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The stall door shakes.
“Open it, Daisy. Now.” That authoritative command sends a chill down my spine and I nearly start sobbing as I reach up to flip the lock on the door.
A moment later, it’s open, and I’m staring up from the grimy bathroom floor at the sexiest man in all of Briar Point.
Of course, he looks gorgeous in the dive bar bathroom lighting.
“Jesus,” he mutters angrily. Then I’m being lifted into the air by two strong arms, and I find myself melting against his chest. I swallow down the taste of shame on my tongue. He sounds so disappointed, and I try to shield myself from it.
The room is still spinning, while the scenery around me changes from bathroom to bar to cool night air. Then the inside of Ronan’s car.
And just like that, everything feels right again.
RULE #39: SOMETIMES WHAT YOU NEED ISN’T WHAT YOU WANT
Ronan
When I couldn’t sleep, I came into the club, with no other intention than to see her. I’m still angry, and I’m not ready to forgive her, but I just needed to see her. I craved the sight of her so badly, I couldn’t stand another moment in that empty apartment.
When she wasn’t at the club, I asked Marianna if she had been sent home, and she informed me that she left with Geo.
A few texts with Geo—just to check on her and make sure she was safe—led me to learn that they were at the piano bar down the street and she was so sick she wouldn’t come out of the bathroom.
Which led me here, with her asleep on my lap in the back seat of my car as my driver takes us back to the apartment.
I had the entire day to regret sending her away. I’m mad at her, but I don’t want her sleeping in her van on the street again. Especially now that I see how she’s going to behave. Finding her nearly passed out on the bathroom floor of a dive bar is not at all what I expected tonight.
I should be flattered. Breaking up with me devastated her. Except, I don’t want to devastate her.
My emotions are all over the place. That innate desire to take care of Daisy is still there. That craving to be her…daddy. It still exists. That sort of thing doesn’t just go away. But I can’t keep saving her. I can’t keep licking her wounds. I can’t take care of Daisy if she won’t take care of herself.
When we get back to the apartment, I take her upstairs immediately to the bedroom—theguestbedroom. She stirs as I lay her in the bed, carefully removing her clothes down to her bra and panties, before going into the bathroom to run warm water over a washcloth. I take it back in to clean her up.
Wiping her face and hands with the cloth, my heart lurches in my chest with every delicate touch of her skin. She slowly wakes up as I run the warm cloth over her eyes, noticing just how swollen they are.
She blinks up at me. “Where am I?”
“My apartment.”
Her eyes scan the room before realizing what room she’s in.
“Where’s Geo?”
“He got home safely.”
Her eyes are on my face, looking more sober than I expect. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” she says, her voice cracking on a sob.
“Don’t apologize, Daisy. Just get some sleep.”
As I move to stand, she reaches for me, latching her grip on my arm. “Don’t leave me.”
I hesitate. Part of me wants to stay. I’m not strong enough to say no. But I need to. To protect my own heart, I need to set boundaries with her. At least until I figure out what I’m going to do.
“Sleep, Daisy. We’ll talk in the morning,” I reply. Then I watch as she turns over, crying into her pillow, and I leave her like that.
Even though it shreds my heart into pieces to do so.
I don’t sleep for shit all night. In the morning, I hear the shower running and the scent of her shampoo escaping the bathroom. Two nights ago, I was going to marry her. I wanted to.
