8. Daisy

EIGHT

DAISY

Kye had pulled out of the party, and neither of us said a word.

Ever since he set me down, he looked pissed. His eyebrows were still furrowed as he pulled out another cigarette.

I hated smoking, and I almost wanted to ask him to not, but he was already mad. I couldn't make it worse.

It wasn't that I thought Kye would hurt me. From everything I'd seen from him, he didn't seem randomly violent, but I knew he could be.

I didn't know how far I wanted to push to find out what made him snap.

"How long will you be at your dad's place?" he asked, breaking the silence.

The question pulled me out of my thoughts and sent me right back to that moment when Dean got mad at me for this.

"I don't know. At least until a dorm room opens up, and hopefully not a day longer. My older sister moved out a few months ago, so it's not that bad staying there. But if I pull up in your car, he's going to freak out, so please park around the corner. I need to keep the peace while I live there."

I bit at my lip, debating if I should ask him about what just happened. He was moving on like nothing happened, and I was wondering if he wasn't as mad about the kiss as I thought.

I definitely wasn't mad about it.

Even kissing his neck made my whole body turn to flames.

Regardless of what I thought about Kye, my body seemed more than happy when I touched him.

"Why do you call me Daze?" I asked.

He smirked, the dash casting him in a warm, blue hue. He shifted the car again, the smooth movement catching my attention. He seemed to do it mindlessly, but I couldn't figure out how he knew when exactly to do it.

"Because your name is Daisy, and I like the shortened version. It seemed more fitting."

"Everyone just calls me Daisy."

"Daze-ee," he said, sounding it out. "Same thing?"

"But it's not."

"Does it bother you?"

I looked over every feature of his face. From the strong jaw to the straight nose, which itself was a little surprising considering I would have guessed he had broken it more than once in his life.

"It's never been my favorite, but it's growing on me." I looked around, realizing we were getting closer to my dad's house. "And you can just pull off here. I'll walk down the road to the house."

"Yeah, of course. Wouldn't want you to have to explain to your dad why you're pulling up in a car he is usually chasing after."

"How many times have you been chased by my dad, exactly?"

"I don't know. We've raced a few times."

"He's the town sheriff, Kye, I don't think he would agree that it's racing."

"Maybe he's just mad he loses."

"Bye, Kye." I got out, laughing as I shut the door and headed towards the house.

I made it to the front door, shutting it quietly before I slumped against it.

I've kissed Kye twice now, and each time made me weak. I wanted to forget it, but it still played over and over in my mind.

"Hey, Dad," I said, walking past where he sat in the living room. He was watching TV, but I knew he had been sitting there waiting for me to get home.

"Hey, honey, how was your night?"

"Fine, I guess. The usual."

I heard him then. Kye's car out front. The rev of the engine and then tires locking up on pavement.

"Those damn guys are always coming around here. You would think they would know better than to go to the sheriff's house."

"Yeah," I said, almost feeling bad that I was just out with that same guy.

My dad grabbed his radio. "Can someone come around my house? Some kids are out here racing."

"I'm going to bed. Goodnight," I said, running to my room.

Daisy

You better go. He's already called the other cops to patrol the area.

He texted me back a few minutes later.

Kye

I'm no longer in the area lol but thanks for the heads up. I couldn't leave and not piss him off a little.

Daisy

You're trying to make this harder on me, aren't you?

Kye

Not at all

Is this another perk? An in with the cops to know when they are onto me.

Daisy

Sometimes

An hour went by while I went to get ready and slid into bed. I thought Kye would be done for the night, but another text came through and my stomach flipped.

Kye

You free Tuesday? I was thinking about setting up a meeting with Holt.

Daisy

I'm free after two. I have some classes.

Kye

Alright. I'll set it up for later in the day.

What are relationship things I should do to convince Holt this is real?

I smiled as I turned off the lights and snuggled back into the blankets, nearly giddy as I texted back.

Daisy

I mean, you will need to hold my hand or put your arm around me at least once or twice when he's there. Make comments about things we do together, make a picture of me as your screensaver, stuff like that.

Kye

I don't have a picture of you?

I rolled my eyes, scrolling through my photos, and getting more nervous as I did. I wanted something cute enough, but part of me wanted a photo that was a little sexier. I didn't think Kye had any feelings for me, but thinking I was hot and maybe wanting to kiss me once or twice more would be nice.

I finally came across a photo of me at the beach. I had on a see-through wrap over my bikini, but it was cute and a little sexy. I settled on that being the winner.

I waited as it sent, and then waited even longer, staring at my phone as nothing happened.

Finally, the phone chimed.

Kye

Well…

Came right off the line strong with that, didn't you?

Daisy

I just sent a picture. That's all.

Kye

Right. Little miss innocent.

Daisy

My turn.

Kye

You need one of me?

Daisy

Of course. I'll need to make you the background on my phone then, too.

Kye

Oh. I don't get this. Does me looking at your face every time I open my phone means we're dating?

Daisy

Don't your friends do that with their girlfriends?

Kye

Yeah and now I'm questioning their sanity even more.

How does a man even compete with yours?

Daisy

Try.

A few minutes went by and then he sent one.

I clicked it open and could feel how high my eyebrows jumped. It was a good picture. It wasn't even a joke, just a great picture of him. He was smiling with sunglasses and a hat on, standing next to his car. It was obvious that he had just raced or something. Banners and flags were in the background. He just looked relaxed and happy. The hard edges of him were still there, but a little softer.

I didn't know why, but I wasn't expecting a good picture. I was expecting dark rooms and blurry photos for him to hide himself in. Not a full face, smiling photo of himself in broad daylight. I'd really got to know Kye all of two weeks, and suddenly every perspective I had of him kept changing.

Daisy

Wow.

I felt pathetic, not even knowing what to say to him. Not even knowing what I thought now. I mean, he had always been hot in an off-limits type of way, but every minute I spent with him seemed to make him even better.

It felt freeing knowing that this relationship was fake, and even if I did want to kiss and flirt with him a bit, there was no harm to it.

Daisy

That is definitely getting to be my phone screen. I think I would make that guy my screen even if I didn't know him. Is that what you look like when you don't have the murder scowl on your face?

Kye

I have been told often by my friends that I have resting bitch face.

Daisy

You do, but damn, that guy is just…

Kye

Just?

Daisy

Hot. That guy is really fucking hot.

Kye

Just a heads up - that guy is me.

Daisy

And I can barely believe it. Give me another one lol.

Kye

Hold on.

I waited as another photo came through and I almost threw my phone.

He had taken a photo in the mirror, nothing but a towel slung low on his hips, leaving little to the imagination. I could see tattoos scattered around, but he wasn't completely covered in them. Although, I would imagine one day he would be at this rate. He must have taken a shower because his damp blonde hair was a mess, but he was scowling in this one. The typical Kye scowl. The one that made people step out of his way and think twice about fighting with him.

And somehow I found it even hotter.

Kye

That was to hopefully pay you back for your photo.

Daisy

What is going on? Why are you so hot? How have you hidden this so well? I mean, I guess I knew you were hot, but this different. This is…how is this happening?

Kye

Hidden? I don't hide it. I also don't always walk around with my shirt off so that could change things.

Daisy

I mean it could help get more girls? They might feel better about the scowl if your shirt is off.

Kye

I don't want more girls. And just because you're scared of me, Daze, doesn't mean other girls are.

Daisy

I'm not scared of you.

Kye

Maybe not as much now, but you were. You picked me out because I could kick your dumb boyfriend's ass and wouldn't hesitate to, not because you thought I was cute and cuddly.

Daisy

Okay, that might be true.

I had used Kye that first night, nearly betting on how scary he could be to save me the embarrassment. Now, I realized I might had misjudged him. There was more to Kye than tattoos and scowls, and I was surprised to find how much I liked him.

I rolled over, still staring at my phone. I was about ninety percent sure Kye was flirting with me, or at least trying to, and I couldn't contain the excitement it gave me.

Kye

Goodnight Daze. Enjoy the photos.

My mouth dropped open, the little devil emoji making me smile.

I was expecting grumpy, crude, dangerous, partying Kye. I was expecting a guy that I wouldn't want to spend more than twenty minutes with, not this.

Maybe it was a fluke, a different side of Kye because we were pretending to date. Maybe he just felt like it was safer and easier to flirt because of that, too.

I could only hope because I didn't know what would happen with this guy.

A secretly happy, cute, and kind Kye seemed more dangerous than the reckless one.