Frustration churned like an engine in my chest as I offered her the bouquet like some kind of segue away from my misstep.
“Most beautiful,” she echoed and brought them up to her face, a shield drawn between us. Her cheeks flushed pink, like the brush of the peony petals stained her skin.
Suddenly, I couldn’t bear the thought of it ending like this. For four years, I buried how I felt about her. For the next four seconds, I had to let it live.
“Does Todd make you happy, Daze?” I needed to know. I needed to hear her answer,just once,so I’d never regret not telling her that my best friend wasn’t the only one who’d fallen in love with her.
Slowly, her lashes peeled open, and I waited, my breath under lock and key in my chest. “Max…” Just as she started to speak, something changed. Her brow furrowed. Her head tipped.Something caught her attention.“What’s this?”
She reached between the flowers and pulled out an envelope.
My jaw went slack. “I…don’t know.” I certainly hadn’t put it there.
“It’s from Todd,” she murmured, flashing me the front that readDaisyin his unmistakable scrawl.
“I didn’t realize he put a note in there,” I said, the fist around my throat gripping tighter as she opened the envelope and slid out the folded paper inside.
I’d missed my shot.The moment I’d had to finally tell Daisy the truth—just once—was gone. Stolen by the man who was going to marry her. And I took it as a sign that she’d found the buried note when she did.
“I should get going. I don’t want to make your groom late,” I said roughly, and went to the door.
I couldn’t wait—couldn’t watch as she read his letter. I needed to get the hell out of here and get my shit together.
“Max…” My hand stilled on the knob. “Max, what is this?” Her voice was hollowed out by panic, a gossamer shell of what it normally was.
I spun, and my heart dropped into my stomach with all the casualty of a bomb. Daisy stood beside the bed, the note in her hand, but she shook so badly, it flapped like a bird about to take flight.
“I-I don’t understand.” Daisy looked at me, her tears in free fall, but that wasn’t even the worst of it. The worst was the flash of betrayal in her eyes. “Did you know, Max?” She charged at me, the paper flapping in my direction. “Did you know he was going to do this?”
It took me two tries to take it from her fingers. “What are you talking about?” I growled and scanned the card.
Daisy,
I’m not good with words, just like I haven’t been good with you over the last few months. This isn’t the right way to do this, but it’s the only way I know how. I can’t marry you. This isn’t…who I am. I’m sorry.
Todd
“Did you know he was going to run?”
All I knew was that I was going to kill him.
Chapter 3
Daisy
My fiancé was leaving me at the altar.
The thud of my heart pounded against my chest. It wanted to escape. I wanted to escape.
I was a cliché.A pregnant cliché.
My mind whirred.No. No. No.
More than my mind whirred.
“Whoa, Daze.” Firm hands gripped my arms, his steadiness making me aware that I’d started to sway. “Breathe,” Max ordered, and my lungs inflated. “That’s it. Now, let it out.” Oxygen sped through my lips, following the coarse rumble of his voice. He sounded different. Thicker and more commanding than normal as he continued to instruct me, “Deep breath in.” The whirring started to settle. “And out.”
Why didn’t he sound normal?Why did it make me feel good?
