He phrased it like it should be obvious.
Her chest squeezed tight.
Then something flickered through his face. Full seriousness taking over. “I just like being with you, Daisy. I don’t have to…” He blinked before he continued, “I don’t have to be anyone else than who I really am when I’m with you.”
Then all the seriousness drained and he smacked the spot next to him. “Now get over here so we can watch this movie.”
She dipped her gaze before she crawled onto the opposite side of the bed, snagging the box of Red Vines as she went.
She tore it open and took one out.
“You gonna give me one of those or what?” He swiveled his head on the pillow and peered over at her.
He was so close. His body heat searing into her.
She gave him one, and he bit off a big piece the way he always did, smiling around it as he chewed before he switched on the television.
He told her he snagged his mom’s favorite movie from downstairs because he thought Daisy would like it, and he’d already placed the DVD into the player.
She settled down into the comfort of his bed, trying to keep at least a foot of space separating them because with the lights dimmed and his breaths all around, she thought she might combust if they touched.
She tried to get comfortable as she watched the scenes play out.
Cash laid beside her chomping on Red Vines and M&Ms.
His presence big and overwhelming.
A rock if she didn’t feel herself drifting away.
Because the film was supposed to be heartwarming. Feel good. A young woman who went away to college before taking a job in a big city with intentions of never returning home since she had a falling out with her mother.
Only when she lost her job, she returned home to discover what she’d been missing all along.
The two reuniting in a profound way.
It wasn’t supposed to be sad. It wasn’t supposed to cause someone to weep.
So, Daisy fought and fought the tears that burned at the backs of her eyes and raced up and down her throat.
God, she tried so hard to keep the sob from ripping from her chest.
But it was too big, and she choked on it.
The sound strangled and small.
Arms suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her close, her ear tucked against the thunder at his chest. “Hey, hey, hey,” he murmured at the top of her head. “What happened?”
The ball of fire rolled in the base of her throat, and she felt like she was being strangled.
“I’m right here. I’m right here. It’s okay, you can let go.”
At his words, she broke.
Tears burst free and sobs raked from the depths where she kept everything important to her hidden.
She fully turned into him, her hands fists in the fabric of his shirt.
“I miss her so much,” Daisy quietly gasped into Cash’s neck. “I miss her so much, and I’m never going to have that. Never.”
