Oh.
Now I understand the nervous look on Luke’s face. He only has one bed, and it offers no privacy whatsoever. I could sit in that bed and easily throw a pillow that would land on the couch. Not that I’m going to sit on his bed. Or be in it in any capacity.
I may ask to steal a pillow off it so I can bring it to the couch, but besides that, there is no reason why I should be thinking about or looking at Luke’s bed. None at all.
“Daisy, look,” Luke starts.
I’m not sure what kind of conversation he’s about to strike up, but what I do know is that I’m probably still blushing after staring at my friend’s bed for longer than most would deem appropriate.
I’m about to make this awkward. I know it.
Luckily, the reminder of my full bladder seems like the perfect excuse to find one of those damn hard to find doors in this house and escape for a moment of reprieve.
“Um, where can I find the ladies’ room? Or you know, the Luke room. Where you do your business. And wash yourself.” I slap a hand across my forehead. “Jesus Christ, why does it keep getting worse the more I speak? How do I stop it? Luke, please put me out of my misery and point to a damn toilet before you come to your senses and kick me to the curb. Or in this case, serial killer wonderland.”
The tension in his shoulders seems to melt as his eyes gleam with amusement.
“The Luke room with a toilet and where I wash myself.” He points behind me. “First door on the right.”
As he laughs, I scurry off, moving as fast as I can in the restrictive dress.
As soon as I close the door behind me, I rush to use the toilet. Something that proves to be difficult while holding up the heavy garment that feels more like a straitjacket than a designer gown. I kick off my shoes and wiggle my toes, silently promising myself that I’ll never wear anything that causes physical pain to my body again.
I wash my hands and while I’m at it, start scrubbing at my caked-on makeup with the simple hand soap at my disposal. I have toiletries packed in my bag, but I can’t stand the thought of looking like this any longer.
I stare back at my reflection, bare faced with a few streaks of stubborn mascara that I’ll have to try to wash off with my actual skincare products later.
The person staring back at me shocks me to my core. Because I look… like someone else. Like the character I’ve been dutifully playing since Damien put a ring on my finger.
I glance down at the large diamond that shines tauntingly at me.
How did I get it all so wrong? Not just today, but the entire relationship?
All I wanted was a man who loved me. A person I could build a family with. Grow old with. Someone my dad, the only parent I’ve ever known, would approve of.
But somewhere along the way, our dates turned into business meetings.
Gentle suggestions became firm expectations.
And love was nowhere to be found.
He spent his days out on the campaign trail, and I spent mine alone in my room. Making myself useful to everyone around me so I wouldn’t have to sit long enough to look around and see the condition in which my life currently stood.
It made me question if I was built for that kind of life, and if Damien and I were even compatible anymore.
Somehow, my father would always know when I was at my breaking point and would remind me that my future husband was working for the greater good. Not only for our state, but our home. And Damien always knew the right time to surprise me with flowers and dinner at a popular restaurant.
And even though he’d spend the entire meal standing up to shake hands and introduce himself to other prominent patrons, for those fleeting moments, it felt good to know I was with someone I could call my own. Someone I could be proud of, even though I don’t believe he could say the same about me.
The woman who graduated with an MBA but turned down a job at my father’s company to join my brother at the New York Monarchs and work alongside their social media team and community outreach.
I know I’m a total nepo baby.
Or a nepo sibling in this instance, since I wouldn’t have a place in the Monarchs organization if it weren’t for my brother unexpectedly inheriting the team from our estranged grandfather.
But regardless of how I got there, I found a little place in the world that I could claim as my own. I was excited about going to work every day. I finally had an amazing group of friends who actually liked me for who I was instead of what my last name could do for them.
And I found Luke.
