Page 103 of Love to Hate You

“Oh, it happened, baby,” I chuckle. “You should have seen the look on your face when that guy yelled. Those pretty titties were bouncing all over the place.”

She hits me again and I laugh harder. My phone dings with another text and I ignore it. When it goes off for a third time, my heart sinks.

She tenses and her eyes narrow. “Seems like someone is trying to get a hold of you.”

It sucks that Daisy doesn’t trust me.

“Whatever it is can wait.” I just want a little more time with her.

It takes a few minutes for the doubt clouding her face to fade.

After a beat of silence, she asks, “Are you serious about telling Noah? Because we don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready.”

I glance at Daisy, but she’s turned away from me, staring out the passenger side window. Longing and desire rush through me, filling me unexpectedly to the brim. What I feel for Daisy isn’t just physical. There are so many unexpected layers. Ones that beg to be explored. I’ve spent years trying to keep this girl at a firm distance. It didn’t work, and I can’t do it any longer. I want her. And I refuse to hide this relationship as if I’m ashamed of it. I want everyone to know that Daisy Thompson is with me.

“I want this out in the open,” I say. “You deserve better than us sneaking around.”

Her lips curve as she sucks in a shaky breath and pushes it out again. “Okay.”

A comfortable silence settles over us. I keep her fingers ensconced in mine, never wanting to let them go. That feeling, it’s new as well. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

My cell rings, jolting me out of my thoughts. A couple of texts I can ignore. A phone call, I can’t. I’m almost afraid to look at the screen. Already I know who it is.

One glance confirms my suspicions and sends my heart plummeting.

I answer the call. “Hey.”

Even though I’m doing everything in my power to keep my voice casual, it comes out sounding whipcord tight. Anxiety bubbles beneath the surface, ready to break through at any moment. My eyes stay locked on the stretch of country road ahead of me.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Mom cries on the other end. I can’t make out the specific words because they’re all jumbled together. But deciphering them isn’t necessary. I know what the problem is.

“Calm down and tell me what happened.” I shoot Daisy an uneasy glance, unable to pretend that she isn’t sitting next to me, listening to every word.

Her gaze is locked on mine. The heat of her eyes burns a hole in my flesh. My shoulders fall. There’s no avoiding the inevitable.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I sigh and disconnect the call.

I gnaw my lower lip and contemplate my options. I need to get home ASAP, but I don’t want to take Daisy with me. The thought of her being anywhere near my dad makes me sick to my stomach. I want to drop her off at campus and then head to my parent’s house but that will tack on more than an hour and a half.

Fuck!

What am I supposed to do?

I chance another look in her direction. Daisy has fallen silent. I expected to be bombarded with questions, but she hasn’t fired off one. I shift uneasily knowing that I need to say something. Not the truth, but something that will explain what she heard from my end of the conversation. I’m relieved that she isn’t giving me the fifth degree, but her silence is unnerving.

“Sorry about the interruption,” I force myself to say.

“It’s fine, Carter. But it sounds like there’s a problem.” Her voice rises at the end of the sentence, making it more of a question.

I blow out a breath, latching onto her generic statement like a lifeline. “Yes,” I parrot in relief, “a problem.” My father is nothing if not a problem.

My grip tightens around the steering wheel until my knuckles turn bone white.

What the hell is he doing at the house?

He isn’t supposed to be there.

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