34. Daisy

CHAPTER 34

Daisy

D aisy sits, her legs crisscrossed, hands in her lap, holding her phone in her hand, repeatedly reading those three little words Sloan sent her hours ago.

Sloan

I miss you.

There was no follow-up message. No explanation. No little joke—like saying she meant that she missed throwing rocks at Daisy's head. Nothing. Those three words hold so much meaning and have created a maelstrom of confusion.

Does she mean she missed hanging out tonight?

Does she mean she missed having fantastic sex?

Does she actually miss me , the person?

All these thoughts circle her brain, repeatedly pecking away at the wall she's created like a raven going at a mouse, breaking her apart one morsel at a time. It's torment. Yet, she finds herself unable to respond. Afraid to fully acknowledge the possibility that Sloan meant that seriously.

She unlocks her phone, opening it back to the message. Three simple words. She groans, frustrated that she's been immobilized by three tiny words and can't find the courage to say something back. She's tried. A few times. She's typed out a response but deleted it every time, unable to form what she thinks is an appropriate reply. What could she say to that?

Thank you.

That's nice.

I miss you too.

It all seems so trivial.

She unlocks her phone again, finally noticing the time: one a.m. Still not knowing how to respond and worried about saying the wrong thing, she turns off all the lights in the living room and heads upstairs to bed. She plugs in her phone, climbs into her bed, and closes her eyes, hoping that saying nothing is the right choice.

* * *

"Good morning!" calls a bright voice from the hall, waking her up from her sordid dreams.

"Gromd erning," Daisy grumbles into her pillow.

"Nice to see you too, westie," Petra says, roughly sitting on the edge of her bed. "Here," she continues, holding a to-go coffee from Taster's Delight.

Daisy groans, rolling over to face Petra. She pushes herself upright, thrusts a hand out to accept the caffeinated beverage, then brings it to her lips and takes a long sip. She tilts her head back, closes her eyes, and smiles.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, Grumpelstiltskin."

Daisy cracks an eye open and glares at Petra. "Really?" she says before closing it again and savoring another sip.

Petra laughs.

"What brings you here?" Daisy asks, taking another sip.

"Wanted to check in and see how you're doing. Lachlan said you were off today, so I thought maybe we could go shopping. Have a little girl time, you know."

Daisy lifts her head and finally opens her eyes to look at Petra. How is she practically glowing so early in the morning? "Sure. Give me ten minutes to shower and get dressed."

"I'll meet you downstairs," Petra says as she exits the room.

A little while later, as Petra drives them to their favorite open-air mall, she asks, "So, how has everything been going with Sloan?"

"It was a little bumpy at first, but we seem to have come to an agreement that is working for us both," Daisy replies. It's not a lie; they did have issues for the first bit and have come to an agreement—it just so happens that the agreement doesn't have anything to do with the event they are planning.

"I'm honestly surprised. I figured one of you would have hexed the other by now. Like, multiple times."

"It certainly crossed my mind a time or two… or seven," Daisy jokes.

Petra pulls into a parking spot, puts the car in park, and turns it off. "So what made you able to tolerate her? Don't get me wrong, she was helpful to me last year, but she can also be… challenging."

Daisy nods. "I think you two are a lot more alike than you think. We started talking and sharing parts of ourselves. She recognized the hurt she caused me all those years ago and has been trying to show me that she can be trusted. She helped me in a couple of rough moments too, even when she didn't need to," Daisy explains, getting out of the car.

"That's great. I'm glad you two have found a way to work things out."

"Me too. It certainly makes it easier to get the work done."

"That's very true. Now, where to first?" Petra asks as they stand at the entrance to the mall.

"Well, I could use a couple of new outfits for this event, particularly a new dress for our mingling night."

Petra's face takes on a focused expression. She loves a good shopping spree and loves even more when she gets to play dress-up with Daisy. "I know the perfect place," she states, grabbing Daisy's arm and pulling her toward the first of many stops.

As she tries on dress after dress, trying to find the right one, she realizes she's looking for one that Sloan would like. One that would knock her socks off. It's not until the third store that she spots it—a dark emerald green fitted dress with a halter neckline that shows off her tits spectacularly.

"That is… You look..." Petra sputters. "I'm literally speechless. You have to get it!"

Daisy looks at herself in the mirror—like, she really looks at herself. This dress hugs all of her curves. Normally, she would feel self-conscious, exposed, and worried that it would highlight all of her lumps and bumps. However, knowing that Sloan is going to be there to see her in this… well, she can't wait. The way Sloan looks at her, Daisy feels like she's the most beautiful witch in the world. It gives her a level of confidence she's never had before, and a part of her never wants Sloan to stop looking at her like that. This dress will hopefully help with that.

She checks the price tag that hangs under one arm. Typically, she'd balk at a dress this expensive, but with the added income from coordinating Mixing Our Sprits and the fact that it's a special occasion, she convinces herself it's worth it. That she's worth it.

Ringing up her purchases—the dress and a stellar pair of gold heels to go with it—she feels a piece of her slide into place. Something that has been missing for she doesn't know how long. A sense of ownership—owning who she is and recognizing that it's okay to be proud of herself.