Page 109 of Wild

I don’t know how long I’ve been recording—mostly re-recording parts that need work—when the other guys arrive. I get so in the zone when I’m recording nothing else exists.

By the time I’m done and taking a seat on the leather couch Mia arrives with a carrier full of coffee and a bag from Chick-fil-A.

“I brought breakfast,” she announces, shaking the bag.

Maybe it’s just me tooting my own horn, but I swear ever since we’ve been together, she seems happier. Like she’s glowing from the inside out.

“You’re a saint,” Fox says, taking the bag from her. “I’m starving.”

He pulls out one of the wrapped sandwiches.

“There are two for each of you in there and one for me,” she tells him.

“I fucking love you,” he cries, taking out another before passing it on.

“Language,” Hayes warns.

“Like you don’t cuss,” Rush chortles.

“Not in front of my kids I don’t.”

“What kids?” Fox jokes. “I don’t see any kids.”

“Yeah, I don’t either,” Mia pipes in.

Hayes merely shakes his head and takes the bag when it’s handed to him. The bag finally gets back to Mia and she grabs her sandwich.

She sets the coffee carrier down and hands everyone their order. She ends up sitting in the chair beside her dad.

I unwrap my sandwich and start to eat, forcing myself not to look at her.

I hate this feeling, like I’m living a lie, like somehow what we’re doing is dirty and wrong.

I’m in love with Hayes’s daughter, the little girl he’s vowed to protect, and my past goes against me. Nothing I’ve done proves I can treat a girl right, least of all a girl like Mia.

Honestly, I don’t know why my own mom hasn’t chewed me out for my past behavior. She’s probably wanted to, but she knows I’m stubborn and won’t listen to her nagging.

She was giddy when I told her about Mia. I want nothing more than for the two of them to meet. Mia would love her, and in return she would love Mia.

Hayes and the guys are talking about the songs and changes they think we should make. I interject my opinion here and there, but my mind is in another dimension. I’m not invested like I should be.

Mia’s eyes catch mine and she gives me a small smile before spinning away, still working on her breakfast sandwich.

I devour my food. She savors hers. It’s kind of cute how slow she eats. She’s like that a lot, stopping to savor moments, to take in everything, never wanting to miss a single second.

I want to get up and touch her, to hold her hand, to kiss her.

I can’t and it’s killing me.

If I had ever stopped to imagine myself in a relationship, I would’ve been the one with the cold feet, not the girl, but here we are. I want her dad to know, for it to be out in the open and not this big fucking secret, but she doesn’t want him to know yet.

And that means, I continue to hang in limbo, wondering if I’m really what she wants or not.

CHAPTER27

MIA

“Ooh, you’re going down,” I say to Rush, making finger guns and then pretending to blow out smoke.