

She nodded, her gaze thoughtful. “Do you think she’ll ever be ready though? She’s always looked pretty shy. I’m not sure how cut out she is for a rock star life, Jace.”

Looking down at my coffee, I gave a slight nod. I wasn’t sure either. All I knew was that right now I needed her, and I was too selfish to give her away. For now, I was okay with just seeing where things took us. I knew at the first sign of her not coping, I needed to let her go, but I would cross that bridge if and when we came to it. “I really don’t know, but I’m going to do everything I can to help her get there.”

Mom studied my face for a while. “You really like her, don’t you?”

I didn’t answer her, but I think my smile told her all she needed to know. Looking at the clock, I downed the last of my coffee and stood. “I’ve got to go. I’m meeting Aiden to go over some changes.”

“Okay, honey. Will you be home for dinner?”

“Nah, I’ll probably try to catch up with Mia.” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed my phone.

On the drive over to Aiden’s place, my mind wandered to Mia and what she might’ve been doing today. She’d been so cute the night before. After I’d made her come apart in my arms twice, I’d pulled her against me and lulled her to sleep by softly humming her song to her. Of course she’d had no idea it was her song, but seeing her smile with her eyes closed as she listened to it, made me feel about ten feet tall.

The moment was perfect, and I hadn’t wanted to leave, so I’d set my alarm and drifted off to sleep with her. It had still been dark when it’d woken me up, and it took a lot of effort to drag myself away from her. I hoped she was home today. Even if I couldn’t touch her, I still wanted to see her.

Knocking on the door, I waited on the porch, listening for footsteps on the other side. When I heard none, I went to knock again, but as I reached out, the door was flung open.

I blinked at Mia in surprise, but when I took in her yoga gear with bare feet, I understood how she could’ve crept up on me. A blush spread over her cheeks and she bit her lip, trying to repress the smile that came from seeing me.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual when all I wanted to do was pick her up and carry her back to her room.

“Hi. What are you doing here?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting Aiden. Isn’t he home?”

“Not yet, but he should be home soon. Come in.” She stepped back and made room for me to pass before closing the door behind me. She turned and started walking away. “I was just helping Mom in the kitchen. You can wait with us.”

Lillian was standing at the stove when we walked in. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. It was just like Mia’s. I’d never noticed that before.

“Hi, Jace. How are you?”

“Good thanks, Mrs. C.”

“Aiden shouldn’t be too far away. Do you want to try Mia’s new creation?” She winked at Mia, and I watched her blush a little.

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