Daisy knows Millie because they went to high school together. At one point, they were friends. I don’t know what happened between them, but when Millie left, Daisy became a permanent fixture in the club as a whore. I watch as her brows snap together, then she frowns slightly.
“She’s working down at the Gilded Room Gentleman’s Club.”
Daisy takes half a step toward me, stopping when she’s directly in front of me, then I feel her palm press against the center of my chest. She tilts her head back slightly, her eyes focusing on mine.
“Millie is working there?”
I can hear the disbelief in her voice, and I have to admit it’s cute, but also, it makes me smile because I felt the same way the first time I saw her. But until I really watched her dance up there, I didn’t realize that she was made for the stage, or rather, a stage at all.
But Millie is definitely a force to be reckoned with when she’s up there, drenched in gold.
“She is, and she’s damn good at it. Been doing it in Vegas since she walked away.”
Daisy’s eyes widen as she stares at me, not blinking. She shakes her head a couple of times, then clears her throat. Something inside her has shifted, but I’m not sure what it is. She shakes her head as if shaking it out of her mind, whatever the thought was.
“Tell me,” I demand.
Maybe I didn’t come here for sex as a distraction as I thought. Maybe it was for this, to speak to someone who could understand exactly what I’m going through. Because if anyonecould understand the relationship between Millie and me, other than my sister, it’s Daisy.
I’m not ready to bring any of this to Lainey yet. It’s going to piss her off that I didn’t, but I’m just not there yet. It’s going to open up so many hurts for my sensitive sister. She should never hurt. She’s the first person I swore to protect, and I will always do just that.
Protect her until my last breath.
Which means she doesn’t need to know about Millie yet. Soon, but not yet. I need to sit down and have a real conversation with her once I know what the fuck is really going on with the woman.
“Millie called me once, about a month after she left. I didn’t know what she wanted. I almost didn’t even answer.”
“But you did?”
I know my words come out sounding more eager than they should. I can’t believe it happened a decade ago, and she never told me a single fucking thing about it. I should be pissed, but I’m too curious to scold her.
“I did,” she whispers. “She told me she wanted to come home. Wanted to know what you were doing, or rather, who you were doing,” she says, then winces.
“And of course, you told her.”
When Millie left, I was angry. And I was fucking my way through all the clubwhores, even Daisy. I didn’t care about myself, about anything. I was hurt, my pride bruised, and I was angry… so fucking angry.
“I’m sorry, Piggy. I was so young and stupid. I had grand ideas of being an old lady, and she was gone.”
Tears fill her eyes. She blinks, but they don’t go away. They slide down her cheeks in warm, wet streams. The guilt is consuming her, and it shouldn’t. It was so long ago. I could bepissed off, but the reality is that I wasn’t in the right frame of mind back then anyway. It wouldn’t have mattered.
“I told her the truth. I didn’t have to, but I did. And I felt so proud of myself at the time.”
Shaking my head, I lift my hand and cup her cheek, sliding my thumb along her bottom lip. “Think nothing of it, Daisy. It was the truth, and there’s no shame in that, even if embellished.”
My lips curve up into a smirk, and I wink before taking a step backward. “She might like a visit. I can text you her address in Raleigh.”
Daisy’s eyes search mine, her lips curve into a small smile, and I can see the relief in her eyes before she speaks. “I would really like that, Piggy.”
Dipping my chin slightly, I head toward my bedroom, where I close and lock the door behind me before I walk over to my bed. I strip my clothes off and climb between the sheets, suddenly feeling exhausted.
Reaching down to my pants, I take my phone out of my pocket and find Daisy’s name. I send her a text. It’s just Millie’s address. She doesn’t respond. No doubt she’s a bit busy right now.
There were a few guys who were sitting around shooting the shit who likely want her attention and affections for the remainder of the evening.
Rolling onto my side, I look at the wall. It’s blank, there’s nothing there, but still, it makes me think of her. I’m pretty sure everything at this point makes me think of Millie. I’ve been able to push her out of my mind, but Millie being back here has brought everything barreling forward again.
Sleep finally finds me, thankfully. But then my dreams consume me, and they are all of Millie.
