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That sort of emotional blackmail was nearly impossible to walk away from. Nate wished he could somehow make her understand what they were doing to her. Or maybe she did. Maybe the way she coped was to pretend it didn’t bother her.
More than anything Nate wanted to protect her from herself. He’d be her champion if she’d let him. But he couldn’t force her to get out of the bad situation she found herself in. Unlike when he’d stepped between his parents and wrestled the knife away from his father, the danger to Mia wasn’t tangible. But that didn’t make it any less dire.
“How much longer can you keep it up? Following Ivy around. Keeping her out of trouble. Catering to her every whim. When do you get to live your life?”
He’d posed this same question several times on tour. Each time Mia had given him the same answer.
“It’s what I need to do right now. Once Ivy’s new album drops and it’s a sensation, I’ll have more options.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “I promised my parents to watch out for her. She doesn’t take good care of herself. That leads to people taking advantage of her. Like Riley and Skylar are doing right now.”
“You say you’re going to leave after this album launches, but what if she needs you more than ever?”
That Mia didn’t answer immediately told him a lot.
“You know I’m in your corner, right?”
“I do.” But she didn’t look at him.
For a moment he felt as if she didn’t want him to be in her corner. As if having him on her side created a whole new set of problems for her. How was that possible?
“Where does this leave us?”
“I just need some time to sort things out.”
“How much time?” He had to head back to Las Vegas tomorrow, but hated the idea of leaving her behind in LA.
“My parents are sitting down with Ivy tomorrow. I’ll know more then.”
“Are you coming back to Las Vegas?”
“I promised I’d help with Thanksgiving dinner.” She gave him a wan smile. “We can talk then.”
* * *
The morning after the AMAs, Mia drove Nate to a checkup with Dr. Hanson and then to the airport. As delighted as she’d been to hear that Nate’s progress was good and he was able to start speaking again, she would miss being his voice. That he’d needed her to translate for him was a great excuse for why she was spending so much time with him. Now, she’d have to come clean about their relationship and face Ivy’s displeasure.
When Mia got to her sister’s house, she saw their mom’s car parked in the driveway. Mia approached the front door with a sick feeling in her stomach. Her mother stood in the foyer as Mia entered the house. As Ivy’s career had taken off, Sharon Navarro had changed from an average housewife and mother who’d homeschooled her three daughters and shopped discount stores for her clothes to a designer-label-wearing middle-aged woman with large diamonds at her ears and on her fingers. Despite what must have been a harrowing night worrying about Ivy, she looked as if she was ready for lunch at a fancy restaurant.
In contrast, Mia felt disheveled and gritty despite the shower she’d shared with Nate that morning. “What are you doing here?” she asked, hoping nothing worse had happened to her sister overnight. “Is Ivy okay?”
“She’s fine. Where have you been?”
“At the hotel. I told Dad last night where I was going. I needed to return the dress.”
“And you stayed?”
Although they’d spent the night together, talking and making love until dawn, she couldn’t help but feel as if Nate had put a wall up between them. He wanted her to leave Ivy and be with him. Mia thought that’s what she wanted, too. So why couldn’t she just walk away? Because Ivy needed her? How long was she going to use that as an excuse? Especially now that she was pregnant.
“I knew Dad was here. Ivy didn’t need us both.” Mia’s tone contained a touch of belligerence. “I had a whole night planned.” To her own surprise, she sounded like Ivy, petulant and frustrated.
“Do you mean to tell me you went to the after-parties after dropping your sister off here?” Mia’s mother looked appalled.
“No, of course not. I just wanted to point out that I had my own plans for the evening that didn’t involve my sister getting high and making a fool of herself on live television.”
“Mia,” her mother admonished. “Your sister works so hard and is under such pressure.”
Fury rushed through Mia’s body as she thought of her high hopes for last evening. It was supposed to her magical night. Her chance to appear in public with Nate and behave like a couple. To dance and mingle and have fun while not giving her sister a single thought.
“She spoils everything,” Mia countered.
