She finishes torturing me, releasing my leg and stepping back while I sit up. She has me help her roll out yoga mats, and I eye them skeptically. "Yoga?"
"Core strength," she responds. "You need to work on it. I watched you run down the street the other day and noticed you hunch in, like you're protecting yourself. We're also going to work on upper back strength to help pull you up and correct your form."
"Whatever you say, boss." I ease off the table, stepping onto the top of the yoga mat to match Daisy's positioning.
I look down at her, waiting for instruction, and find her already looking at me. Seriousness overtakes her face, and she gazes at me in a way that makes me want to squirm. "What?"
Her head moves back and forth slowly, only a few inches in each direction. "It's stupid, but sometimes you seem familiar to me."
Rubbing the back of my neck with my hand, I mutter, "I wouldn't call it stupid." Remorse tears at me, hot and angry. I feel its chant, along with Hugo's, in stereo.Tell her, tell her. If I thought it was best for Daisy, I'd tell her who I really am in a heartbeat. But Penn is a ghost to Olive Township, and resurrecting him will bring nothing but strife.
Daisy's quiet for the rest of our time together, leading me through exercises with detached professionalism. At one point, Isla interrupts to tell Daisy she needs to leave, that the school principal has called her about an issue in class with one of her kids. Daisy wishes her the best in dealing with the situation and offers to let Isla have the next day off if she needs.
At the end of our session I hover near the front desk, unsure if I should say anything else, or let it go. Letting it go is probably best, considering I'm nothing to her. A patient, but nothing beyond that. To her, I'm temporary.
"I'm sorry," Daisy says, catching me off guard.
"For what?" I ask.
"I hope you don't think I was being rude. I have a lot on my mind, and, well..." she fidgets with a gold link bracelet. "Something you said triggered me. But that's not your fault?—
"What did I say?" I interrupt.
"—or your problem," she finishes.
But here's the thing. If something has upset Daisy, it is my problem. It shouldn't be, but damn if it doesn't make me want to wear myself out finding a solution.
Daisy shakes her head. "You made me think, that's all."
"I apologize profusely for making you think."
She bats at my arm, a playful blow. "Very funny."
I persist. "What did I make you think about?"
"Something I don't particularly want to give my attention to." She picks up a stack of papers from the desk, straightening them into a neat pile. She taps her iPad, then her phone. Notifications glow on her phone's screen.
"Daisy?"
"Hmm?" She glances up.
"Tomorrow I'm spending the morning at the Bellamy house." Cue an internal wince at referring to my childhood home in such a detached term. "There's going to be a lot for me to throw out,but I'm sure I'll still have space in the back of my truck if there's anything you'd like me to haul away from your remodel for you."
Daisy bites the side of her lower lip. "Actually, that would be great. I wasn't sure how I was going to get stuff to the landfill."
Fucking Duke. Worthless.
On the ledge of the front desk sits a tray of Daisy's business cards, alongside a sleeve of marketing material listing services found at the Sagewood Wellness Spa next door. Plucking out a business card, I turn it over, my eyes searching the desk for a pen. Daisy seems to understand what I'm doing and hands one over.
"There," I say, drawing out the word as I attempt to make my handwriting neat and legible. "My number." Using one finger, I slide the card across the wooden desk top. "You let me know what works for you tomorrow."
Daisy nods. "Ok. Thank you."
I take a step back, hands going into my pockets. "Have a nice day, Daisy."
"You as well, Peter."
Something slices through me at the sound of that name. Guilt, perhaps? The feeling intensifies, growing teeth.
