"I just read your text messages," she says, breathless. Her eyes are red-rimmed, her makeup smeared around the edges. She wears a knee-length white silk robe. On her feet are fuzzy pink slippers.
Daisy has been my friend since before I can remember. We've always been solid, and we thought this plan we concocted was solid, too. But Daisy was hurting when she agreed to all this, and she was anticipating future pain. I was thinking about one thing only: get my overbearing, intrusive family off my back. From my father I've only seen stoicism and displeasure, but the day I told him I was going to marry Daisy, he almost smiled.
No matter what this is going to mean for me, and admittedly, the end results will be substantial, I can't go through with it. I care for Daisy too much to put her in this position, relegating her to a life of pretense and lies, and giving her a husband who doesn't love her as she should be loved. Penn's return has shaken me, displacing all that had sunk to the bottom. Daisy hassomebody who will love her the way she deserves. She loves him back, I see it in her eyes, in the way her body goes slack when he's around. It's her soul settling into his. They were made for each other. How can I stand in the way of that?
"Daisy, I think we should talk."
She steps back, allowing me in. I freeze mid-step when I see her parents in the room. Coughing, I say, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. St. James."
Daisy's mom leans over, kissing my cheek and patting it affectionately. "I really wish you would call us by our first names."
"You know I'm not allowed to," I smile sadly at her, because I can't muster up anything happier.
"Pfft," she sasses. "Your dad and his stupid rules." Her gaze swings between me and Daisy. "We'll leave you two alone now. You have a lot to discuss. But, Duke?"
"Yes?"
Mrs. St. James looks at me fondly, the way my mother never has. How terrible for her to be the one on her way out of the physical world, when she still has so much love to give. "Daisy told us about your arrangement. It was," she falters, "half-witted, but well meaning. And partly my fault, I've been filling Daisy's head with the importance of true love since she was a little girl." She shakes her head. "Here I thought I'd learned all the lessons I needed to in this lifetime."
Mr. St. James takes her by the hand, and she leans on him. "I wish you the very best, Duke. I wish you love, and happiness, and maybe someday you'll get the chance to tell your dad and your grandfather and the board at Hampton & Co. that they can fuck right off.”
Daisy gasps. I chuckle. Mr. St. James rubs his thumb lovingly on his wife's chin. "That's my girl," he says to her.
She winks at him. "Still got it."
They leave the room. Daisy’s scared eyes find mine. "Duke," she whispers.
"We aren't getting married today, Daisy."
Her head moves slowly back-and-forth. "No, we aren't."
I open my arms, and she sails in. "What are you going to do about your dad? The company?"
"Take your mom's advice."
She quakes with quiet laughter. "Seriously, though. What will you do?"
I shrug. I haven't figured that part out yet.
We're quiet, and then Daisy asks, "Are you going to press charges on Penn for punching you?"
I frown at the top of her head. "What? No."
"Your dad told him you were going to."
This is news to me. The only reason I told him the truth about what happened is because he was in my office and relentless, like a dog with a raw steak held just out of its reach.
"I guess my old man paid Penn a visit. I don't know why I'm surprised."
Daisy steps back, turning her attention to her reflection in the mirror. "He offered to buy Penn's house, plus twenty percent." She wipes under eyes with a tissue, cleaning the smeared makeup.
"Of course he did. To him, all you have to do is throw money at a problem, and that solves it." I rub my fingers over my temples, at the dull ache that's starting. "It's almost poetic, in a sick way. He fronted the cash to get Penn out of town fifteen years ago, and here he is, trying to do it again."
"That's it," Daisy breathes, motioning wildly with her hands in front of her chest. "That was the connection between you and Penn. I could not figure it out." A few strands of hair have come loose from the pins holding up her hair, framing her face."Between our current lies, and their old lies, I have been so confused trying to piece it all together."
"I think the picture is now complete. And I apologize for not telling you, but to be honest, I don't understand why he did it." The noise outside the door has increased as we've been talking. The guests are in the main area, chatting animatedly. "What do you think we should?—"
Above the low hum from beyond the door, a loud voice rings out. It's followed by a second voice, shouting.
