I hold back a groan. “Hey, Paige.” I move to go around her, but she takes my sleeve.
“I think Daisy needs you.”
My stomach sinks. “Is she okay?”
“She’s packing.”
“No,” I whisper. “She can’t go.”
“Did something happen today? Because she won’t talk to me. She’s just… crying. I left to see if I could find you.”
“Do you think she’ll let me in?” I ask, panicking.
“Here.” Paige slips her key into my hand. “Just in case.”
I’m standing in front of Daisy’s door when I even realize I didn’t thank Paige. Oh, well. I knock quickly. No response. I knock again. “Daisy? Let me in, please.”
She still doesn’t answer.
“Oh, fuck it.” I slide Paige’s key into the slot and open the door.
Daisy gapes at me. “How’d you get in here?”
“Paige gave me a key. She’s worried about you. What are you doing?”
She goes back to shoving things haphazardly into her bag. “I need to go, Daltrey. This was all a big mistake.”
“How can you say that? Daisy, please don’t do this.”
She pauses, and her hands are shaking. “I have to. I’m so embarrassed. I’m obviously not strong enough to be here. I’m sorry.”
“Stop it. Just stop. You have nothing to be sorry or embarrassed about.”
Her face crumples. “Of course I do! The one thing I always dreamt of finally happens, and what do I do? I freak the fuck out.” She raises her hands to her hair, her face so tortured I can barely register the fact that she just described our kiss as something she dreamed of. “Why can’t I just be normal?”
I step forward and grab her hands. “Stop. Please just tell me what’s going on. I want to help you.”
She shakes her head, more tears running down her face. “You can’t. If I tell you, you’ll hate me.”
I smile sadly. “Not possible.”
“It is, Daltrey. You’ll never look at me the same way. And I don’t think I can stand that.”
“So you’d rather leave? You’d rather I never looked at you instead?”
Her body seems to sink in on itself, as if she’s crumbling. I pull her into my arms, rubbing her back and whispering into her hair.
“Daisy, I love you. I’ve always loved you. I need you, please. I don’t think I can handle it if you run from me.”
Her entire body shakes with her sobs. “I need you, too. I’m so scared, Daltrey.”
“You don’t need to be scared. Whatever it is, I’ll help you.”
She pulls back, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to—”
“Stop apologizing. Seriously. Let’s go to my room. I can make you some tea.”
She lets me take her hand and lead her into the hallway. I’m grateful that we don’t run into anyone else. Safely in my suite, I push her down into the couch and go to the wet bar to try to figure out how the fancy individual-serving coffee/tea maker works.
Once I’ve brewed her a cup of questionable-strength tea, I join her on the sofa. She seems a lot calmer, her breathing returned to normal and her tears mostly stopped.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, Daisy, but I need you to know that you can trust me. And I think it would help if you just tell me what’s going on.”
She releases her breath in a rush and holds out her cup. “Will you hold this?”
I take her tea, a little puzzled. She pushes up both her sleeves, past her elbows. She goes for the clasp of her right bracelet then pauses, her fingers trembling.
“What?” I ask, confused.
She shakes her head, takes off the cuff then removes the left one. I can tell she’s holding her breath as she holds out her hands, palms up.
My first thought is that she’s lost more weight than I realized. Her wrists look tiny, fragile, and her pale skin is practically translucent. Then I see the scars.
My breath leaves me, and my heart stops beating. “What is that?” My voice sounds like a stranger’s, high pitched, panicked. I can’t wrap my brain around those scars, around the meaning of those scars. Daisy, my beautiful sunshine girl, did that to herself?
She’s crying again, but there are no sobs this time. Silent tears stream steadily and unchecked down her cheeks.
“Why?” I whisper, the pain of what I’m seeing almost strangling me.
“After you left, Justin D’Angelo asked me out.” Somehow, even through the tears, she keeps her voice steady and flat. “I figured why not, you know? He seemed nice, and I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t lonely.” She glances up then averts her eyes again.