Page 125 of Ghost Note

“We’ll get there with time to spare.”

“Okay.” I blew out a breath, laid my head back on the headrest, and I closed my eyes.

I needed Danny to see that I wasn’t scared anymore, but more importantly, I needed to prove to myself that I could be a part of this. If someone had told me a week ago that I’d be flying to France to surprise my ex-boyfriend by standing on stage with his band during soundcheck and… singing, I’d have told that person to lay off the drugs.

Yet, there I was.

Jules had arranged it with the guys, and I only hoped they’d managed to keep it secret from Danny.

I also hoped I didn’t let my fear outweigh my courage, because right now, I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to make it through any of this without being sick.

* * *

“Hey, Mum. Hey, Dad.” I smiled at them through the phone with their familiar faces staring back at me, confused. My voice was quiet as I stood in the backstage corridors of AccorHotels Arena, hiding away from Danny and the rest of the band as they took to the stage for their sound checks ahead of their three-night stint at this venue. I had one last thing to do before I went ahead and put myself out there, and that was check in with my parents—to let them know what side of life I was on now. Neither of them were particularly good with technology, but Gina had done me a favour and gone around to their house, making the call to me on their behalf.

Mum glanced at Gina, who was out of shot of the screen. Her perfect brows were furrowed, while Dad looked on, oblivious to everything.

“Daisy,” Mum said, looking back at me. “What’s going on? Gina is acting very strangely. Why do you need to call us like this? Couldn’t you just come around and knock on our door?”

“I would… but I’m in Paris.”

Mum’s face fell while Dad’s eyes widened. “Paris?” Mum said, her voice barely a whisper. The panic flashed across her face. “This isn’t like you. Why would you do this?”

“Because I knew you’d stop me if I came to you first.”

“Only because—”

I held up my hand in warning. “Before you start to freak out, I’m more than okay. I have a wonderful, trustworthy friend here with me, and she’s brought me to see Danny.”

“Your Danny?”

“My Danny.” I smiled.

Dad’s face softened while Mum looked grief-stricken. Her fingers rose to worry the delicate gold necklace around her neck.

“Are you two… back together?” she asked.

“I think we might be.” I pressed my lips together, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. “But I can’t be with him unless I’m ready to step out of Hope Cove a little bit. Iamready to step away, Mum. I love my home, but I also love Danny, and I need to combine the two because I don’t think I’ll ever be happy without one of them.”

“After all the pain he caused?”

“We were young kids. He did what he needed to do. Now I’m doing the same. I hope you’ll understand. I made mistakes, too.”

“I can’t say I’m not worried,” she said, only for Dad to reach over and bring her hand from her necklace to squeeze her fingers in his palm. A look passed through them—one I would never understand—before Dad turned back to me.

“You go and have fun, sweetheart,” he said, in an unusual display of confidence and affection that was usually saved for no one but Mum. “You’re young. You should be doing all the things we never did.” His eyes drifted over the phone, and I saw him seeking Gina out. Mum did the same, both of them nodding before they looked back at me.

I narrowed my eyes and leaned in closer, seeing the way Mum swallowed and Dad’s jaw was tight.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“Did Gina tell you to say that?”

“No. Of course not.” It was a lie, and an obvious one at that, but I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head.

“Hmm.” I laughed softly. “I believe you. Thousands wouldn’t.”

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