Page 84 of The Thug And His Doll

She stares up at him, her eyes filling with tears. “You just love this, don’t you? Stupid, trusting, desperate little Daisy who can’t seem to find a man who doesn’t want to shit on her.”

“I don’t love anything about what he did to you,” Dalton counters, shame creeping over his features.

“You know what, I’ve had enough. I don’t need this. I’m going home,” she says, standing abruptly.

“Daisy,” Dalton says, reaching for her. She flinches away from him.

“Don’t! Don’t you dare look at me with pity, Dalton Gunn. You’re just as bad as Lewis. You fuck and discard women like they’re nothing, so don’t pretend you’re any different.”

“This is different,” he says, barely able to look at her.

“How? You hurt women all the time. How are you any different?”

“I don’t hurt you,” he whispers.

She barks out a laugh, the tears she’s been holding back pouring down her cheeks. “You hurt me just by existing!”

“Daise, please,” he begs, the confidence he always seems to have falls away at that moment.

“Don’t Daise me, and don’t expect me to be at work this week. I need a break from this… from you!” she adds vehemently.

He nods, squaring his shoulders and meeting her gaze. “Take all the time you need.”

“Fuck you. I’m going,” she adds, swiping at her face and looking pointedly at me.

“I’ll come with you,” I say, grabbing my bag and coat.

“See you in the car,” Daisy replies, storming off without a backward glance.

Dalton wavers on his feet as though wanting to chase her. “She’s fucking infuriating,” he admits, swiping a hand through his hair as he watches her leave.

“She’s a grown woman, Dalton. No matter the intention, what you did was wrong.”

“Clearly I did the right thing,” he replies, throwing his hands up in the air. “The guy is a cheating dick.”

“I’m talking about how you handled this situation.”

“How the hell else should I have handled it?”

“Telling her the truth from the get go might’ve been the best idea, and not in front of a whole restaurant of people either.”

“I’m just looking out for her,” he replies.

“Why?” I ask as he sits down at the table opposite me, his shoulders dropping as he lets out a breath. The look on his face gives me pause, and I drop my bag and coat back onto the seat beside me.

“I thought that was obvious. I fired him because he’s a dickhead.”

“No, I get that now, but I mean why are you looking out for her, specifically?”

“Because…” his voice trails off as he focuses his attention on the table, a frown deepening on his forehead.

“Because?” I ask gently.

For a long time he doesn’t answer, until eventually he looks up at me. “Because she’s my best friend’s little sister and has shit taste in men, that’s why.”

“I don’t know much about the men she’s dated, but I do know Daisy has a good head on her shoulders. I don’t want to see her hurt anymore than you do, but being honest with her about what you found out would’ve been a better approach. She would’ve dealt with it in her own way.”

He laughs. “You don’t know her.”

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