Needing Nevaeh(Rockers’ Legacy Book 2)(22)

Someone crouched down in front of me, and it took me a moment before my eyes finally focused on Lyric. Grasping one of my chilled hands in his much bigger one, he pressed a cup of something hot into it then guided my other hand up so I was holding it with both. “It’s hot chocolate. It’s all I could find in the cafeteria that I figured you would drink. There isn’t a coffee shop in the building, and Aunt Emmie has declared martial law, so we’re kind of trapped and can’t go across the street to Starbucks.”

“Thanks,” I told him weakly and lifted the cup to my lips. It tasted slightly bitter yet overly sweet, but the heat dethawed my insides a little, making me shiver. “Why is it so sweet?”

“I added a few extra packets of sweetener,” he said sheepishly. “Figured you needed a sugar rush.”

“Um, yeah. Thanks.” I took another sip, grimacing at how sweet it was, then shrugged and tossed back the rest of the contents. It was hot as hell and burned my mouth, but I welcomed the pain.

Lyric’s mouth fell open when I handed him the empty cup. “Are you okay?”

“That’s debatable,” I told him honestly. “But I’ll live.”

Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “Give me the word, and Luca and I will fuck him over, Nevi.”

Knowing he and his twin would burn the whole place down if I asked, I shook my head. “No. It’s not worth it. But thanks anyway.”

“Mia and Barrick are downstairs,” I heard Jordan saying to Arella.

Stiffening, I stood. “I need the bathroom,” I told Lyric. “Where is it?”

“I’ll show you,” he offered. He put his arm over my shoulders, guiding me out of the room and down the hall to the bathrooms.

I forced myself to take my time, needing to be away from Braxton’s pleading eyes—and yes, hiding from Mia for a little while. I couldn’t believe she would betray me like she did, yet for some reason, I didn’t doubt what Darcy said about Mia helping Braxton and Lyla pick out the wedding invitations with his mom.

I stayed in the bathroom so long, Lyric opened the door enough so he could ask if I was okay. Grimacing, I washed my hands and walked out, knowing he wouldn’t let me hide in there any longer.

But when I stepped out of the bathroom, Braxton was standing there with Lyric, Barrick and Mia right beside him.

I glared at my cousin when she started to step forward to hug me. “Don’t even talk to me, Mia. I’m not in the mood to hear your excuses.”

She gasped as if I’d hurt her, but I couldn’t have cared less. She’d broken my heart just as easily as Braxton had. I thought we were close, family. And if nothing else, I knew family was always supposed to have your back. I didn’t want to see her or even hear her voice.

“Nevaeh,” she pleaded. “I didn’t tell you because of your dad. You’ve been so upset that I was afraid—”

“Yeah. Great excuse. Use Daddy’s illness to hide the fact that you were helping my boyfriend plan his fucking wedding.” My laugh was cold, without an ounce of humor. “Thanks for that. Good to know where your loyalties lie.” Walking around them, I headed for the waiting room.

“Nev, I’m so sorry,” she called after me, tears thickening her voice.

I jerked around to face her. “Take your apology and go fuck yourself, Mia. You and me? We are no longer family. From here on out, stay the hell away from me.”

“Nev—” she sobbed, holding out her hands toward me.

I stepped back. “You cry so prettily, Mia. But your tears don’t affect me. I’m done with you.” I looked at Braxton. His jaw was clenched hard, his face tense and pale. In that moment, I loved and hated him. But I hated myself more. I’d let him break my heart. I’d given him that power over me. And when he gave me that bullshit explanation about the picture of him, Darcy, and his parents, I’d believed him without question. Really, I had no one else to blame but myself. “Both of you.”

Lyric stepped between us, his hands raised like a referee calling for a time-out. “Okay, let’s all just calm down for a second here. You two are hard to keep up with at times. So, Mia helped Braxton here pick out his wedding invitations? But Braxton is Nevaeh’s boyfriend?”

“Don’t act cute, Lyric,” Mia snapped at him. “Yes, to both. We had to find out if Darcy was actually pregnant or not…”

I felt all the blood drain from my face at the same time Mia trailed off and then pressed her lips together. Barrick muttered something to her I didn’t hear, but I was more focused on his cousin.

“You’re going to be a father?” I choked out, turning eyes that burned to Braxton.

“No!” He lifted his hands pleadingly as he took a step toward me, but I quickly backed up, putting more distance between us. “Kitten, I swear to you, I’m not the father.”

Shaking my head, I kept walking backward, my tears blinding me. “I don’t believe you. How could you keep any of this from me? I thought you loved me.”

“I do,” he rasped. “Baby, I love you more than anyone. You are my other half, the fucking reason I even get out of bed in the mornings. Please, just listen to me. I can explain everything if you will give me five minutes.”

“Why?” I cried. “So you can lie to me more? Feed me more bullshit? You promised no secrets, that we would tell each other everything, and yet you kept something as major as this from me. You lied.”

“Kitten, you were so distraught over your dad, I didn’t want to add more stress on you. I was never going to marry Darcy. It was just an idea Lyla came up with to find out if Darcy was pregnant like she was telling everyone.” I made a distressed sound, causing Lyric to move closer to me protectively. “She is, but it’s not mine. I swear on everything I love and hold dear, I’m not the father of her child. Fuck, baby, I hadn’t even seen her in years until the night of my parents’ party.”

“Then who the hell is the father?” I demanded, unsure if I believed him or not.

“I don’t know yet. I’ve had a tail on her for the past week to see what he can find out about her.” He moved closer, but I grabbed Lyric’s arm and used him as a human shield to keep Braxton away. I could barely see him over my cousin’s shoulder, but I was sure everyone in the hospital heard his feral growl, and for a moment, I actually worried about Lyric’s safety. “Goddamn it, Nevaeh, let me touch you. I can’t stand this distance between us. I’m not marrying Darcy. I’m not the father of her baby. You are the only woman I love, and right now, you are ripping my fucking heart out.”

The pain in his voice only made what I was feeling that much more intense, but I refused to give in.

“Having Darcy show up at our door, finding out you were keeping shit from me, that tore my heart out, Braxton!” I yelled at him over Lyric.

“Hey, hey, hey!” I stiffened at the sound of Mom’s voice and clutched even tighter at my shield. “Why are you screaming out here?”

I turned to face her. When I saw her ashen face and the tears on her cheeks, my knees went weak. “How is he?” I asked, my breath coming out in gasps.

Her eyes went to everyone before they landed on me, and something softened in her tense face. “He’s in pain but good. He told me to tell you how much he loves you.” Then she looked at everyone else again. “Mia, I think you should take your friends back to your house. This isn’t the time for whatever is going on with you guys, and I won’t have Nevaeh more upset than she already is. That is only going to stress Drake out more.”

“I agree,” Uncle Nik announced, coming out of the men’s room. The look on his face told me he must have heard everything. There was something dark in his expression as he looked at his daughter. “After the hell you’ve put me through for keeping everything from you two years ago, I’m surprised you would keep secrets from anyone, Mia. Least of all from Nevaeh.”

“This isn’t like that at all,” she told him with a stubborn lift of her chin. “I just wanted to protect Nevaeh.”

“Yeah, and that was what I was doing with you, but that whole situation ruined our entire relationship, didn’t it?” He walked around Braxton and Lyric and put his arm around my shoulders. “Now, whatever you have to say to each other can and will wait until later, Mia. For now, take your ass home and stay there.”





Chapter 20

Nevaeh





N o one but Mom was allowed to see Daddy for the rest of the night. The doctor wanted him to rest, and depending on his pain level the next day, we would get to see him then.

Mom and Aunt Harper both decided to stay, but they wanted us kids to go home and get some rest. Luca took Violet and Mason home, and one of Aunt Emmie’s security team drove me home with Bliss, Heavenleigh, and Damien. But it was Jordan who drove Arella home. I didn’t even want to know what was going on there. She was too young, and he was nothing but a player. My sister was going to get her heart broken by him, but I didn’t have the energy to argue with her over it.

At home, I made a snack for everyone and then went to take a shower. I felt drained, but when I lay down a short while later, I couldn’t get my brain to turn off, so I just stared sightlessly at my ceiling in my darkened bedroom. The house felt too quiet, empty without Mom and Daddy there.