Page 51 of Chaining Daisy
“It’s a fucking trick! Don’t believe it!” Rose is still screaming. The girl is literally unhinged.
I glance over at Daisy, who turns to gaze at Rose in concern. “Rosie, honey. It’s not a trick. I started all of it. I came on to him. Gunnar would never ….”
She’s wrong. I would. But whatever she needs to say to calm her friend down.
Rose doesn’t listen. She just shakes her head as tears spill from her eyes. Then, without warning, she bolts down the hall, yanking open the front door and disappearing into the night. We all stare at the gaping door and the black shadows creeping into the house for a moment—shock rippling through the room.
What just happened?
“I’d better follow her.” Lily bites her lip and gives us all an apologetic smile before trotting off after Rose.
“Fuck!” Daisy brings a fist to her forehead, tears coming to her eyes.
“You can say that again. About all of this,” Violet gestures at the room in general.
“I’m sorry, Daisy.” I can’t help but touch her cheek, caress her shoulder, reassure her anyway I can.
She leans into my palm and blinks up at me. “It will all be alright?” She makes the phrase into a question.
I cup her face gently. “Yes. It will all be alright. I have you and you have me and so everything will be alright.”
She nods against my hand, her skin so soft and delicate. I want to kiss her, so I do, but just gently, just a light brush of our lips to reassure us both.
When I lean back, I bring our moment to a close because my control freak nature cannot stand the thought of those girls wandering outside without coats. Rose is clearly having some kind of breakdown but they’re going to end up with hypothermia if we don’t do something soon. “It’s January. Neither of those girls wore a coat or took a flashlight.” I point at Violet. “You, follow me and I’ll get stuff for all of you.” Then I point at Daisy. “Go get dressed.”
“Yes, Daddy,” slips out before she can help it. She gives a little dismayed squeak before she runs off down the hall.
Violet smirks at me as she follows me to the coat closet. “So it’s like that, huh? Knew you were a kinky fucker. Just knew it.”
I turn and glare at her. “Violet—if you bug or embarrass Daisy about this, your new spot as my favorite will be revoked. And the birthday trip Daisy was going to plan for you—” I’m improvising at this point, but I snap my fingers as though the trip is going to disappear.
Violet shuts right up.
I sigh and turn back to the closet door, which squeaks annoyingly as I pull it open. “God-fucking-dammit.”
“Not how you wanted this night to end, huh?”
“Not exactly.” I grab three thick coats, shoving them into her arms before reaching up onto the shelf to swipe some flashlights. As I check the first one, clicking it on to ensure it works, she shrugs on a jacket.
“You do know that if you break her heart, we’ll have to kill you.” Violet delivers the line with absolutely no-nonsense, as if she believes she’s actually capable of murder.
I resist the urge to snort sarcastically in response, because her sentiment is serious, even if her threat isn’t. I gesture with a flashlight toward the hallway that holds the steps up to my girl’s room. “She’s far more likely to break me than I am her. I fell a long time ago and she’s barely started rolling down the hill.”
And it’s true.
Daisy might have had a crush before. She might even love me now—based on that public profession that I’m going to replay daily in my head for the rest of my life, I’m pretty sure she does. That knowledge fills up a hole inside of me I didn’t even know existed. But I’ve long passed the point of love and crossed into the territory of obsession. One day, she might join me. But with Daisy … I’ll happily take whatever I can get, just like I always have.
Violet, thinking my declaration is far more innocent, just smiles. “Good to hear.”
She gathers the flashlights from my hands and then strides toward the front door. I follow her and close it gently behind her as she heads off down the xeriscaped front yard to find her friends.
“Daddy?” Daisy’s voice echoes through the front hall.
I turn to see her wet hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head. She’s wearing yoga pants and a wolf sweatshirt and biting her lip nervously.
I open my arms and she runs into them so hard it sets me back half a step. Her hug around my waist is brutal, but I revel in it—because she’s coming to me for comfort, just the way she should.
I reach down and nock my index finger underneath her chin, tilting her beautiful face up toward me. Her freckles are more pronounced without makeup and I make a plan to kiss each and every one. Tomorrow. After this has all simmered down.
