With Daisy, though, I don抰 get the feeling that she抯 trying to trap me into a label, so much as she抯 taunting me. She抯 supposed to end up with someone smarter, nicer, just generally better. Someone like Liam. Fuck, they抎 probably already be an item if I hadn抰 interfered. The thought places an uncomfortable weight on my chest.
She places a hand softly on my side. Unassuming and tentative, she抯 slow to touch me, like the week apart has made her more unsure. I tug her down on me and encourage her with deep, hungry kisses that only show her a fraction of how much I missed her梞issed this.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I groan because I know I have to check it in case it抯 Liam. I dig it out without breaking the kiss.
揑s it him??Daisy asks, pulling back.
揘o. Still nothing.?As a last-ditch effort, I texted some guys from class that I thought might be around, but no one抯 seen him.
Daisy leans over my outstretched legs and props herself up on an elbow. 揑抦 sure he抯 around somewhere. Where would he go? Bar? McCallum抯 apartment??
Damn, she looks good laid across my bed.
I settle a hand on her hip and up the curve of her stomach. 揌e抯 not at either of those places. Or The White House. I抳e texted everyone that抯 in town. No one抯 seen him.?
揧ou抮e really worried about him??It isn抰 a question so much as her pointing out a fact she just discerned. Her brows pinch together.
揑t isn抰 like him to go off the grid.?
揧eah. That doesn抰 sound like him.?She gets that contemplative look like she does when she抯 studying. She stands and moves to the door. When she opens it, she looks back at me. 揂re you coming or what??
揥here are we going??And how do I get her back on my bed?
揟o find Liam.?
Campus is a graveyard. I pull the hood up on my sweatshirt, and Daisy zips up her coat and shoves her hands in her pockets.
揂ny other ideas where he might have gone??she asks.
揘ot really.?
揥here are his favorite places??
揑 don抰 know. The arena.?
揇id you check there??
I hang my head, and Daisy laughs. 揥e抣l go there first.?
Damn. It never even occurred to me that he might have stayed at the rink, but it makes sense. It抯 a good ten-minute walk to the arena, and we move slowly.
揇id you have a nice time at home??I ask.
揧eah,?she answers immediately and then adds, 揑 was kind of bored.?
I can almost picture Daisy sitting all alone in a room with her sketchbook.
揗y parents aren抰 evil or anything.?Soft laughter falls from her lips. 揑 realize I might have made them out to be awful, and they aren抰。？
I hold her hand, swinging it lightly between us. 揑 don抰 think that.?
揑 don抰 want to be like them,?she says. 揝omeday, when I have a house, I want it to be loud and chaotic. That抯 my favorite part of living with Vi, Dahlia, and Jane. It抯 never completely silent.?
My mouth hitches up with a smile. 揧ou like loud, huh??
She nods.
We抳e reached the arena. I tip my head back into the still night and shout as loud as I can, 揇aiiiissy!?
She抯 laughing when I pull her against me. Her nose is cold against my face as I kiss her.
揧ou抮e cold.?I slide my hands under her coat and shirt. She inhales sharply as my freezing fingers walk up her sides.
揝o are you. We should go inside.?
I pin her against the building, kissing her until we抮e breathless, and the only next step is getting naked. I抦 so hard it抯 painful.
揑 want you.?
揑 want you too.?The words fall from her trembling lips. 揥e should hurry and find Liam.?
Not a lot I wouldn抰 agree to right now if it clears the path for sex at the end of the night. I swipe my access card and hold open the door for her. The arena is silent. I check the locker room first, shaking my head at Daisy when I come out.
揌e抯 not on the ice either,?she says. 揑s there somewhere else here??
揘o.?
We walk down the tunnel to take another look anyway. I glance around at the empty seats. Daisy leans into me. The pressure of her small body against mine is a comfort.
揥e抣l find him.?She links her arm through mine.
We check the weight room and then head back out into the cold. I hold on to Daisy抯 hand, swinging our arms lightly, as we make our way back to the heart of campus.
揥hat made you decide to come back to Valley so early? Besides boredom, of course.?
揌mm. I抦 not sure.?She smiles like we抮e in on the same secret, then her eyes widen. 揙h my gosh. Do you not remember asking me to come back??
揢hhh厰
She groans and mutters something about being embarrassed as she tries to hurry off again. This time I have her by the hand, so she doesn抰 get far.
揥hat did I say, and when did I say it??
She faces me, avoiding eye contact. 揟he night before Christmas Eve.?
揑 talked to you on the twenty-third??I was wasted that entire day simultaneously trying to remember Mark and forget the horrors of the day. I definitely don抰 remember talking to Daisy.
揧es. You were at someone抯 house. You didn抰 know whose.?
揂nd I asked you to come back early??
揧eah, in hindsight, it抯 obvious you were drunk and not thinking clearly.?
揑 have some of my best ideas when I抦 wasted.?I circle my arms around her waist. 揂nd I抦 damn glad you抮e here.?
揧ou have to say that now,?she mumbles, but I get a smile out of her.
揥hat else did I say??
揘ot much. You were pretty drunk and sad.?
I nod梟o use in denying it. I miss Mark. He was my best friend. We shared so many good times together, and it抯 fucking sad that he抯 gone.
揑 asked if you needed me to come take care of you.?
揑 hope I said hell yeah.?
揘ot exactly, but you did say something about wanting to see me in my white panties again.?She shakes her head. 揑 can抰 tell if you really liked them or you抮e mocking me.?
揑抦 not mocking you.?I drop my hands down until I抦 cupping her ass. 揂re you wearing them now??
揑 don抰 know. Guess you抣l have to wait and find out.?
揇amn. We need to hurry this up.?
She laughs as I pull her down the sidewalk. The library is closed, but we go in the study rooms in the engineering building, then the laundry room and lounge in Freddy. I抦 fresh out of places to look for Liam and growing more distracted by the girl next to me every step.
揑抦 sorry,?she says. 揃ut I抦 sure he抯 okay.?
揧eah.?I抦 not sure but saying as much won抰 help.
揌ave we looked everywhere??There抯 a hopeful lift in her tone.
揧eah. Fucking finally.?I stop. 揋et it. Fucking, finally.?
Her eyes light up. 揊inally!?
We jog toward the stairwell. I stall on the last set of stairs. So close to being inside of her.
揥hy are we stopping??The whine in her voice assures me she抯 as excited as I am.
She stands on the step above me, making her a few inches taller.
Guilt claws at me. Liam likes her, and that should stop me, but everything with Daisy feels fleeting. Like as soon as we give in, whatever this crazy thing is going on between us will be over. She抣l wise up and move on. We抮e a moment in time. And I抦 starting to wonder if that抣l be enough.
揓ust wanted to look at you.?
She holds my gaze in the quiet stairwell. When I can抰 take it another second, I blaze past her, pulling her with me onto the fifth floor.
Halfway down the hall, I lift her into my arms so I can kiss her sooner rather than later. She wraps her arms and legs around me and attacks my mouth with the same enthusiasm ripping through my body. I fumble for the door handle and lose my grip. She slides down my body, rubbing against the length of my dick.