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Now that I had her back in my life, I wasn’t letting her go ever again.
SEVENTEEN
Daisy
“This was not how I intended for this day to go.”
Sending a look of understanding my way, Forrest sat down beside me on the couch and rested his hand lightly on my thigh. “I know. But the important thing is that you’re here, safe, and don’t have any major injuries. I hate that you went through what you did today, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it, but I couldn’t be happier that you’re here.”
Forrest was right about that.
We’d just gotten back to his place about thirty minutes ago. Forrest had taken me to the hospital, where it was determined I had a lot of bruising, a fair bit of swelling, a couple of cuts, and no broken bones. I was going to be sore for the next few days, but it was expected my body would start feeling better soon.
Truth be told, I didn’t care. Of course, it would have been nice to have been able to leave my place before I got attacked, but the bottom line was that I was here with Forrest, and he’d said a lot to me throughout the day, which I couldn’t ignore, including telling me just now that he couldn’t be happier that I was here.
I didn’t think anything would ever compare to hearing him say that he’d thought about me every day for the last six weeks, though. Where I thought he had come home and grown disinterested as he returned to his normal life, Forrest had been thinking about me. It gave me such a boost of confidence and reassurance that I’d made the right choice to come here for him, and I believed I could start giving him more of an indication of my true feelings for him.
After we left the hospital, Forrest had stopped on the way back here to grab dinner for us. And now that we’d both finished eating, I felt like I could allow it all to sink in—everything from the attack at my place in Birch Creek to the fact I was sitting here with Forrest.
If I thought for too long about Jeremy and the attack, it would start to mess with my head. My body shuddered every time I recalled the physical blows or his threatening words.
The only thing keeping me on even keel was Forrest. It was such a relief to be here with him. And as easy as I knew it was to get caught up in the bad that had happened earlier in the morning, I realized the best thing I could do for myself was to trust Forrest.
He’d promised me he’d keep me safe, and I had no reason to doubt him. Forrest had always come through for me in everything he did.
Just as I was about to respond to him, his doorbell rang.
My brows pulled together as he stood and said, “That’s got to be Damon and Avalon.”
Realization dawned. “Oh, I completely forgot about them bringing my car here for me.”
“I think that’s understandable, considering everything you’ve been through today,” he returned. “Hang tight. I’ll be right back.”
Forrest took off toward his front door, and even though it was my first time in his house with plenty for me to see, I kept my gaze focused on his backside. It had been hours since I’d arrived in Steel Ridge, and I still hadn’t gotten enough. Six weeks had been far too long a time to be separated from him. I’d never missed anyone the way I missed him.
As much as I would have liked to stay there, caught up in thoughts of Forrest and how much I liked the way he looked or made me feel, all good things must come to an end. But in this case, another good thing replaced my thoughts.
Avalon entered the room and came striding toward me with a bright smile. “Hey, Daisy.”
“Hi, Avalon.”
Forrest stepped into the room behind her with another man and said, “Daisy, this is Damon. Damon, that’s my girl, Daisy.”
His girl.
We hadn’t had any official discussions about where things stood between us—something I was hoping to be able to do before the night was over—but there was no question how much I liked hearing him say those words about me to his friend and coworker.
Damon jerked his chin up. “It’s nice to meet you, Daisy.”
“Likewise. Thank you for bringing my car here with Avalon.”
Shaking his head, he insisted, “It was no trouble at all.”
I realized I’d only been here for a few hours, but what Forrest had said would be the case was becoming evident with each second I’d spent here. There were some great people in this town, and they didn’t seem to mind going out of their way for a girl they’d never met.
I slid my eyes to the side, where they locked on Forrest. “Damon and I are going to be in the kitchen, discussing a few things.”
Things that were likely related to my whole situation, no doubt. “Okay.”
