25. Daisy

CHAPTER 25

Daisy

"Y ou are in so much shit," Daisy says when Petra answers her call.

"Hello to you too, Daisy."

"Don't try and play coy here. You fucking set me up this weekend, and I nearly blew up The Dandelion because of it."

"You what?" Petra asks incredulously.

Daisy flops onto her bed, legs dangling over the end. She places the call on speaker, placing it beside her. She raises one arm and lays it across her eyes. "Okay, maybe I didn't almost blow it up. But Sloan and I were fighting, and I got so mad that I set the bedding on fire. If she hadn't been so quick to put it out, I likely would be having a very different conversation with you right now," she explains.

Petra laughs through the line. Like actually, fully laughs. It takes her a moment to regain her composure, and Daisy is pretty sure she hears Petra get a tissue to presumably wipe her traitorous tears away. "I knew you were a spitfire, but I didn't think it would ever be literal."

"I think I'll be putting out that best friend application I've been working on. It seems I am in desperate need of a new one," Daisy says dramatically.

"I am hurt. Wounded to the core of my being," Petra deadpans.

"Oh, I bet you are."

"Jokes aside, I'm sorry I forced you into that position, but I'm not sorry for how it seems to have worked out," Petra says.

Daisy rolls onto her side, propping her head up on one hand. "What do you mean?"

"Daisy, you aren't the biggest fan of change and are even less of a fan of working with people you don't like. You left me no choice but to force you into a situation where you had no other option but to deal with it."

"A conversation beforehand would have been nice. I would have agreed to meet Sloan there instead of you."

Petra scoffs. "Bullshit!"

"It's so not bullshit!"

"It is! Daze, you seem to forget that I know you. You would have done anything to back out of it before going. In fact, I guarantee you tried to get out of it at least twice after she showed up."

Daisy pauses, thinking over how she first reacted when Sloan ambushed her at the reception counter. And again, how she was trying to pack her things and leave after their first dinner together. Fucking Hades, she's right.

"See. I told you," Petra says when Daisy doesn't respond.

"Oh, shut it."

Petra laughs through the line. "It was for your own good. This is a big event, and you're running out of time to pull it off. Sloan is a great resource, and there is a reason we paired you two together."

"Oh, and what are these great reasons for making me worth with the spawn of Hades?"

"She is not the spawn of Hades," Petra says firmly. "Well, first, unfortunately, it is because she is from a prominent family, and having her name attached to it will help. It sucks, but that's how it is. Second, we've seen what she does in the community through her volunteer work, so we know what she is capable of. Third, because of her work in the community, she has great connections with many organizations that would be happy to partner with you. Lastly, even though I don't like her all that much, Sloan isn't as bad as she seems, and I think if you could get over yourself, you'd actually end up being great friends."

Daisy's free hand finds its way to her lips, remembering the feeling of Sloan's lips against hers. "I guess that makes sense," she says softly. A part of her hates that Petra has a point. After spending the weekend with Sloan, she can see what Petra says is true. Sloan isn't all bad and was great at handling Daisy's tough moments. But there's still that lingering hesitation.

"Believe it or not, all of this, this opportunity, this working relationship with Sloan, this chance to do something other than be at the Acorn—not that that's bad, but we can see you wanted more—is to help you see your potential. So show it to us. Show us what you can do. The council believes in you. Lach believes in you. I believe in you."

Daisy sniffles and wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "Well, fuck me."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm married to the finest demon in all the land." Petra laughs.

"Damn right you are!" Daisy hears Lachlan call from somewhere in the distance on Petra's end.

Daisy smiles, happy Petra and Lachlan made it through everything they went through with Grog, the council, and losing Gladys. Petra hasn't had it easy, either. Her mother passed when she was young, and her father abandoned her and his family responsibilities, leaving it all to fall on her. When Grog challenged her to prove she was worthy of the Premier Witch title—by getting married in thirty days—she took it all in stride and took him down in the process. So seeing her now, over a year later, and so infuriatingly blissful, Daisy can't help but be happy for her, too.

"So, tell me everything that happened this weekend!" Petra says eagerly.

Daisy recounts the initial ambush, the single bed, the couple's massage, and everything else. Well, almost everything. She doesn't tell her about the kissing. She's not ready to share that yet, afraid that if she talks about it, she'll forget the details and the memory of it won't be nearly as strong as it is now. Those moments are only for her.

As the call comes to a close, Petra says, "I'm happy that despite the challenges, and hilarity of it all, that you two ended up at an okay place at the end. Hopefully it allows you two to move forward and to finish putting together a wonderful event."

"Thanks."

"I look forward to hearing more about it as plans become solid. Love you, westie!"

"Love you too, witch," Daisy says.

Daisy rolls onto her back again, flinging her arms above her head, and stares at the ceiling. She runs over the weekend with Sloan in her head again, and how she's now had both Sloan and Petra tell her she needs to get over herself. It sounds like great advice, but what exactly does she need to get over? Her childhood trauma from being bullied? Or how about the impact of her parents being downright pissgoblins who abandoned their role as her caregivers for the hope of quick money through illegal activity? These aren't things she can easily forget.

No one realizes the impact that these experiences have on a person. She can't just say "oh well" and be done with it. No, these experiences have become part of her core, and she doesn't know any other way to be than to be shaped by pain.

Daisy spent years hating herself because of what Sloan—no, what Francesca and Gwen did to her. She hated school, and if it weren't for Petra, she wouldn't have gone to school at all. As it was, she missed more days than what was technically allowed so that she could avoid running into the two wenches. She slipped through the cracks and somehow never got in trouble for it. Though perhaps that was more indicative of how the community saw her—not worthy of concern. She took matters into her own hands and would talk to the teachers to get whatever work she missed to still pass. But no one other than Petra seemed to care.

Then everything went down with her parents, and she was placed with a foster family, who also didn't seem to care. Her parents told her so many lies that she now has trouble trusting what people tell her. Everything everyone says to her goes through her lie-detector lens as she assesses it for holes. It's exhausting going through the world, always on edge, never knowing if someone is being honest or if the rug will be pulled out from under her at some point.

She rolls onto her side, allowing her thoughts to continue to wander. As her thoughts shift to the last fight with Sloan, she finds her eyes getting tired and closes them. Before long, she drifts off, dreaming of the most luscious lips she has had the pleasure of tasting.

* * *

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

She wakes, groggy and bleary-eyed, trying to figure out where the annoying pecking sound is coming from. Realizing it's her front door, she pushes herself out of bed and stumbles to answer it.

"What!" she barks as she opens the door.

"Sorry! Is this an okay time?"

"Stella," Daisy says, realizing who stands before her. "No, I'm sorry. I was sleeping. Come on in." She moves to the side, allowing Stella to enter.

"Oh. I can go if you want to go back to bed."

"No, no. It's okay. Do you want a drink?"

"Sure," Stella answers, following Daisy through her home to the kitchen, where Daisy takes down two martini glasses, vermouth, vodka, and olives. She shakes the liquid ingredients together and then pours an equal amount into each glass. She tops them with two olives and hands one to Stella as she takes a sip of her own.

"Thanks."

"No problem. So what brings you by?"

"I was in the area and wanted to check on you. The last time I saw you, you were in a, well, similar but different state," Stella answers, sipping her drink and sitting at a chair at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, I was going through a rough patch. Or I still am going through a rough patch."

"That's what I gathered."

"I appreciate you checking in. You don't need to, especially since we aren't together anymore. And haven't been for a while," Daisy says, taking another sip and settling in at a chair beside Stella.

Stella leans in, making sure she has Daisy's full attention. "Daisy, we may not be together, but that doesn't mean I don't care. We didn't work as a couple, but I would like to think we are still friends, and I care about your well-being. When you called me that night a couple of weeks ago, I dropped everything to come to you because I was worried."

Daisy feels heat rise to her cheeks. "You didn't have to."

"I know I didn't have to, I wanted to. I wanted to make sure you were okay. It's okay to need help sometimes, you know."

"So I hear."

Stella reaches forward, lifting Daisy's chin so she looks at her. "It's also okay to let people care about you. To let them support you. I can be one of those people if you let me. As a friend, that is." Stella smiles. "Friends are great safety nets."

Daisy smiles back. She tries to silence the inner voice telling her that Stella has to be lying. And a part of her hates that Stella has a point. Friends are meant to be there to support and help in times of need, and that was exactly what Stella did when Daisy called for assistance. As she looks at Stella, seeing her comforting gaze returning back to her, Daisy realizes that, yes, she can be friends with her. Maybe it's possible for relationships to shift and for people to remain in her life.

"So, tell me, as a friend, what has been going on. Give me the tea."

Daisy laughs. "The tea? Really?"

"Yeah, it's the cool thing to say. Or was. I don't know. It's hard to keep up these days."

"Alright, alright. But we are going to need another drink first," Daisy says, rising from the table.

"Oh, this is going to be good," Stella responds, rubbing her hands together with an eager grin.

"You have no idea," Daisy mutters under her breath.