Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63445 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
His grip on her shoulders tightened, and he pulled her in closer. Daisy fought, though, and tried to get away. “Just leave me alone!” she cried. “I don’t love you. I don’t love you!” she cried even as fresh, hot tears spilled down her cheeks. This fucking hypocritical bastard tracked her down just to stomp on what was left, and it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all.
He held her so close she could smell his cologne and the musk underneath that she’d always loved about him.
“What do you want?” she sobbed.
Instead of answering her, Easy swept her hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. “See you tomorrow, Daisy,” he told her, and then he walked away.
Chapter 36
Easy checked his watch as he waited outside the Silver Spoon for the third day in a row. She was either late this time or not coming. He could go to her trailer, he supposed, but that seemed a little too invasive. He’d almost given up when he caught a glimpse of her coming down the street.
“You’re not working today?” he asked her.
She shook her head, then peered at him. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d wait.”
“A long time,” he assured her. “Will you take another walk with me?” he asked her, nodding across the street. “We could go over there.”
She hesitated, then nodded, and they crossed the road toward a small park in the middle of town. Easy took her hand again and noted with some satisfaction that she didn’t fight him this time. They sat down on a park bench at the edge of the sand playground.
“Why are you here?” she asked quietly.
“I’ve got a lot to make up for.”
She nodded. “I figured.”
“You figured what?”
“New leg, new bike, new life. Time to burn the bridge,” she added quietly.
“Time to what?”
“Nothing.”
Easy reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Did he hurt you Daisy?”
“Who? Matt? No, not really. I’ve been hit harder.”
“Not Matt,” Easy replied. “The cop.”
Daisy glanced at him for a moment and looked away. “That’s got nothing to do with you.”
“I’m asking anyway.”
“What do you want me to tell you?” she snapped. “That it was all a mistake? That I’m innocent. Think whatever you want about me. I don’t care.”
Easy leaned in and kissed her softly. His little warrior girl put on a strong front, but he realized she wore her heart- and her soul- on her sleeve, if you gave enough of a shit to look for it. He wasn’t surprised she’d never shown him much in the way of emotion. He’d sure as shit never given her anything.
When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers. “I care, Daisy.”
He could get down on the only knee he had left and say it louder, if he thought that was what she needed, but it wasn’t. Daisy didn’t need some big gesture that was as much about the people watching as it was about her, not that there was anyone watching. They were alone, and it was his chance to be intimate with her in a way that was about more than just putting his dick inside her.
“I care, Daisy,” he repeated, because he was certain she’d never heard it before. She might have heard I love you, but who had said I care?
She broke away from him and wiped tears from her eyes. “He didn’t hurt me.”
They sat in silence while he waited for more.
“I was in a bar,” she said finally. “Pissed off because I was broke and had no way to get home. Some guy bought me a drink, and I told him I was stuck. He asked me what I’d be willing to do for some cash.” She kicked at the dirt underneath her boot. “Here’s the part where I cement your shitty opinion of me and tell you I considered stripping. But I didn’t think I could do it, even just once. Not with a bunch of people watching.”
She laughed bitterly. “You’d think I wouldn’t care after Ricky Snell’s basement, but I did. And I didn’t know how many times I’d have to take my clothes off before I had enough money. I thought with sex it’d just be one time. It’d be over fast and I’d have the money I needed. I could just go home and put it behind me. So, I told him to buy me another drink.”
“We went out to the parking lot. I let him fuck me. But he stopped and took off the condom. He wanted me to suck him off, but I wouldn’t do it. We argued. He grabbed me, and I punched him. Then he dragged me out of the car and told me he was a cop. He called someone else to cuff me. He told them I was turning tricks in the parking lot and offered to blow him.”