Daisy pulled up to Nick’s house and put the Jeep in park. After texting Mason, she decided to come get the bags herself, show Nick that she was a different girl and didn’t expect people to go out of their way for her. She was more than capable of getting her own stuff.
She wasn’t expecting the flood of nostalgia that practically smacked her across the face as she slid out of the Jeep and faced the house. She could see her and Nick rushing through the door after school because they knew they had exactly an hour and thirteen minutes before his mom got home for the day, an hour and twenty-two minutes before his brother did, and an hour and thirty-four minutes before his dad. They had it down to a science, knowing when they could sneak away to his bedroom and for how long.
A laugh slipped through her lips when she thought about the time his dad unexpectedly came home early—the mad dash to get their clothes back on and how Nick had tripped over his own pants and went head first into the wall. Even with that misstep, he’d been able to get into the living room while she disappeared into the bathroom and his dad had been none the wiser. Though she wondered if they were as slick as they’d thought.
So many memories… memories that made her smile and laugh. Memories that she’d recall whenever she’d have a bad day. Sometimes they didn’t make her smile, instead they ripped at her heart, reminding her of the sacrifices she’d made.
She’d spent so much time at the Davis’ house. Mr. Davis was like a second father to her and she didn’t even come home for the funeral. She lied to her family and told them she had an audition for a leading role she couldn’t miss and then tried to inadvertently lay blame on Nick.
He wouldn’t want her there after what she had done to him. It would’ve been weird and uncomfortable and that was the last thing he’d needed. And though it may have been mostly true, there was also the small part that she couldn’t afford a train ticket home. A sad reality that she’d refused to admit to anyone.
“Daisy?” Her eyes darted to Nick standing just outside the door, keys in hand and a look of confusion on his face. “What are you doing here?”
She moved closer to the door and hitched her thumb over her shoulder toward his truck. “I came to get my stuff.”
“I was about to bring it to you,” he said and there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite grasp, a sadness or despair.
She resisted the urge to ask him what was wrong. She offered him a smile but it didn’t help loosen the rigid set of his jaw, so she settled with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. “I didn’t want you to have to go out of your way.”
“That was thoughtful.”
“I have my moments.” She could hear the reserved hostility in his voice, and she wanted to ease it. “I heard your Mom’s visiting her sister in South Carolina.”
His eyes darkened to two black stones and his lips pressed into a flat line. “She’s no longer visiting,” he growled. “She’s staying.”
“Oh…” Hot waves of anger seemed to roll off of him and Daisy stepped back with the force it. She bit her lip and debated taking the step back. It was obvious he didn’t want to be bothered, especially by her, but something upset him and while she hadn’t been there for him during his dad’s last days, she was there now. “I didn’t know.”
“Me neither, until about twenty minutes ago.”
That could explain the harsh clip of his voice, the rigid set of his jaw and his dark glare that was now directed entirely on her.
She ignored the voice in her head telling her to walk away and took the step back toward him. She went to reach for his arm then stopped herself. “How do you feel about that?”
He looked at her like she’d lost her damn mind. “Why the hell do you care?”
“Sorry, I just…” Her words faltered under the intensity of his gaze.
“You just what?” he barked.
“Forget it.” Whatever he was feeling was still too fresh and she was probably the last person in the world he wanted to talk to about it. She came here to get her bags and that’s exactly what she was going to do. So she turned toward the truck but something in her gut told her she could fix this. And if she couldn’t she at least had to try.
“I want to see something?” she said and hurried by him.
“Where the hell are you going?” he called after her, but she didn’t stop. Not even when her heels sunk into the snow and she lost her footing. She was sure she was going down before she managed to regain her balance. She immediately wished she’d put on a more sensible pair of boots, but she didn’t originally plan to cut across his lawn, trek through the deeper snow and into the woods behind his house.
Cold puffs of air billowed from her mouth but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t leave without knowing and she hoped her little adventure would help distract Nick for a little while. If she could just get him to smile for a single second, she would claim a victory.
They broke through the first line of trees and she curved to the right. Her eyes settled on a familiar, tall, sturdy maple tree and she came to a stop. She scanned up the makeshift ladder to the decade old tree house she’d helped him build along with his father and little brother.
They had been friends since they were kids, but that summer together was when their friendship had turned to something more. It was the summer of not only her first kiss but also the first time and—if she was completely honest with herself—the last time she’d fallen in love.
“I can’t believe it’s still standing,” she said.
She waited for him to spit fire at her, but instead he looked up at the old structure. “Had a few rotted beams over the years, but I replaced them. I couldn’t watch it deteriorate.”
“I’m happy you didn’t. We had so many good times up there. Do you remember when your Dad ripped his pants on that nail?”
He didn’t say anything but the corner of his lip quirked ever so slightly. It wasn’t a full-blown smile but it was a start.
“It went all the way down his backside.”
“My mom thought he was attacked by a bear.”
Daisy laughed and she noticed Nick’s shoulders relax a smidge.
She glanced over to the stairs, which were nothing more than pieces of wood nailed to the tree. It had been years since she stepped foot on that ladder. “Can we go up?”
“Just be careful with those contraptions you have on your feet.”
“They’re called boots.”
“They are too high on the wrong side to be considered boots.”
“They’re fashionable,” she argued.
“And completely impractical.”
She stepped up on the first wrung and turned to him not expecting to be eye to eye. She ignored the unexpected rush of heat surging through her body. “I didn’t come back here so you could make fun of what I’m wearing.”
“Why did you come back here, then?” he asked.
“I can tell something’s bothering you and this used to be the place you went to think. I was curious if it was still here.”
“You could’ve just asked.”
“What’s the fun in that?”
She turned back to the tree and scaled the rest of the way until she popped through a square opening in the floor.
She pulled herself up into the small structure and when she was finally on two feet, she looked around.
Everything was exactly as she remembered it, from the navy blue indoor/outdoor area rug to a bench Nick’s dad had made out of a fallen oak tree and a bean bag chair that she was surprised hadn’t disintegrated by now.
She walked over to the far-right corner, where the tree trunk cut through the house, and there, carved in the wood, was N&D 4eva surrounded by a heart.
She reached out, unable to help herself, and traced the outline of the heart with her finger. The day he’d carved it was the day they’d lost their virginity to each other. She dropped her hand, not wanting to think about that perfect day, and turned away before the memories flooded her mind.
She ran her finger down the curtain, remembering the exact day she showed up with them and the utter resistance that had been in Nick’s eyes. Of course he eventually caved. He always did. “I can’t believe you kept the curtains,” she said.
He leaned against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Someone once told me without curtains this place was just a pile of wood. She told me curtains made it a house.”
“She sounds like a smart girl.”
“She was.”
A smile tugged at the edge of her mouth. “That sounded like a compliment.”
“If you say so.”
She turned back to him not expecting his gaze to be locked on her so intently. He wiped a hand over his face but that didn’t change the fact that she caught him staring at her. Heat bloomed in her cheeks and she ducked her head away, turning back to their carved initials.
“What’s going to happen to this place now that your mom’s not coming back?” she asked.
“I have to figure that out.”
She spun back toward him. “You?”
He nodded. “She’s letting me decide whether I want to keep the house or sell it.”
“That’s a big decision.” She couldn’t imagine being put in that position. Her parents’ house, the farm… She knew no matter where she went and however long she was gone for she could always come home, and it would always be there. If for whatever reason she was given the choice to sell it or keep it, she’d be lost. “But I know you’ll make the right choice. You always do.”
He scoffed. “Not always.”
She remembered him down on one knee in front of her. How after he’d asked her to marry him, she’d been stunned into silence. She never had given him an answer. The hurt etched into his boyish features was an image she would never forget.
The thought of breaking his heart right there on the spot had terrified her. She hadn’t been ready to settle down, but she also hadn’t been capable of facing the truth—of telling him there was so much she wanted to experience and explore before she settled down. He’d made a choice that day and it had backfired all because she hadn’t been ready for forever.
“I should get back,” she said. “My grandfather will be home soon, and he’s probably going to want something to eat.”
“Do you know how to cook?”
She mocked offense as she planted her hand on her hip. “Nicholas Davis, I must say I’m insulted.”
“You are the same girl who almost burnt my house down when you offered to make boxed macaroni and cheese.”
“It’s not my fault the directions weren’t clearer.”
“You had to boil water and milk. How much clearer did they need to be?”
“They don’t tell you that milk and water turn into a volcano when they start to boil. And they also should have safety information like how you shouldn’t leave the box so close to an open flame…”
Nick laughed and the small victory was more thrilling than nailing an audition. “I rest my case.” he said.
“I’d have you know that I might not be a great cook, but I can work my way around a kitchen these days.”
“Good to know. I won’t call Sam and put him on standby then.”
This time she laughed. “He would love that.” Sam, the fire chief of Red Maple Falls, would never let her live that down.
“Come on. I’ll get your bags.”
“Thanks.”
She watched as Nick’s head disappeared back down the hole then began her own descent.
She stepped down, plank by plank, when her heel got stuck on the wood. She twisted and turned her ankle, trying to free herself. Nick had made it to the bottom when, with a final yank, she lost her footing and her hands slipped from their perch, sending her free falling to the ground.
She braced for impact but instead she was wrapped in strong arms. “Jesus. Are you okay?”
Daisy blinked up, immediately getting lost in his eyes. He stared down at her, and she felt stripped of any façade, laid out in the open for Nick to freely explore.
And she was okay with that. Looking into his eyes, she could see the boy he used to be and remember the girl she was. See a time before there was any betrayal or contempt between them.
He let her down, feet hitting the ground but their gazes still locked on each other.
The gold specks in his eyes were like a beacon of light, wheeling her in inch by mesmerizing inch. She forgot how to think and lost total control of her body. Without a second thought, she pushed up, pressing her lips against his.
His body stiffened, lips like cold stone. How stupid could she be, thinking that he would want to kiss her? She was about to pull away and slump into the dark, hoping both of them could forget about this when his fingers thrust into her curls, pulling her closer.
A relieved and satisfied moan slipped from her lips, and he tilted her head back, plunging his tongue into the slick warmth of her mouth.
He possessed her with a raw hunger that had her head spinning. Every nerve ending in her body sprung to life as he pressed into her. His hard bulge reminded her of what she’d been missing out on. Desire surged through her veins, ignoring the warning signals going off in her head. It was too late for them anyway, she’d already crossed the line.
She didn’t want to think, she just wanted to feel. Heat radiated off of him, fueling her desires. She slipped her hands beneath his jacket, feeling the corded muscles, taut against his shirt.
It was a battle of give and take that she never wanted to end. She curled her fingers into his shirt and moaned as he walked them back against the tree. Her backside hit the trunk and she yanked on his shirt, pulling him closer still. Each move of his lips and thrust of his tongue was a delicious assault to her senses.
Kisses like this were what fairy tales were made of, full of passion and the promise of happily ever after. But that was the problem. As good and as perfect as it felt, she couldn’t do this…not when she knew she would eventually be going back to New York. She couldn’t lead him on. She already did it to him once, and she couldn’t do it again.
So with what little control she still possessed, she brought her hands back to his front and pushed against his chest. She lifted her gaze to find him staring down at her, a carnal hunger in his irises. He focused on her eyes, not her body or the way her breathing was coming out in short jagged breaths. He watched her, looking deep into her soul.
If she’d felt stripped down before, now she felt completely exposed. She stepped out of his arms, wrapping her own arms around her waist. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“You kissed me or have you forgotten?”
“It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“So damn typical. Jump in with your eyes closed and don’t think about the repercussions until you’re too damn deep.”
“What do you want me to say? I’m sorry?”
“No! I want you to tell me that you felt it, too,” he said, his eyes locked on hers. “That wasn’t just a kiss.”
It wasn’t just a kiss. It was everything she remembered and so much more. Her lips still tingled, heart still beat rapidly against her chest and her body still burned for him. But she couldn’t go down that road again. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. “It was just a kiss,” she said, forcing a smile.
Anger and rage twisted the strong features of his face. “Unbelievable!” he growled before he stormed away from her.
“Nick, I’m sorry.”
He stopped and turned toward her, pointing his finger at her. “Don’t. It’s too late for that.”
She hated that she was causing him pain when she had no intention to. If anything, her intentions were pure. He was upset and she wanted to try and make him smile. The kiss just happened. The familiar lure was too strong for her to deny and she foolishly let it consume her.
Somehow, someway she needed to fix this, so she ran after him. “Please, talk to me.” He didn’t stop so she pleaded again. “Nick. Please.”
He ran a hand through his hair and faced her. The anger and rage morphed into pain and betrayal. She wanted so desperately to erase the past so he didn’t look at her with such hurt in his eyes.
“What do you want?” he asked. “Do you want to hear that for a year after you left every time somebody said your name I had to excuse myself because it made me cry?”
His words stopped her in place.
“Or that I kept that stupid stuffed squirrel you won me at the fair because it smelled like your perfume? Is that what you want to hear? Or that the one person I thought I could trust more than anyone in this world walked out on me and didn’t think I was good enough to deserve a goodbye.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?” he yelled then he looked at her the angry tight skin of his jaw softened. “Because six years later I’m still as clueless as the day you left.”
She looked at him, seeing the world of hurt and pain she’d left behind when she selfishly took off. He deserved an answer, even if she wasn’t so sure of one herself.
“For so long I was baby Hayes and then I was Daisy and Nick. I wanted to stand out on my own. Be my own person and somehow that made me the bad guy.”
“No one ever said you were the bad guy.”
“They didn’t have to. I saw the way people looked at me when I came home—the silent judgment in their eyes. I abandoned my family and Red Maple Falls golden boy. Whether they said it or not, it didn’t matter. My dreams meant nothing to them the minute I stepped out of the town limits. This place is like a damn black hole that sucks you in and doesn’t want to let you go, and god forbid you find a way out. People look at me like I committed mass murder. I left and it was my right to do so even if I screwed that up, too.”
“Are you sure that’s what people thought? Or is it what you think they thought? Because, yes, in the beginning, people were shocked to hear that you left, but after a few months those same people asked about you. Wanted updates on your New York adventure. Not that I had anything to share. I knew as much as they did. So maybe you need to stop thinking the worst of everyone. Maybe you need to realize that you’re not alone in any of this, and if you think you are, that’s on you. But the Daisy I knew—”
“The Daisy you knew!” she cut him off. The words were like salt on an open wound. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not that girl anymore.”
“I know. And ain’t that a damn shame.”
“People change. It’s called growing up, Nick.”
“If that’s what you want to call it.”
God, he infuriated her. She wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and shake him.. “What would you call it then?”
“People grow up; that’s a given, but you don’t have to forget where you came from.”
“I didn’t.”
He glanced over at her, his eyes sweeping across her knockoff designer scarf and down to her three-inch heel ankle boots. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Whatever.”
“Can I get my damn bags so I can get the hell out of here?”
“Be my guest!”
Before she could get to the truck he hauled her bags out, tossing them to the ground.
“Hey!” she yelled. “Be careful with those.”
“Oh, I forgot. Your material possessions are most important to you.”
“You know damn well that’s not true.”
“I call it as I see it.”
She grabbed her suitcases and threw them into the backseat of the Jeep. “The best thing I ever did was leave your ass.” She slammed the door and spun around, not expecting him to be so damn close. She could smell that masculine spicy aroma, the citrus accents that made her mouth water.
Her heart kicked up a notch, thrashing against her chest as if it knew part of it would always belong to him.
He reached behind her opening the driver’s door then boxing her in the small space. “Best damn thing you ever did for me, too.”
“I hate you!” she said with venom in her tone.
“Feelings mutual, sweetheart. Now go do what you do best and leave.”