I felt a bit better that I wasn’t alone in this. I nodded. ‘Okay.’ I took a deep breath and together, we set off walking back towards the farmhouse.
As we drew nearer, I saw Willow and her dad were outside now with Sarah and Henry. It looked like a stilted conversation was being had. Maple saw us and came bounding over with a bark, clearly excited by all the people on the farm.
‘Hey, girl,’ I said, giving her a pat as she came over, weaving in between us. Blake had to move over to avoid walking into her and then I didn’t see my shoelaces were undone so I tripped a little bit.
‘You okay?’ Blake grabbed my arm to steady me as Maple ran back towards Willow at her whistle. ‘Your laces,’ he said, gesturing as we stopped. He kept a hand on my shoulder as I bent down to tie them back up. When I stood up, we were suddenly really close together. He caught my gaze and smiled reassuringly, rewarding me with a flash of his dimples again. ‘It’ll be okay,’ he promised in a low voice.
I smiled back gratefully. ‘You too.’
Blake let go of me and we set off again, walking towards the group, who were watching us closely. Henry and Sarah walked away from Willow and my uncle towards us. Willow and Adam stared at us all like they couldn’t believe what was happening.
Neither could I.
I reluctantly met Henry’s piercing gaze when we stopped in front of them.
But it was Sarah who spoke first. She put her hands on her hips as she glared at Blake. ‘So, you thought you’d get your own back and find someone else?’ she asked, gesturing angrily towards me.
I glanced at Blake in surprise. I realised we were standing close together after he’d stopped me from tripping, and he’d waited with me while I re-tied my shoes. Blake looked down at me, also shocked.
‘I suppose I asked for that, but seriously, Blake? After all we’ve been through! You could have let me explain everything before you jumped into bed withher!’ Sarah continued furiously, not waiting for a response.
Both Blake and I flinched. Before I could defend myself, Henry stepped forward, giving me an incredulous look, his face turning red. ‘You can’t seriously have left me for this man? I won’t believe it! I know that you love me. We belong together. You don’t belong here, with this man, it’s madness, Daisy! You need to come with me now so we can discuss this. Right now.’
I stared at him, my stomach plummeting at that tone I recognised all too well. It was the one he used when arguing in business meetings like his word was fact and the rest of the world was wrong if they didn’t agree with him. He had jumped, right along with Sarah, to the conclusion that something was going on with me and Blake.
‘I said come on,’ Henry reiterated.
‘How dare you speak to her like that!’ A low growl came out of Blake, causing all three of us to stare at him in surprise. ‘She’s not your property to command,’ Blake continued calmly but coldly, staring down at Henry with disgust, their height difference appearing even bigger now that Blake was angry.
‘What has it got to do with you? You two can’t be together?’ Henry looked between us both, shocked and disbelieving that I would choose to consider any man but him.
I spluttered but couldn’t get any words out.
‘Did you meet her in the few days we’ve been apart?’ Sarah demanded of Blake then. ‘It’s ridiculous; she can’t mean anything to you.’
Henry glanced at her. ‘They’re not together; Daisy took weeks to say yes to having dinner with me.’
‘We’re old friends,’ Blake blurted out. This time, I stared at him. He turned to me. His eyes were wide, his expression apologetic. He lifted his hands in the air then put them back down. ‘Aren’t we?’ he asked, his tone uncertain. I didn’t know what to say.
‘That’s right.’ Willow stepped over to us then. ‘They’re old friends. They went to school with my boyfriend, and are staying on my farm, for as long as they want.’
I felt like this was all getting out of my control but I didn’t know how to stop it. Henry was furious, Blake was glaring at him and Willow was looking at me anxiously. I was so confused.
‘Well, Daisy? Is this true?’ Henry said to me.
Taking a deep breath, I knew that if I said Blake and Willow had made that up, Henry would be proved right that Blake and I were just strangers, and he would assume that I would go home with him. I panicked that I would have to leave when I was starting to feel better here so I went along with the pretence. ‘Yes, we are old friends…’
‘Is he an ex?’ Henry demanded. ‘Is this why you never mentioned him?’
‘Not an ex, but we have reconnected here, yes,’ I blurted out, my back up at his condescending tone.
‘So, I was right – you’re seeing each other?’ Sarah demanded of us.
‘I don’t believe this,’ Henry repeated, shaking his head.
A gust of wind blew across the farm then, and Sarah cried out as she clutched her hair. ‘I need to go inside,’ she exclaimed. ‘Please, Blakey. You can’t just end it like this!’
‘Good idea,’ Henry said quickly. ‘You two go and talk somewhere. Daisy, let’s go for a walk. I want to talk to you alone.’
