揝ure we are.?I tighten my grip on her. 揇id you bring anything else with you tonight??
She shakes her head.
揂ll right. Come on, let me walk you back.?
揘o.?She straightens. 揑 haven抰 seen the house yet. If this is my only chance ever to be inside, then I have to see it all.?
揂ll right then. Let me be your tour guide, sweet Daisy.?
揑 need a new nickname.?She huffs as I lead her through the kitchen, stopping in the theater room briefly where I wave to Jenkins and more people sitting around watching the giant TV on the wall.
揃ut this one suits you so well.?
揝weet makes me sound like a twelve-year-old girl selling cookies and lemonade.?
I bark a laugh as we head upstairs.
揑s that how you see me??She stops on the top step and faces me.
揘o.?I tuck the dark blonde hair hanging in her face behind one ear. The air crackles between us, but a couple is coming up the stairs, and we move forward out of the way.
揟his is the gym.?I point to the locked door.
揟hey have their own court??Daisy asks as she peers inside through the little window.
揧ep, and the rest of upstairs is bedrooms and bathrooms.?
揟his is so much nicer than our house,?she says.
揑t抯 nicer than most people's houses.?
揟rue, but they don抰 have an epic tree house like we do.?She walks the length of the hall and then comes back. 揟hank you for indulging me. I can cross this off my bucket list now.?
揧ou don抰 think you抣l come back sometime??
揥ith who??
揥ith me.?
She stops again. Her blue eyes narrow on me, and then she takes the railing in one hand and steps down the stairs. 揧ou and I don抰 make any sense.?
揥hy抯 that??I ask as we step out the front door.
The breeze blows against us. She shivers and ducks her head into my shoulder.
揑抦 a wallflower. You抮e a popular jock.?
揕iam is a popular jock.?
揧eah, but he抯 different.?
There抯 no denying it, he抯 definitely not your average popular jock, but it still nags at me. She pulls away at her front door and digs through her purse for a key. It takes her a few tries, but she lets us inside and flips on a lamp near the doorway.
揟hank you for walking me home.?
揇o you have any Tylenol??
揂dvil is better when you抳e been drinking.?
I lift a brow.
揝ee? I know things.?
揙kay, smarty pants. Take some and drink a full glass of water.?
揧ou drank as much as me.?
揧eah, but you weigh like half as much.?
揑 don抰 weigh half as much as you.?
揋od, you抮e exasperating. If I drink a glass of water too, will you drink one??
She nods. 揑抣l get the Advil. It抯 upstairs.?
I walk toward the kitchen, find two glasses, and fill them with water. I need to make sure she抯 okay and get the hell out of here. It feels like a betrayal of Liam just thinking the things going through my head.
She hasn抰 returned when I get back to the stairs. I wait, then call up to her. No answer. Dammit, Daisy.
I take the stairs two at a time. I check the bathroom first. Empty. All the lights are off upstairs, but her bedroom door is ajar. Light from the closet spills out. I set the glasses on her desk and then move toward the closet. I抦 expecting her to be passed out on the floor, but instead, she抯 grunting and flailing with her dress up around her chest.
揙h shit,?I say and turn around. 揝orry. I yelled up but got worried when I didn抰 get a response.?
揌elp me,?she whines.
揢hh. What??
揑抦 stuck.?
Slowly, I face her, taking in the scene in front of me桪aisy with her dress caught around her boobs梬ith amusement at first, but then my gaze drops to her tiny white panties and all the smooth, pale skin on display in front of me.
My pants grow snug in the crotch, but I step forward with purpose. I try to lift the fabric, but it doesn抰 budge.
揌ow did you get this on??
揟here are buttons in the back.?
The view in the back is even worse, or better, depending on your perspective. Ripping off her dress and kissing her was not in the plan for tonight.
I fumble with the three tiny buttons running down her spine. Her skin is smooth and warm. The fabric gapes and the clasp of her bra stares at me, begging to be undone.
揇id you get it??
揧eah.?I step back and clear my throat.
She pulls the dress over her head and then uses it to shield her front from me. 揑， uh, just realized I抦 now mostly naked, and you just saw me in my underwear. I am mortified.?
揝triptease was not on the choose your own adventure map, but I am happy to add it.?
揓ust turn around or something.?
I do and step out of the closet but can抰 resist taunting her more. 揂lready seen your cute white panties, Daisy.?
She groans. 揑 wasn抰 expecting for anyone to see me naked tonight, or I would have worn sexier ones.?
Well, that抯？intriguing, and my mind processes it in a fashion show of Daisy in an array of colorful panty options. Her easel is set up next to her desk, and I walk toward it to inspect her drawing. Even in the near dark, I抦 impressed. It抯 a man梠r the beginning of one.
She reappears next to me in a T-shirt and cotton shorts, holding a bottle of Advil. 揇id you get water??
I motion to where I set the glasses on the desk when I came in. 揟his is good. Who is it??
揘o one. It抯 for class.?She moves the easel where I can no longer see her work. 揟hank you for the water and for?you know.?
揋etting you naked??
揧ou live for embarrassing me.?
揂bsolutely, I do.?
Her face pales. 揟he room is spinning.?
揧ou should lie down.?
She takes the medicine and another sip of water.
揥hat time will Violet be home??I ask.
揘ot until the morning. She texted earlier and said they were staying at Eric抯。？
She gets in bed then glances at the closet light.
揑 got it.?I turn it off and then hesitate. Every fiber of my being is yelling not to leave her like this. 揝coot over.?
揥hat??
I kick off my shoes and peel off my T-shirt. She抯 staring at me wide-eyed as I stalk toward the bed.
揑抦 not having sex with you,?she blurts.
揘o shit.?I pull back the comforter. 揃ut I抦 not leaving you alone like this.?
揑抦 fiiine,?she whines and then winces and curls into a ball. 揗y stomach doesn抰 feel great, but if I抦 going to throw up, I抎 rather be alone.?
揃een there plenty of times.?
She makes room for me, and I lay down beside her. The bed is small, Daisy-sized, and my feet meet the end of the mattress.
揧ou look ridiculous in my bed.?She giggles.
揑 never look ridiculous in bed.?
Her gaze falls over my bare chest, and I抎 bet if I could see better in the dark, I抎 find her blushing.
She reaches out and touches a tattoo along my ribs. The date we won the Frozen Four my freshman year. 揝how me your other tattoos.?
I shift to show her my left shoulder and bicep.
揟hese are cool.?She runs her finger along the outline of the mountains, then the sun, and compass. Then she reads the three words inked into the design, 揊riendship, strength, and honor.?
I say nothing as she continues to touch me.
揥hat about the ones on your legs??
揧ou抳e seen them??I ask.
揧ou wore shorts a couple of times in class.?
I nod, filing away the tidbit that she noticed me, or at least my tattoos, before we officially met.
Daisy snuggles closer. 揝how me. You抳e already seen me in my underwear. Seems fair.?
Except, I抦 sporting a semi.