I crook an arm behind my head. 揙h right, that抯 this weekend.?
揗hmm. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. Violet finished altering the yellow dress tonight, and you can finally see me in it.?
揑t抯 Saturday??
She nods eagerly.
揋avin抯 party is Saturday night. Big twenty-first birthday bash.?The image of Daisy in that yellow dress and then me peeling her out of it is a real welcome sight.
揜ight. Of course. It抯 fine.?She shakes her head. 揘o worries. I figured you might not want to come.?
揝low your roll. Of course, I want to come. I just might be a little late.?
揧ou will??
揇efinitely. I just need to stop by Gavin抯 party first and have a drink with him. Then, I抦 all yours.?
She smiles so big you抎 think I抎 agreed to something really terrible.
揑 wouldn抰 miss it,?I say.
What better night to ask her to be my girlfriend and show her how epic of a boyfriend I can be?
27
DAISY
I hold an umbrella over my head as I watch Jordan and Liam unload the flower archway from the back of Liam抯 truck. They抮e soaked, and the flowers are looking a little rough. I抦 glad Violet isn抰 here to see it. I don抰 know how, but I will make it look fabulous before she gets here.
The guys bring it into the banquet room and set it in the spot Violet marked for it. She was very meticulous in her instructions.
揟hank you. You guys are the best.?
Water drips off the bill of Liam抯 hat. 揑抦 gonna grab the box of extra flowers.?
揟hank you,?I call to his back as he jogs out of the room.
Jordan scans the space and smiles. 揑t抯 going to look amazing.?
揑 can抰 take any credit. This is all Violet.?
He pushes his hoodie down and then takes off his hat and runs a hand through his hair before returning it backward on his head. 揥hat time do you think you抣l be done setting up tonight? Wanna come over later??
揑 can抰。？I press into him. 揑 promised Violet I抎 help her, and I know we抣l be here all night getting it just how she imagined.?
揟hen I guess I抣l see you tomorrow.?
I push up on my toes and kiss him. 揅an抰 wait.?
Liam reappears with the box of extra flowers. 揥here do you want them??
揝et them on that table for now.?I point. 揟hank you.?
揘eed anything else??Jordan offers.
揘ot unless you can make the rain stop, so I don抰 have to trek in and out of it all night.?
He takes the hat from his head and puts it on mine. He steps to me and kisses me. 揝tay dry, sweet Daisy.?
Violet, Jane, Dahlia, and I sit in our living room after a long night of setting up for the ball. I抦 exhausted, but it was worth it. The room looks so good. I have to hand it to Vi, she had a vision, and it really came together.
揌ow many people RSVP抎？？Dahlia asks.
揝ixty-three,?Violet says. 揃ut we have enough seats for a few extras in case people decide at the last minute.?
揟here isn抰 going to be much else to do tomorrow.?Jane pulls the curtain to look out into the rainy night. Water streaks the windowpane, and flashes of lightning appear off in the distance.
I sit with my feet pulled up underneath me on one end of the couch. Jordan抯 hat sits in my lap, and I run a finger along the brim.
Dahlia sits next to me and knocks her knee against mine. Her gaze darts to the hat and then up at me. 揌e抯 coming, right? I抦 excited to hang out with him. The only times I抳e met him, I couldn抰 say more than 慼i? Now that he抯 taken, I think I抣l be able to form complete sentences.?
I smile as I think about him. 揌e抯 coming, but I抦 not sure what time. It might be late.?
揌e抯 coming late? Why??Vi asks from across the room in our worn, plaid chair.
揋avin抯 twenty-first birthday party is tomorrow night.?
揝o??
I look around the room at the rest of my friends. 揑t isn抰 a big deal. He抯 going to stop by for a drink and then come to the ball.?
揊igures.?
Dahlia breaks the tension by redirecting me back to the second part of her question. 揥hat抯 he like??
揧eah, spill all the details,?Jane adds.
揥ell, he抯 fun and easygoing, but also really perceptive and unexpectedly sweet.?
I think about the candy he bought me because I said I never had it. And the time I got drunk and he stayed with me, which led to the white cotton panty fiasco. Speaking of, I think he actually took those with him.
揧ou抮e blushing,?Jane says.
I cover my face with both hands.
Dahlia pries my hands away. 揧ou really like him. There抯 no reason to be embarrassed. It sounds like he really likes you too.?
Violet is quiet. Too quiet. I look over at her. She抯 staring down at her hands.
揤i??
I need her to say it or at least say something. Her continued disapproval is wearing on me. She barely speaks to him when he抯 over and when she does, it isn抰 all that nice. She plays it off like playful banter, but I know there抯 real pain and worry behind it.
揑 just want you to be with someone who deserves you,?she says. 揧ou are the best person I know.?
揌e does,?I say.
She smiles, but I抦 not sure she truly believes me.
When it抯 time for bed, I change and then go to the bathroom where Violet is brushing her teeth. I lean on the door. 揑 really am happy. I know that you don抰 like him, but he isn抰 what you think.?
She raises both brows but doesn抰 speak.
揙kay, yes, he抯 a total party guy. He drinks too much, and he slacks off with school assignments, and he抯 hooked up with a lot of people. I don抰 care about any of that. At his core, he抯 a decent guy. The best, actually.?
I want to tell her about all the good I see in him梩he way he抯 always there for his friends, how he抣l hold a piece of Mark with him forever, and a million other things. But I think, for now, all I can hope is that Violet will give him a chance.
She rinses out her mouth and places her toothbrush in the holder. 揑 like him fine. I just don抰 trust him yet.?
揋ive him a chance??
She nods. 揧eah, I can do that.?
The next morning, I wake to Violet抯 voice shouting downstairs. I rub my eyes and get out of bed.
I pad down the stairs quietly.
揑 understand,?she says in a tone that does not back up her words. 揃ut there has to be something you can do.?
She抯 silent, listening to whoever is on the other line. Her mouth pulls into a tight smile when she sees me.
I finish my descent and sit on the couch while she paces the length of the living room. Dahlia and Jane shoot me tense looks, but neither dares to say anything.
揟hank you,?Violet grits out between clenched teeth and holds the phone in one hand like she抯 thinking about launching it. 揟he ballroom flooded.?
Jane gasps.
揌ow bad??I ask tentatively.
揑t抯 on the dance floor, so it didn抰 ruin the decorations, but we have nowhere to put them. Everything else is either rented or also filled with water.?
My brain races with possibilities. Dahlia and Jane fire out options, and one by one, Violet dismisses them. She plops down in the chair, all the fight leaving her. 揟hose places are all booked up.?
Jane抯 phone alarm goes off.
揙ur mani and pedi appointments are in twenty minutes.?
揋o.?I stand. 揑 have an idea.?
揥hat??Vi asks with a tinge of hope in her voice.
揑 don抰 want to say until I know for sure it抣l work. You three go, and I抣l catch up with you before our hair appointments.?
Dahlia and Jane wait for Violet抯 approval. Tonight is her baby, and I want it to happen just like she envisioned.