Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 57(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 38(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11309 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 57(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 38(@300wpm)
The smile she’s giving me is trained and calculating. She’s staking her claim, and the thought makes me sick to my stomach. “Oh yeah, well, I’ll be sure to send him your way when I’m done with him, if you know what I mean.” I pull my hand from hers. “Now I’d better get back before he comes looking for me.”
I walk away without waiting for her response. I get to the door that leads back inside, but already the tears are threatening to spill over. At the last minute, I turn and go out the other door, the one that leads outside. I slowly walk, nodding at people as I pass them. When I get to an opening, I am running to the house, all the way up the stairs, and to the safety of my bedroom. Damn him. Damn me for falling for it. I should have known this was all a joke. He probably thought it would be fun to see how far I’d go with him.
I throw myself on the bed and let the tears fall. I don’t think much time has passed, but I jerk up when I hear the slamming of the front door and then Cash bellowing my name. “Daisy!”
I stand up from the bed and look around the room like I’m a caged animal. I can’t face him right now. I can’t.
I lock the bedroom door and then sit on the bed, wrapping my arms around my pulled-up legs.
He tries the handle, and when he finds it locked, he knocks. “Daisy. Are you in there?”
I don’t say anything. Hell, I’m holding my breath to not give myself up.
“I know you’re in there. Someone said they saw you come this way. Open the door.”
“No,” I say softly.
I can hear the gasp on the other side, and I want to laugh because I’m sure not many people tell Cash Wyatt no. But I’m not done with him. “No, I won’t open the door. What was this, Cash? You wanted to see how much I liked you? You want to laugh at me when you break my heart… again!”
“What the fuck are you talking about, woman? Open this door. If we’re going to have an argument, I’m going to do it while holding you in my arms. You may be mad at me, but you can do it while I hold you.”
I can’t take it anymore. I can’t believe his audacity. I unlock the door and yank it open. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
He takes a step toward me and stops. His face is filled with anger. “You’ve been crying.”
I turn away from him, completely forgetting about my earlier tears. I know my face is red, eyes puffy and lips swollen. I’m sure I look like a hot mess, but I don’t care. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I have been crying. Good call.”
He moves closer but doesn’t touch me. He’s practically vibrating with anger. “Who hurt you?”
I laugh and roll my eyes, but he asks me again. “Who? Hurt? You?” he asks, enunciating each word.
I shove at his chest, and he grabs my hand. “You did. You hurt me… again. It’s nothing new, Cash. You always hurt me.”
His mouth drops, and anguish fills his face. “I did this? How?”
I try to pull my hand back, but he won’t release me. “I met your friend, Wanda. She told me about your little nightcap you had planned. I mean really, Cash, why do you want to hurt me? What did I ever do to you?”
The tears start to roll again, and they fall even harder when Cash puts one arm behind my back and one behind my legs and picks me up against his chest. He kicks the door shut and then goes over to the corner of the room and sits down in the big chair next to the tree. I should fight him, but I don’t. I just lay my head against his chest and let it all out.
He’s kissing the top of my head, and his words are soothing even though I can’t make them out. I try to get myself together, and I tell myself I’m going to get up, but like a fool, I stay where I’m at as if I’m a glutton for punishment. “Please stop crying, baby. I can’t handle it when you cry.”
“Don’t call me baby,” I tell him.
He tightens his arms around me. “Are you ready to listen to me now?”
I don’t answer him, and I feel his chest expand and then slowly, he says the words I’ve longed to hear forever. “I love you, Daisy.”
I lift my head and look at him. “What do you mean you love me? You can’t love me.”
He chuckles. “I do love you. I’ve loved you since the day my sister brought you home.”