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Daisy fought her way through the fog. She heard beeping and opened one eye. It looked like a hospital. What was she doing there? She opened the other eye. Jesus, it felt like someone had hit her in the head with a brick. Wait, had someone hit her in the head with a brick?
She turned her head gingerly. Red was slumped in a chair, sleeping. “Red?” she croaked.
It hadn’t been more than a whisper but Red immediately sat up, wide awake. He grabbed her hand. “Daisy? Oh my god, you’re finally awake. Thank god.”
He rubbed his thumb on her wrist. “How do you feel baby?”
She shook her head and winced. “Terrible. What happened? Did someone hit me in the head?”
He watched her carefully. “No, you hit your head on the sidewalk when you fell.”
“How did I....? Oh my god, that asshole shot me,” she gasped as the memories returned. “Where’s Vinnie? Is he OK?”
She heard the beeping speed up as the panic hit her.
“Shh, it’s ok Daisy,” he soothed, rubbing his other hand across her jaw. “Vinnie’s fine. He wasn’t hurt at all. He’s been staying with Mitch and Penny.”
“What happened after I was shot?” she asked. “I think I passed out.”
Red nodded. “Vinnie took the guy down,” he explained, clear admiration in his voice. “Held him down by the throat until the police came. He’s gone back to prison.”
“That’s my boy,” she said weakly. Then everything was quiet again.
The next time Daisy woke up she realized her foster parents were in the room. “Daisy, sweetheart, you gave us a scare,” Suzanne told her, leaning down to give her a kiss on the forehead. “Sorry we weren’t here when you woke up the first time, we had just popped down to get lunch when you woke up.”
Samuel reached down and rubbed her shoulder. “You know kid, if you wanted us to visit you, all you had to do was ask,” he said gruffly.
“Thanks for driving down,” Daisy said.
“Oh no, we didn’t drive down,” Suzanne said. “Sam called in some favors and got us a helicopter ride. It would have been exciting if not for the circumstances.”
“Where’s Red?” Daisy asked, looking around. “He was here when I got up the first time.”
Suzanne smiled. “He just went to the rest room. That boy has been by your side for two days. Refused to even go home and sleep. He seems quite taken with you.”
Daisy felt a rush of warmth, followed by a cold, dark fear. What if Red had gotten hurt because of her? The thought made her nauseous. She loved him, she realized with a start. She needed to protect him. She fell back asleep.
“You should go home,” Daisy told Red the next day. She had managed to stay awake most of the day, and the doctors had deemed her to be recovering nicely. “They’ll be releasing me tomorrow and you need to open your shop.”
Red’s brow furrowed in confusion. “The shop can wait, Daisy.”
She shook her head. “I appreciate you being here Red, but we’ve been spending a lot of time together these last few months. I realized that I need some space. I think we should spend some time apart. My foster parents are going to stay with me for a while.”
Red moved to sit on the side of the bed, taking both of her hands. “Daisy, what’s going on? Talk to me baby.”
She shook her head. “Nothing’s going on. I just need to focus on recovering and you have a business to run.”
Red stared at her for a long moment, clearly not believing her. The silence stretched as he watched her.
“Daisy,” he finally said, his words careful. “Why are you pushing me away? Is it because of the, um, incident?”
Daisy felt a surge of anger. “The incident?” she said, her voice raising in pitch. “You mean the way someone tried to kill me the other day? Don’t you get it Red, they’ll just keep coming for me. It’s not safe. I don’t even know if I should stay here in Diamond Bay.”
“What’s this really about Daisy?” he asked. “Who’s after you? Who was that guy who attacked you?”
She had never told him the story before, although she had a feeling he had put bits and pieces together. “Look Red, you’re a great guy, but you need someone who isn’t damaged.”
“You’re not damaged, Daisy. How can you even say that?”
“I am,” she insisted. “That guy who came to kill me? He was in my father’s motorcycle gang. He was one of the guys who passed me around when I was a teenager, who shared me, who used my body and marked my skin to show the world I belonged to them.”
Red’s eyes widened and she plowed ahead.
“I helped take them down, I gave evidence against them,” her voice wobbled, and she cleared her throat. “I betrayed them, and they all went to jail. I’ll never be safe. And you’ll never be safe if you’re with me.”
“Daisy...”
“No. Please, go Red. This thing between us, it ends now. I need to be alone and figure out where I go next.”
Red looked like she had just stabbed him in the heart, and she understood how he felt – she felt the same. He stood up.
“We’re not done Daisy,” he vowed. “You’ve been through a lot, and I’ll give you some space, but I’m not giving up on you. I love you Daisy.”
A sob escaped her throat as she shook her head. “And that’s why you’ll never be safe. Goodbye Red.”
As she watched Red leave the room, the tears finally began to fall.
Two weeks later...
“When are you going to call him, Daisy?”
Suzanne was standing in the doorway watching her carefully.
“What do you mean?” Daisy asked.
Suzanne gave her a no-nonsense glare and moved to sit on the coffee table by Daisy’s knees. “You’ve been sitting on this couch moping for two weeks, I think this has gone on long enough.”
“Moping?” Daisy said incredulously. “I’ve been recovering from a freaking gunshot wound.”
Suzanne stared her down. “You and I both know you’re not feeling bad from the wound, which I remind you didn’t hit any organs.” Her voice softened. “You’re moping because you miss Red. And judging by all the times he has texted, called, or sent you presents, he misses you too.”
Daisy shook her head. “It’s over.”
“That’s funny, I could have sworn you were in love with him. He was the first person you asked for when you woke up after surgery.”
Suzanne grabbed her hand. “I know the shooting shook you up, sweetie, but the guy didn’t budge from your side for two full days. He just sat there watching you sleep. It’s obvious he loves you too. Sam and I talked to him quite a bit, he seems like a good guy for you.”
“I can’t risk it Suzanne, I can’t risk him being hurt.”
“Are you sure that you’re worried about him being hurt Daisy?” Suzanne asked, her eyebrow rising nearly to her hairline. “Because from where I’m sitting it seems more like you’re worried about YOU getting hurt. And I don’t mean from the motorcycle gang.”
Daisy shook her head, and to her horror she felt her eyes filling with tears. She had cried more in the last two weeks than she had in her whole life. The shooting had ruined her sense of stability and pushing Red away had made her feel emptier than she ever had in her life.
“I never thought you’d turn into a coward.”
“I’m not a coward!” Daisy denied hotly.
“You’re letting them have power over you Daisy.” Suzanne’s voice softened. “You refusing to live your life, rejecting a wonderful man who loves you, living in fear...you’re letting them win. You’re letting the people who tried to break you win. Don’t do it. You’re stronger than that. I know you are.”
Daisy stared at her for a long time, the words sinking in. “I miss him.”
“Ah, now you get it,” Suzanne said, “I see the lightbulb going on in your brain. Just promise me one thing.”
“What?” Daisy asked.
“Take a shower before you go get your man. You’re starting to stink.”