Something’s definitely off. I don’t know what, but I’m about to find out.
I leave the rink and drive straight to her place, barely even thinking about the road as I focus on what could be wrong.
I park and knock on her door, my knuckles rapping against the wood. A few seconds pass before the door creaks open, and I’m met with Daisy standing in front of me, wearing a simple white dress that hugs her curves just right.
“Beau?” she says, her voice confused—but not pissed, so that’s a win.
I pull her into a hug without even thinking about it. She tenses, her body stiffening for a second before she relaxes.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, pulling back just enough to look up at me.
I give her a grin. “You were supposed to go to the gynecologist today. I thought I’d tag along. You okay?”
She blinks, clearly not expecting me to show up. “I thought you said you had practice.”
“We did,” I say, my hand brushing through my hair, “but I got away for a bit.”
I watch her, taking in the way she avoids eye contact, the way her shoulders are pulled tight. She’s definitely hiding something.
“C’mon, talk to me,” I say, stepping closer. “Something’s bothering you. Are you… are you rethinking the baby?”
“What?” She blinks once. “No, I want the baby.”
“Then what is it? Are you rethinking us? Was the other night too much for you?”
She shakes her head.
I tug her to me again, not letting her pull away, and this time she doesn’t resist. But she doesn’t say anything, either.
I pull her into my lap, sitting on the couch with her curled up against me. My hands run up and down her back in slow, reassuring strokes, but I need her to open up.
“Come on, Daisy,” I murmur, leaning close to her ear. “Even Coach is worried about you. You gotta tell me what’s going on. We can’t help if you don’t let us.”
She bites her lip, like she’s trying to decide if she should say something. Finally, she speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper, but I hear every word. “I’m not a gold digger.”
My brain stops for a second. “What the hell?” I pull back, looking at her like she’s lost her mind. “Daisy, I know you’re not a gold digger. What makes you think I’d think that?”
She swallows hard, and her eyes flick to the floor, not meeting mine. “Because Mason’s mom told me the timing wasbad, that I’d distract him from his career, that I’d harm my own. She basically said I was only after him for his money.”
I feel my blood start to boil. “She said what?” My voice cracks with frustration. “Why didn’t Mason defend you? He should’ve fucking said something.”
That bastard should have at least told us, too.
She shakes her head quickly. “He doesn’t know. And I don’t want him to know. I don’t want him to think… I don’t want him to hate me.”
I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Daisy, listen to me. No one—no one—gets to talk to you like that. And I know Mason would not have let her say that to you.”
“But she’s his mom…”
“And you are his girlfriend. You’reourgirlfriend. He would have defended you. I don’t care what anyone else says. He cares about you. I care about you.”
She doesn’t say anything at first, and I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. It kills me.
“I’m here. I care about you, Daisy. I’m in love with you. You don’t have to go through this alone. If something is bothering you, you can talk to us. That’s why you have three boyfriends,baby.If one of us fucks up, you have two to talk to.”
She leans in then, pressing her lips to mine, and I kiss her hard, giving everything I have to show her just how much I mean it. She responds immediately, her body melting into mine.
Everything else falls away—Mason’s mom, the bullshit, the confusion—it’s just her and me, and I need her to know that she’s not alone.