Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
How did things get to this? I wonder as I drive back to my apartment. At the time, losing Dad felt like it was the worst thing that could ever happen, and maybe it was. But as it turns out, it was just the start to a chain reaction that sent Mom’s and my lives spiraling to where they are now, and I honestly don’t know what to do about turning them around.
8
CRAIG
I’m not going to take this lying down. I’m not going to just let another gap form between Daisy and me. No way. I’m not going to sit back passively like I did before when I could actually do something this time to keep her close to me.
Maybe she doesn’t trust me. Maybe that’s what her friend told her, and maybe I can understand that. But I have to find a way to make her trust me again, and I’m going to figure out a way, because after all our time apart, seeing her again made me realize just how much of a fool I was to have not reached out to her during those five years.
And there’s only so long you can blame your parents, isn’t there?
Now that I’ve graduated, now that I have a scholarship to law school and am bringing in my own money, I’m not beholden to them. I don’t have to do what they say anymore. If they want to cut me off for dating Daisy, then that’s on them. But that won’t change whether or not I end up becoming a successful lawyer – which I most definitely will.
I am driven. Nothing is going to stop me from achieving professional success. And I can only believe that having Daisy by my side, I will be even stronger.
It’s only been one day that I haven’t seen her, and I’m already missing her. I’m wondering how I managed to even make it a month, let along five years like I did. I’m lying on my back on the couch, tracing the single, tiny crack in the paint on the ceiling above me (like I’ve been doing for the last half hour), debating on whether my next move is the right one.
Give her space, Craig. That’s what part of me is saying. But the other part of me?
Get your ass over there now and show her you won’t take no for an answer.
The problem is, I’m not sure which part of me I should listen to.
I do know that last night with Daisy was incredible – beyond incredible. I don’t think I even have the words to describe it. When it comes to legal terminology, I’m fantastic. But when it comes to things like this – coming up with descriptions of things on my own – I’m absolutely horrible.
All I know is that last night was pretty much the best night of my life, and I was beside myself that Daisy accepted what I had to tell her and came home with me.
“Give her space,” I mutter to myself, tonguing the inside of my cheek. Something about that doesn’t sit well with me, and I grunt unhappily. “No, get your ass over there and show her you mean business.”
That’s it.
Smiling, I swing my legs off the couch and go put my shoes on. I am not going to wait on this. Who knows what could happen in the meantime – what other thoughts that friend of hers could put in her mind that could cause Daisy to not want to see me? This is up to me now, just like it was up to me these last five years when I did nothing about it.
Time to man up, Craig.
I hop in the car and head for her apartment. She’s out of work now, and unless she went out with the girls, that’s where she’ll be.
It’s another cold evening, but just thinking about Daisy’s naked body against mine last night has me feeling warm as I drive. Any hesitance I had in my decision has left me by the time I’m pulling up to her apartment and parking. I can see her light is on, which means she’s most likely home.
I smile as I get out of the car and start walking up the front steps.
I’ve got that pseudo-nervous feeling I used to get when we first started dating and I wasn’t quite used to hanging out with her yet. That feeling of wanting to impress her and also being just really excited to see her. I don’t quite know how all this is going to go – especially with me just stopping by unannounced – but I know it’s better than doing nothing.
Someone has left the front door to the building slightly cracked open, so I just head inside and take the stairs to Daisy’s floor. I’m just about to knock on her apartment door when I hear a voice down the hall call out.