6. Daisy

SIX

DAISY

Tuesday

The weird thing about being so popular for so long was how little alone time I used to have. Now, it was endless hours and even days when I wouldn't hear a word from any of my ‘friends' or see them at all. Living off campus was leaving me even more secluded, but it didn't help that somehow, in the breakup with Dean, I had become a social outcast. The texts and calls I had been getting after everyone saw me and Kye together were already dying down, and I wasn't sure if they would pick back up until Kye went out with me again. Not only that, but I was becoming more and more convinced that Dean had completely moved on with Sydney. Not that I cared, but I couldn't understand how my entire life was being handed to her so fast. My boyfriend, my position in the sorority, even some of my friends. I was almost scared to find out what she would be taking from me next.

I paced my room for an hour before I texted Kye, my stomach flipping as I hit send and threw my phone onto the bed.

I was barely expecting a reply, but a few minutes later, my phone pinged.

Daisy

How deep does this fake relationship go? Do we have to text every day?

Kye

Why would we need to?

Daisy

I mean, don't we have to get to know each other a little? Won't people think it's strange if we don't know anything about the other?

Kye

Do you think any of your friends are going to question me?

Daisy

Good point.

What about Holt?

Kye

Fine…Give me the basics. Where we met, how you managed to get me to date you. All the important facts. Aren't boyfriends supposed to know the girl's favorite color, too?

Does that even come up in conversation?

Daisy

First, aside from going to school together, we met again at a party. Second, how did I convince you to date me? I'm pretty sure he will be asking me how you convinced me. Good try though. And my favorite color is light blue. It doesn't come up in conversation, but it's always important to know.

Kye

But why?

Daisy

In case you want to buy me a present…Maybe color coordinate? You'd look good in blue.

I smiled as I sent it, surprised when his text came back immediately.

Kye

Puke. There will be no color coordinating and I will wear whatever I want. And why would I have to wear your favorite color?

God, I'm one day into a fake relationship and can't even keep this straight.

Daisy

What's your favorite color?

Kye

Blue. Obviously.

Daisy

Obviously?

Kye

My car?

Daisy

Oh right. Do I have to know about that? I know next to nothing about cars.

Kye

No. Holt will probably believe it more if you don't. If I show up with a car girl, he would accuse me of paying one of our friends to go.

Daisy

When do I have to meet with him?

Kye

I'm not sure yet. I'll see him on Thursday and let you know.

Daisy

Two meetings for both of us?

Kye

Yep.

I sighed, but smiled again. We both needed it if we were going to get my friends back, and him a job.

Daisy

Well then, good luck to us.

Wednesday

Daisy

Alright, I wasn't going to bother you again, but you're not mad at me for what happened at the party, right?

Kye

What? Wanting me to fight Dean? No. I would prefer to fight Dean.

Daisy

I'll circle back to that, but I meant the making out with you part. You seemed mad about it.

Kye

Ahh. Not mad. Just let's keep this fake and not do that again.

Daisy

Okay. I can handle that.

Kye

You sure?

I rolled my eyes. Did he really think I was that desperate and horny that I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of him?

My lips pursed together as I typed out my lie. Part of me was a little concerned that was exactly what would happen.

Daisy

I'm very sure.

Kye

Alright, prom queen.

Daisy

Don't call me that.

Kye

It's what you were?

Daisy

But I'm not anymore.

Kye

You sure? You still walk around like you're better than everyone else.

Daisy

I do not do that at all!

And you are the one walking around trying to fight everyone

Kye

It's fun.

I rolled my eyes and laid back, pulling the covers over me.

Daisy

What are you doing?

Kye

Getting a tattoo

Daisy

Oh.

Was I interrupting?

The image of him laid back in a tattoo shop, getting a tattoo with a pretty tattooed girl next to him flashed in my mind, but I tried to shake it away.

Kye

Not much I can do besides look at my phone while they work.

Daisy

I guess that's true. What are you getting?

A few minutes went by before a picture came through. It was a cartoon scythe, the words good luck flowing around the blade.

Daisy

That is morbid.

Kye

And here I thought I was nailing the inspirational quotes.

Somehow, Kye was funny, and I hadn't been expecting it. He seemed so moody and mean that thinking about him being funny felt strange.

Daisy

Not quite. A for effort, though.

Kye

Damn. I'll keep trying.

I set my phone aside, trying to ignore the last text. Two hours went by before I broke. I liked texting with Kye, especially when I wasn't able to text any other guys without ruining the lie we had going.

Daisy

Goodnight

Kye

Night Daze

I rolled over, smiling while I drifted off to sleep.

Thursday

Daisy

Are you busy?

Kye

Kind of. Why?

Daisy

I'm bored.

Kye

I'm at race night.

Daisy

Which is?

He sent a picture, a mess of cars and headlights. The girls in the background were beautiful and smiling.

Daisy

Oh. Sorry. I won't bother you more then

Kye

No one said you were bothering. I just will have to race soon, so I might take a while to text back.

Daisy

It's alright. Have a good night.

I flopped back, knowing he wasn't going to respond but wishing he would. I was bored, and talking to him had actually been fun this week.

Twenty minutes later, my phone chimed, Kye's name flashing across.

This time, it was a video of the inside of a car. He must have a stand because the phone went still as the engine revved. Suddenly, the car took off, the phone jumping once before he sped down the road. Then it was over in seconds, Kye yelling something and slowing the car down.

The phone moved again and turned to his face, where he smiled and winked at it.

"I won," he said before ending the video.

I was smiling so hard by the end of it that my cheeks were hurting.

Daisy

That's insane. Good job.

Kye

Thanks.

Daisy

Still ready to be my fake boyfriend on Saturday?

Kye

Where?

Daisy

A party

Kye

Where?

Daisy

A frat house…

Kye

Gross

Daisy

I know, but I'm looking forward to showing up and showing Dean that I'm perfectly fine and happy.

Kye

Are you?

Daisy

No.

There was nothing for minutes. Each one that went by made me worry more. Maybe I said the wrong thing, or maybe he just found a girl to pick up for the night. It was past ten now. It wouldn't be that wild of an idea that he could find a girl at the races and take her home.

I slammed a pillow over my face and yelled.

I hated that I felt rejected over him going home with another girl. It shouldn't matter, and him doing so wouldn't be wrong at all. I couldn't get attached to the first guy that stepped up to play my fake boyfriend, and I obviously knew there wasn't any chance of this turning into something real, but it was hard not to like the attention when he texted me back constantly. I thought that talking to him would be like pulling teeth, but Kye always texted back.

I groaned again and my phone chimed.

Kye

Want to go for a drive?

Daisy

Seriously?

Kye

Yeah? I'm going out, anyway. I have an empty passenger seat.

Daisy

Are you going to go death speeds?

Kye

I can try to relax a bit if you're that scared.

Daisy

Then I call shotgun. When?

Kye

Already leaving races. Be there in ten.

I looked around the room, tearing through piles of clothes until I sat back. I had to remind myself that we were going out for a drive, not out on a date.

I needed to relax and force myself to realize that I didn't have to be all perfect and put together just to ride in a car.

I pulled on a pair of shorts and a hoodie, not letting myself think twice as I turned off the cameras and slid out the window. There was no point in thinking I wouldn't have to sneak out. My dad would be all over me if I told him I was going out, and he would send the entire fleet of officers to figure out who I went out with.

I jogged down the street until I was out of sight before hitting the app on my phone and turning them back on.

It wasn't a minute later that I heard Kye.

He pulled over, and I jumped in.

"I didn't know if you would actually come out or not. Did you tell your dad you were coming with me?" he asked, already pulling away.

"I snuck out."

He started laughing. "You're, like, twenty years old, and you have to sneak out?"

"Yes, because you know who my dad is, and how he would feel about this."

"Yeah, hard to forget. You know he's going to find out eventually, considering I have to make it clear to Holt, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm also not going to tell him at ten o'clock on a random Thursday. Maybe at a nice dinner or something where you can show him that you aren't a barbarian."

"So no eating soup with my hands?"

I laughed and leaned back, suddenly at ease. The car was comfortably warm, the lights from the dash leaving us in a low glow, and the rumble of the car was more soothing from the inside. That, and it smelled amazing, the musky cologne scent making me take deep breaths of it.

We drove in silence for another ten minutes, Kye seemingly knowing where we were going, but I quickly became lost.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked, losing track of the turns we had made.

"Around? Why aren't you happy? Do you miss Dean?"

The sudden change of topic back to Dean jolted me back to reality.

"I don't know. Part of me misses having such a perfect boyfriend. Like everyone envied me for it. I know how shallow and pathetic that sounds, but it's hard to let go of when that was my entire life the past few years."

"The other part of you?"

"Feels pathetic that I like the image so much that I'm fake dating you to get it back."

Kye laughed, and I lightly smacked his arm. "You can't make fun of me for this."

"I'm not trying to, but it's funny you think dating me helps your image. And honestly, that you even want to hang around these people. I can barely handle people I do like. Why waste my time?"

"You don't have girlfriends? Or want one, at least?"

"No, not for me."

"Boyfriends?"

He shot me a glare but grinned. "Not what I was getting at."

"Interesting. Just sleep around, then?"

"Not quite what I was getting at, either. Do you want to put on some music?"

I nodded, picking a song and snuggling back into the seat. The rumble of the engine became soothing, the warm musk making me close my eyes and enjoy it. My mind held onto the thought that I was in a death trap with Kye, but my body fought it, drifting off as he eased into another curve.

I didn't know how much time had gone by, but suddenly, Kye was tapping my arm to wake me up.

"I figured you should get home," he said, quietly.

"It's one in the morning?" I asked, my eyes going wide when I looked at the clock on my phone. "You've been driving around with me asleep for two hours?"

"I think so? I don't know. I didn't keep track."

"Oh my god, was I drooling?"

He leaned back in the seat, his eyes heavy, and I wondered how tired he felt. He looked good, the easy smile on his face making him less intimidating. It nearly put him into the cute category more than the feral one. "I also didn't keep track of that. I was just enjoying driving, and you weren't really bothering me."

I leaned over the console, putting us a little closer. His eyes dropped to my lips, and I took the invitation to lean towards him more. He didn't move, frozen in his seat as he continued to stare.

"I really can't tell if you want to kiss me or not."

"Daisy," he said, the whisper so clearly a rejection that it immediately stung.

I pulled back fast, the heat creeping up my neck, and I knew I would be red in a second.

"Sorry." I grabbed my bag off the floor, pushing the door open to run home.

"Talk tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yeah, talk then. Goodnight."

"Night, Daze."

I didn't wait for him to pull away before I started back to the house, doing everything I could not to break out into a full run. It was rare for my confidence to waver, but Kye rejecting me was enough to make me want to puke.

Friday

Daisy

Are you still showing up tomorrow?

Kye

Yeah, I'll be the super annoyed tattooed guy in a fast car, hoping that his fake girlfriend says I can go drive instead.

Daisy

Do you like doing anything other than driving?

Kye

Does riding bikes count?

Daisy

Like a bicycle?

Kye

Cute. I mean motorcycles.

Daisy

Yeah, that counts.

Kye

Then no.

Daisy

Weird.

Kye

I would guess that isn't the first time you've called me weird, so what do I care?

Daisy

You would be correct.

Weirdo.

Kye

Prom queen.

Daisy

I'll take that as a compliment.

Kye

What if it wasn't one?

Daisy

I'll still take it as a compliment.

Kye

See you tomorrow…Prom queen

Daisy

See you then…Weirdo