Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see your daughter standing there,” I apologize, faking yet another smile.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” he waves me off, and nudges me in the side, “women are always in the way, am I right?”
I’m sure it’s meant to be a joke, but anyone from a mile away can see that it isn’t.
George’s features turn serious in an instant, “Daisy, apologize to him for being in the way.” It isn’t a suggestion, but an order, and I don’t like it one bit. What the fuck?
At first, all I can think is what the fuck, but then I find I’m gritting my teeth in anger.
“I’m sorry,” she says right away like an obedient child. Her gaze is cast to the floor, and all I want to do is slug her father in his smug face for being such an asshole. Who treats their daughter like that?
“There now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Her father grunts as he grabs her by the arm, tugging her closer to him. “It was nice to see you, Carter, tell your father I said hi.”
He dismisses me, and they walk away together, or more like he drags Daisy beside him. All I can do is stand there, staring in shock at the events that just took place right before my eyes. Daisy is here, and she’s normal, different… and her father is a fucking dick.
Something in my gut churns, but I don’t understand the emotions I’m feeling. Ignoring my swirling thoughts, I go back to what I was doing before Daisy came crashing back into my life. I walk up to the bar and order a whiskey.
The bartender gets my drink quickly, and I damn near sag against the bar when I take the first sip. Fuck. I feel like an addict trying to drown himself. Needing the amber liquid more than ever, I down the glass, and have the bartender pour me another.
Feeling a little more composed, I suck in a deep breath and turn around to survey the room. Even across the expanse of the room, our eyes find one another, fear trickles into her blue eyes, and deep down, I know I can’t ignore her.
Something is going on with her, and I’m going to figure it out. I’ve been a coward my whole life by not standing up for her when I should have. I can’t turn my back on her again. I just can’t. I have to do something.
3
Daisy
He’s staring. I can feel it. Feel his eyes burning into my skin like heat rays. Looking up, our gazes collide. It’s like a cosmic event occurs inside my head. My stomach twists while my heart starts to beat out of my chest. I’ve never felt this way before, never felt so excited that it makes me sick to my stomach. I drop my gaze and do my best to hide my interest in Carter.
The last thing I need is for my father to see me interested in someone. I don’t know what his plan is, but I know he has one. Why else would he stop drugging me? Forcing myself to think of something else, anything else, I stare down at my hands. My father casually carries on a conversation with a man I don’t know as if I’m not there.
Stupid. I need to focus on getting myself and my mother out of this situation. I need to focus on figuring this out, not get distracted by Carter.
When Carter suddenly grabs his glass off the table and begins to walk across the room, I almost start to hyperventilate. He oozes determination, and like a bug, I’m caught in his web, ensnared in his trap. He’s always had this hold on me, and part of me hates him for it because even when I cared for him, he never returned my feelings.
Crazy Daisy… The taunt that haunted me for years fills my ears, and it’s almost like all those kids are standing right before me, shoving, and throwing things at me. I grit my teeth, trying to push down the anger that’s trying to break through the surface, but a memory from that time slams into me.
“Oh, my god, Crazy Daisy is looking at you, Carter,” Natalie taunts. “It’s so cute that she thinks you care about her. Look…” Carter doesn’t even look up from his tray of food, and I try not to let what she said bother me, but my lip curls with rage.
Was I that disgusting? I knew I was different but was I horrible?
“Look at her, Carter, look at how crazy she looks…” The taunts grow louder…
“Stop. I’m not crazy…” I growl and try to kick at the bullies surrounding me, watching in horror as they laugh and toss food on me.
“Crazy Daisy. Crazy Daisy…” Their voices get so loud, I press my hands over my ears to block them out. My eyes remain open though, focused on the only person in the room that I care about.