Savor (Bad Boy Rockers 4)

The image of Dahlia and her swollen belly fills my mind while I’m watching Mia cuddle her son.

If only . . .

“Hey, where did you go?”

“Sorry.” I sit on the chair next to Mia. “Just thinking.”

She gives me a knowing look. “Hmm. Have you spoken to her yet?”

I shake my head. “She wanted to talk, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready.”

“Will you ever be ready?”

“I don’t know.”

She briefly grabs my arm. “Wait a minute. Is she in town?”

“She was at Kix, earlier,” I admit with a heavy heart.

Sadness crosses Mia’s features. “Ryder, please talk to her before it’s too late. She needs you.”

“Yeah, right. She needs me,” I scoff. “If she needed me she wouldn’t be with someone else.”

“She is—”

“Mia, I’ve . . . Oh, Ryder.” Liam comes into the room, and after kissing his wife and baby, glances at me.

Not sure what he’s expecting, I stand and hold my hand out. “Congratulations. He’s a beautiful boy. You’re lucky.”

Needing to leave and be alone, I add, “I’ll give you guys some time together.”

“Okay. Thanks for coming by,” Liam says.

“Yes, thanks Ryder . . . and please don’t leave it until it’s too late.”

I nod.

Exiting the room, I notice Reece about to get off the elevator as the doors open, but luckily, he’s distracted with Callie, so I shove into the restrooms. I sure as hell don’t want to face him inside a hospital. God knows what would happen.

Dahlia

“He’s beautiful, Mia.”

I feel choked up while holding Joshua. My emotions are all over the place and I want nothing more than to have Ryder’s arms wrapped around me like Liam’s are with Mia.

It would only take an apology from Ryder to get me back into his arms because I miss him so much.

Hearing a door close, I turn and don’t see anyone enter, but glancing back to Mia I realize how out of it I am; she’s alone.

“I sent Liam out so we can talk . . . Please tell me what’s going on.”

I hesitate, not wanting to bring my problems out while Mia has just given birth, but I should know better. She won’t rest unless I talk to her, so I admit, “He won’t talk to me. I tried and he was horrid.” I start to cry softly. “He thinks I’m with Max, my gay friend, and he won’t listen. Jace said he’s going to try later, but I don’t hold much hope, especially since I’ve asked Jace not to mention about the baby.”

“Jace knows that Ryder’s the father?”

I hear Liam come back in, but I can’t look at him. I don’t want him seeing my distress.

“Yes. After Ryder disappeared from Kix, I was a mess. Jace helped to calm me down and I told him about Max being gay. He worked out about Ryder being the father.”