Suddenly, his phone chimed.
“The guys are heading back with Sean and Anna.”
Daisy glanced at the clock; it was almost noon. She began getting up. “I have to get my stuff from my room.”
Jameson held up a halting hand. “Don’t worry. Sean is bringing it up. Go ahead and shower. I’ll wait for him.”
“You sure?” Daisy hesitantly said, knowing it could be awkward retrieving her belongings from her brother, who was painfully aware of what they were up to. Daisy had woken up in the middle of the night to a string of lewd texts from Anna. There was no way her brother wouldn’t know, especially after spending the night with her big-mouthed friend.
“I’m sure,” he said, kissing her cheek.
In the shower, Daisy replayed everything, her smile getting wider. She was deliciously sore and already thinking that practice might make perfect.
Finding her bag on the bed, she changed into an airy summer dress and waited for Jameson to finish his shower. Once ready, they packed up and headed home.
The drive back took eight hours instead of five. They stopped for lunch at the historic Madonna Inn, wandered the shops in Monterey, and somewhere on an old scenic pull-off, made lovein the back seat of his Land Cruiser while the ocean air rolled through.
It was after ten when Jameson dropped her off. She’d texted regular updates; her parents weren’t thrilled she’d spent the day alone with her boyfriend, but she was home before curfew.
The next morning, Daisy padded into the kitchen to the smell of French toast. Her mother glanced up.
“Morning, honey.”
“Morning.” Daisy yawned, sliding onto a stool.
“How was the trip? You rushed off to bed so fast last night.”
“It was good,” Daisy said, unable to stop smiling. “The guys were amazing.”
Her mother prepared two plates and sat down next to her daughter. She paused momentarily, giving Daisy a peculiar look before biting into her breakfast. They ate in silence for a minute before her mother spoke. “You better cover that up before your father gets home.”
Daisy’s eyes constricted, unaware of what her mother was talking about. Shaking her head, Dena breathed out and pointed to her neck.
It took Daisy all but a second to grasp her meaning. She hastily covered the hickey she had seen beginning to form the day prior.
She had completely forgotten.
Daisy expected to find anger in her mother’s eyes, but when none was found, she breathed out a sigh of relief. “I know what it’s like to be young and in love. It’s a joyous feeling. I just need to make sure you’re being safe.”
Daisy’s face flushed. She was not having his conversation with her mother.
“Mom…” she warned.
“I just want you to know that I’m here, if you ever need anything or want to talk… I’m here. Just promise me you’ll be smart, Daisy.”
Daisy nodded and stared back down at her breakfast, suddenly not so hungry. After picking at her French toast, she scuttled back up to her room, applying makeup directly to the purple mark on her neck.
The summer passed with a mix of adventure and bliss. Daisy spent what felt like every waking second with Jameson, not letting a day go by where they weren’t together. She soaked up the fleeting moments with him, knowing that soon he would be leaving for TKC’s first ever tour. Her summer could have been a postcard. Days with Jameson, nights at Bullets, or in her studio, where she would paint while he strummed his guitar. More than once, they’d wind up covered in paint, with their clothes strewed across the confines of the converted pool house. Daisy had been right, practice, lots and lots of practice, really did make perfect.
It was a textbook summer, one Daisy couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams. But like all dreams, at some point, you had to wake up.
When Sean left for the University of Oregon, Daisy cried. It felt like the beginning of the end. Everyone she loved was stepping into something new. She was thrilled for them and a little left behind.
Sean held on to his sister tightly, whispering, “Even though you can annoy the hell out of me, I’ll miss ya, kid.”
He said goodbye to the guys, told them not to forget him when they got famous, and drove north with their parents.
Daisy and Jameson spent the rest of the weekend holed up in her room. On Sunday afternoon, they lay wrapped together, tracing lazy shapes on each other’s skin.
