Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
He moved the chair closer to her bed and looked at her. Sliding his under hers, he held onto her hand.
“I’m going to be here for you. I’m not leaving. Not now, not ever. So, you might as well stop trying to get away from me, baby, it’s just you and me, and I’m going to tell you a little story while you’re sleeping. Hopefully, what they say is true and this will make you fall in love with me all over again.”
He cleared his throat.
“I feel like I should begin like all fairy tales, but you know, I don’t like to be predictable, so I’m just going to say when two kids were young and in nursery, something happened.”
Even as he told the story, he could still see her. Soiled clothes, tears, stains, her hair not quite so neat, as if it had been pulled into a ponytail without being brushed.
“I knew I was different before I met you. I could talk, but I never wanted to. Miles and Tabitha were always different. So were Rachel and Markus. Every kid, the Skulls and civilian, were normal, all needing to make friends and be with each other. I didn’t need any of that. I didn’t want any of it.” He stroked his thumb across her palm. “And then, I looked across the classroom and saw you. To me, you were perfect. You looked so nervous, and you shook just a little. You didn’t want to be there, and I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to go to you, but I couldn’t stop staring at you. I didn’t want to.”
He stopped.
“And then Tabitha went to you, and you and she were hugging and you were best friends. I wanted that. I wanted you to be my friend. One of the days, you had a book on your lap and were running your finger across the words, reading. I came and sat with you. Do you remember that? I asked you to read to me. I could already read, but I wanted you to. You read it to me, and your voice was so soothing, so calm, and you had the sweetest reading voice.” He felt tears spring to his eyes.
“For a long time, I would be close to you. If I heard any of the other kids trying to bully you, I’d take care of it. It was why you were left alone, Daisy. I was never going to allow anyone to hurt you, not ever.”
He licked his lips.
“Spending time with you was all I ever wanted. You once asked me if I was in love with Tabitha and I laughed at you. I don’t love Tabitha. She’s a friend, one of us, but she is not you. No, I was never in love with her, I was ... jealous of her. I see that now. She got to be with you when I could not. She got to stay over and be there when you needed her, and I wasn’t there. I hated that. I wanted to be the one you needed all the time.”
He didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he reached out and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I don’t like this.” He took a deep breath. “I never considered you being taken from me. You can’t go.”
He looked toward her, hoping he could convince her to wake up and get the hell out of this coma.
Nothing. She had lost a lot of blood.
He’d seen the knife sink into her flesh, and the moment it had happened, he knew it would change everything.
Anthony gritted his teeth. “I better tell you another secret. I stopped Edward Gretch from asking you out. Along with Sean Wallace and Andrew Puck,” he said. “I overheard them. Not all at once, but through high school. They wanted to ask you to the dance, and they were nervous. You always thought you were this ugly duckling, but you’re not. You were always beautiful, Daisy. You always were, and you’re only getting more beautiful.”
He took another deep breath. “I threatened to kill them. I told them if they asked you out, they wouldn’t make it to the date. I didn’t want to share you. I didn’t want to risk you never wanting me, so I had to get rid of them. Do you hate me?”
Nothing.
Silence.
“Please, Daisy, come back to me.”
****
“Please, Daisy, come back to me.”
Daisy heard the sound, and she glanced behind and saw no one.
Holding onto the railing, she looked out toward the beach, in awe of the beauty. But part of her knew this wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real, because when people went to the beach, there was always someone there, and she was all alone.
Something bad had happened. She could feel it, but at the same time, she couldn’t. The sun felt nice ... or did it?