Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) (21 page)

“
Why? Why do you care?” she asked, sucking in her trembling bottom lip.

“
Look at me. Why do you think? I was mad, but I never stopped loving you.”

She flung herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck, holding on tight. “I’m sorry, Pete, for everything. I swear it. I wish… I wish I could’ve been the Daisy you believed in. I’m sorry. I’m just not her. I’m not.”

Pete closed his eyes and rubbed his face against her silky hair, holding on. He could still remember the raw primitive grief he carried that day she returned from Aiden and he knew that he’d lost her. It all resurfaced. His hand rubbed up and down her spine. He bit into his bottom lip until it pulsed like the throbbing pang of guilt in his chest. He left her to fend for herself with the devil at her heels. But she was okay and back in his arms. His despair eroded away from his heart and bubbled up to the surface. It was too much at once to hold her again. But God help him, he just couldn’t let go.

“
I know. I know, Daisy,” he breathed, nuzzling her neck and his caress going where it used to when he held her before.

“
No!” Daisy shoved him off. The separation was so sudden he felt winded over the loss. Whatever it was that passed between them ended as abruptly as it started. She wouldn’t let him look at her. Shaking her head, she hid her face from him, backing away. “Okay, you forgive me. I forgive you. We… it’s done. You said what you had to say. Thank you, Pete… now go.”

“
Daisy, wait.” He went after her as she hurried through her place for the door. “Damn it, Daisy. Stop this! Stop running!”

She stopped in her tracks and turned eyes stony with anger. “You stop it! What was that out there?”

“
I was just happy to see you.”

“
You can’t touch me like that; make me feel like you… like you want me… like we could… be something, when we know we can't.”

“
I’m trying to understand what's happened to you the past five years.”

“
What do you want? Say it?”

“
I want to talk to you. I want to know who you are and that you’re okay. I want you to come home and see your sisters. Stop hiding.”

“
What you did was react to what I put you through, Pete. I’m sorry that I wanted the money more than I wanted us, because that’s the truth. I wanted that money, and there’s nothing you could’ve done to stop me from going for it. So absolve yourself of guilt and just go home.”

Her words were blows that hit like rapid fire, his spark of hope extinguished. And she kept coming, rage hardening her gentle features, making her eyes wide and her tone punishing. “It’s true what you said in Vegas about me. I didn’t want our baby,” she finished.

“
Let’s not talk about that,” he retreated, fingers combed loose blondish-brown wisps of hair off his brow. She took a step toward him, tears running down her face, unwilling to close that door now that it was flung open between them.

“
I did it, Pete. What Aiden told you was the truth. I killed our baby. I did that and went to get my nails done the next day. That’s who I was. Who I am.”

“
Stop.”

“
And I lied to your face about where I was and why we couldn’t have sex after… I lied when I told you I wanted your children and that we’d make babies in Port Angeles. I lied about everything."

“
Stop it, damn it!” he shouted at her, his broad shoulders heaved as he breathed. He thought he saw her smile. He saw it flash over her lips as her eyes darkened and shifted in their cruel stare. “Don’t go there!”

Daisy smirked. “Can you forgive that? Tell me now. Can you forgive me? Do you still want to hold me?”

“
I already have,” he mumbled.

It was a lie. Truth was, he hated what she did. And he hated
her
for doing it. But he loved her too. It was that push and pull that had him emptying his savings and leaving his woman behind.

“
Liar. I can tell.”

“
What do you want me to say?” The truths she’d thrown at him were barbed and hurtful. Daisy was a lot of things but never this cold and exact with cruelty.

“
The truth. You’re lying! You haven’t forgiven me. You haven’t given the betrayal you felt in Vegas much thought, because if you did, you would have never come here.”

“
Fine!” he shouted back. “I hate what you fucking did, okay? You were a selfish
bitch
to abort our baby and not tell me. You let that asshole throw it in my face. I had to hear it from him, Daisy. Do you know what that did to me?”

She crossed her arms and looked away.

“
You went to a man that you knew less than 48 hours and told him something you couldn’t tell me? Your fiancé! I was the one you said you loved! How the fuck do you think I felt? I believed in you, in us, damn it! I trusted you. I can’t even trust a woman that’s poured her heart out to me and has done nothing but loved me since…” She looked at him at the mention of Nina and he drew in a breath rather not wanting to go there. Shifting gears, he spoke through his clenched teeth, “You never cared about anything but you.”

When she didn’t fire off a quick comeback, he paused, and continued in a sinking tone. “And there’s more, something you need to know. He’s been, searching for you.”

She stared at him. A blank unreadable shadow eclipsed her face.

He shook his head in defeat. “I’m glad you ran away from him and that you stayed away from him. He’s evil, Daisy, and fucking crazy. He was in the Hollow at your father’s funeral.”

“
At Daddy’s funeral?” she repeated.

“
I know you only slept with him for the money. I know Aiden Keane meant nothing to you. I believe you, Daisy. That's why I came to warn you. He’s dangerous. You need to be careful.”

“
You talked to Aiden?”

Pete let go a deep sigh, “Yeah, I really had no fucking choice. That bastard wouldn’t go away.”

Daisy turned from him, hand to her hip and the other to her forehead. He stepped up behind her, but didn’t dare touch her again. She was right about what happened the last time he did. He feared it. His urge to protect her grew stronger. Aiden Keane must never get close to her. Never.

“
Over the years, I looked for you and he looked for you. Our paths crossed. The freak thinks you and him have some kind of connection. Can you believe that?”

Daisy hugged herself but didn’t turn back to him. His throat was raw now from shouting and holding on to things he fought hard to say. He cleared it and pressed on. “Sick bastard! He acts like he owns you. He doesn’t even know you.”

He noticed her check her watch again. Here he was telling her that Satan himself was a breath away and she was checking the time. What the fuck was that? “Are you listening? Why do you keep looking at your watch?”

She looked back at him. “Pete, you have to go.”

“
What am I doing here?” he said shaking his head. “You can’t hear anything I’m saying to you.”

“
I do hear you. But what else do I have to give you, Pete? I said I was sorry. I can’t explain it away or change what's between us.”

“
Try why you told Aiden Keane about our baby? Or why you didn’t appear shocked when I said he was looking for you.” Pete narrowed his eyes on her. “Has he been in contact with you?”

The door lock turned. Daisy spun around. Pete frowned, his eyes now drawn to follow her line of vision.

****

Her heart was beating madly, eyes glued to the turning doorknob. Silence grew tight with tension. She stood there in half anticipation and half dread. Every fiber in her was charged with dread and a cold twisting knot strangled her stomach.

Daisy’s eyes never left the turning knob. It opened. Amy shot past Magdalena before the nanny could get ahead of her. She bounced her way toward her mother with a fountain of curls spilling out of a blue and yellow ribbon on the top of her head. In her school uniform with her Hello Kitty book-bag flapping on her back, she was a ball of energy.

“
Moooommmiiiieeeeee!!” she sang.

Daisy’s eyes slipped to Pete. Panic like she’s never known welled in her throat. He froze. Nothing on him moved as her daughter bounded up into her arms. He stared with a gamut of emotions playing over his face. None of them she could read. This was it. This was the point of no return. She’d dodged one bullet only to come home and take another, full-fledged into her heart.

“
I missed you. You’ve been gone a long time!”

“
I missed you too, pumpkin. Look at you.” She lifted her chin and kissed her lips. Magdalena walked in then stopped at the sight of a man in Daisy’s home. She’d been with Daisy since Amy was two and never seen any man walk through the door unless he had a delivery in his hand.

“
Who are you?” Amy asked looking up at Pete.

“
Baby, this is um… his name is Pete.”

“
Hi. I’m Amy,” she said, extending her hand the way Daisy taught her. In that moment she was so proud and pained by her little girl’s spirit.

Pete lowered, accepted her hand. He kissed it. “Amy. That’s a pretty name.”

“
I know it,” Amy said grinning.

Pete laughed. “How old are you?”

“
Maggie, can you take Amy upstairs, get her in a bath?” Daisy cut in.

“
Hold a minute, Maggie.” Pete snapped. He shot Daisy a look and returned his attention to Amy. He touched her face, his hand going to her hair. Amy stood there under his inspection, staring back curiously.

“
You have the prettiest eyes, Amy.”

“
Momma says I have my daddy eyes,” Amy smiled.

Pete looked up at Daisy. “Did she?”

“
You come here to see me? Are you my—”

“
Amy,” Daisy pulled her back. Pete was forced to let her hand go. “Go with Maggie now. Okay? Mommy will be up there soon.”

“
Aw, mommy. I want to play with him. I like you,” Amy said grinning in Pete’s face. He smiled, taking her hand.

“
Do as I say, baby. Okay.”

“
Okay.” Amy nodded, then shocked Daisy by going straight to Pete and giving him a hug. It shocked him too. He hugged her tight and let her go. Amy grinned. “Come upstairs to my room, okay? Don’t go anywhere.”

Pete nodded.

Amy ran over to Magdalena and took her hand. She didn’t look back as she said, “Bye,” hopping on the steps and making the climb.

Daisy turned to explain, but Pete snatched her by the arm, his grip painfully tight. He forcefully pulled her forward. Shocked, she stumbled as he dragged her back to the terrace door and literally threw her out on the deck. She fell against the railing and he slammed the sliding door behind them.

“
She’s mine, isn’t she? You bitch!”

Daisy bit back the sob in her throat and closed her eyes. Bent forward on the railing, the breeze blew her wet hair from her face as she refused to turn and answer.

“
How old is she?” he shouted at her.

“
Four… five in a week,” she answered coolly.

“
You had a baby? My baby?” he seethed. Daisy turned and faced his anger, partly understanding, partly not caring. The blood had siphoned from his face as if he’d puke or pass out at any minute. His face flashed such rage until it chilled her.

“
You don’t understand, Pete.”

“
You had my kid, and… and you kept it from me? Again!”

“
It’s not like that. Let me explain.”

“
Explain?” he shouted in her face.

Daisy clenched her fist, trying to find her voice. Nothing came out but broken breaths. Anxiety cooled her thoughts and turned them to ice. Nothing formed. Pete shivered with fury; he gripped her by both arms and shook her violently. The hold was so tight and so strong that she felt his nails cutting through her sleeve. “You could do that? After all these years of leaving me guilty, thinking I wronged you, and you’re keeping a baby from me! My baby?”

"I didn’t know I was pregnant when you left…”