Page 38 of Chaining Daisy
Shit. Did I say his name weird? Is she going to notice?I was worried I might slip and say Daddy but now I wonder if my tone of voice is off and that alone gives it away.God, I should have asked him about what to say to the girls.
She definitely shoots me an odd look, quirking a brow. “Say what?”
“We just … went to a brewery and played some games,” I explain weakly. “Letting off steam.” I rattle off the most innocent of our activities yesterday, even though my mind drifts automatically back to that abandoned classroom and how wanton I felt draped across the top of that desk.
God. That was hot. I very deliberately do not rub my thighs together.
“Your stepfather, Gunnar Strong, Mr. Uptight Extraordinaire—man who has only taken off like two days in his entire life—took off yesterday with you to blow off steam?”
Aw crap. Maybe I should have said Gunnar had a stomach bug instead.I also cringe at the stepfather thing. Couldn’t she just see him as a person? Do I bring up the technicality that he’s no longer my stepfather or will that just make her suspicious? No. That would definitely let her know something’s up.
I give her a lame explanation for our odd behavior. “He knew I needed it, I guess?”
She purses her lips and shakes her head, but luckily, her attention is drawn to Lily—who is striding toward us with mega-freak out energy. Her fur hood is shoved back and her arms are waving her phone in the air as she tries to flag us down. Even though her cheeks are tinged pink with cold, the rest of her face is deathly pale.
“What is it?” Rose asks.
Lily holds out her phone, hand trembling, but the screen has already gone black.
“Um … there’s nothing to see,” I tell her, pointing at the phone.
“Ugh!” She turns it back to her face to unlock it and Violet comes into view traipsing over the hill where the shuttle bus from the student parking lot lets off.
“Hey,” Violet hugs her namesake purple coat around herself as she runs the last few steps to join us. She glances at me, her expression immediately asking “what’s up” when she sees Lily grumbling at her phone and then shoving it under Rose’s nose.
“See!” Lily says urgently. “He’s out!”
Oh, shit.
None of us even have to ask whoheis. Lily’s stalker, Gage Montoya, is the only possible person who could freak her out to this degree. An older guy from Texas, he’d followed her here four years ago. He’d stalked her and videotaped her … and then he’d started emailing her the videos, along with these graphic descriptions of what he wanted to do to her. Not nice things.
Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
“Hey, hey, you’re going to be fine,” Rose soothes, running her hand down Lily’s back. “I’m sure my mom knows someone who can help.” Her mom is campaigning for senator and has pretty much shaken hands with every person in the state.
“If she doesn’t, I’m sure my dad does,” Violet offers.
Lily’s eyes are still filled with tears and she’s shaking her head, despite the fact that Violet’s offer is as good a guarantee as anything. Her family knows people who could kill this fucker in two seconds flat.
“He’s not going to look for you.” I try another tactic as I reach for Lily’s hand and squeeze. “Look at what happened last time. He got locked up for a good chunk. Repeat offenses are even worse.” I shake my head, trying to look confident so that she’ll be reassured.
She’s not.
“Psychos don’t use logic, Daisy,” she snaps, pulling away from my hand and leaving the path to pace in the dead grass.
“The unabomber—” I start, but all three of them cut me off with an annoyed look.
“No unabomber!” Violet and Rose declare simultaneously.
I did a project on him for my high school senior year psychology project and they’re all basically sick of hearing about him at this point, though it’s not my fault he’s fascinating. Fucked up. But fascinating.
I smash my lips together and let the other girls take the lead comforting Lily; Violet’s far better at that sort of thing than I am. The other girls surround her on either side and start shooting out offers for Lily to come stay with them, to dye her hair, to help her legally change her name … the options mount up as they lead her back onto the path and in the direction of class. I end up trailing behind them.
While I’m willing to do anything to help Lily—while I love her to death—I know how empty a lot of promises can feel when you’re facing the thing you fear the most. So I don’t offer them up. Instead, I simply meet her eyes when she glances back at me and say, “Anything you need.Anything.”
Lily’s finally starting to nod at whatever they are saying, a sure sign they’re calming her down, when my phone pings with a text.
Can’t wait for tonight!Gunnar’s text makes a blush immediately bloom on my cheeks. My mind pivots from real world problems to wondering what kind of kinky chaos he’s got planned.
