Chapter 24 Gwen - Can’t be hateful, gotta be grateful #2
A knock at the front door causes me to jump. I turn my head to see Daisy standing outside with an oversized flannel wrapped around her, swiping mascara from under her eyes, trying to angle herself in a direction so that no one inside can see. I scoot my chair back to rush over and unlock the door.
If there is one thing consistent and true about Daisy Stiles—well two things actually. She does not lie, and she does not cry.
Everyone’s eyes follow me as I pass, so when I swing the door open, I lower my voice, “Daze, what’s wrong?”
Before she can answer, it’s the voice from behind me that has my eyes bulging out of my head. “What happened?” Gus barks.
“Nothing, you big fucking clod,” Daisy snaps, swapping tears for rage.
“Shut the hell up and tell me why you’re out here crying in the fucking street, Stiles,” Gus gives it to her right back. Like they always do.
“That doesn’t even make sense. Do you hear yourself? Are you that dumb?”
Gus opens his mouth to probably throw another foul-mouthed retort, but I cut him off before he can.
“Eeeeeenough.” I put my hands up in between my two sparring friends. “Daze, come inside. We’ll talk later. We’re about to have dessert. The both of you better keep your mouths and hands to yourselves. I’m not breaking up another fight. Got it?”
They both nod in understanding. “Nope, that’s not working for me. I want to hear it. Say Yes, Red. We would never disrespect you, Red.”
I haven’t called myself Red in weeks. It’s funny how weird it feels to say now when just a short bit ago, that’s all I felt like I knew.
Daisy and Gus both grumble their acknowledgements and find their way to everyone else inside. Beth has already pulled up a chair for Daisy…a chair that also happens to be seated right next to Gus. I look up to the ceiling in silent prayer.
To my surprise, Margot has already started getting the post-meal coffee ready, pulling out mugs, creamers, and sugar. I hear the drip of a fresh pot brewing. Miller is busy placing the pie and other baked goods I had set aside on the table.
Miller makes eye contact with me, and I feel fuzzy all over when he places a freshly poured glass of wine at my place setting.
“Sit,” he gently commands. “You handled all this, so we got the rest, okay? Time to relax.” He kisses the top of my head as he passes by, and I hide behind my glass to keep the blush creeping up my neck to myself.
I’m not used to others taking care of me like this.
“Shit. Fuck. Miller, you’re making me look bad!” Sawyer’s chair scrapes against the flooring as he gets up to meet Margot behind the counter. He starts collecting mugs by the handles in one hand and grabbing the creamer carafe from Margot with the other.
“Language, my boy,” Beth teases. Penelope is now situated on Beth’s lap, drawing out their next game of tic tac toe on the blank back of one of the coloring pages.
“Oh yeah, because Beth Rivers is the epitome of on the straight and narrow when it comes to swearing,” Gus jokes.
“I’m surprised you even know the word epitome.” I roll my eyes at Daisy, knowing she couldn’t help herself.
“And I’m not surprised you already broke your promise to Red to watch your fucking mouth.” Gus’s joking tone has left the building.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re untrustworthy. Not loyal. A snake in the weeds.”
Well, the feeling of gratefulness and a sense of familial bonding has now officially skedaddled.
“Of course you wouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
God, this is ugly, and it needs to stop immediately. But as fast as their mouths are moving, the rest of everything feels like it’s going in slow motion.
“Why are you even fucking here, Daisy? I can’t imagine you’d pick roughing it with a bunch of misfits like us when you have some fancy ass meal to attend with your perfect ass family. Or did they kick you out? That why you were bawling your eyes out out there?”
“Shut up,” Daisy hisses. New tears well on her water line.
“Oh? Only you get to show up and be nasty? Can’t take what you dish out?”
“Gus,” I whisper. That's all I can manage right now. We all normally stop things before they get this bad, but it seems as though we’re letting it play out. This is never going to end well.
“No, I just don’t want to hear the opinion of some nobody asshole.” Daisy tries to keep her voice steady, but I hear the wobble.
“Go fucking cry some more about it.”
“I have had it!” Melanie yells, slamming her fists down on the table.
The mom voice is in full effect and causes everyone to pause.
“You both should be deeply embarrassed by your behavior. And I mean deeply. How can two people individually be so incredible and amazing but when put in the same freaking vicinity act like feral toddlers? Grow the hell up or get out.”
Gus stands, towering over everything and everyone. He takes a deep breath and looks at Melanie, then at Daisy. “I’m sorry.” It’s a blanket statement to everyone, not just Daisy, but it’s an apology nonetheless. He storms off to the back without another word.
Sawyer moves to follow, but Gus holds a hand up along the way without looking back. “Don’t bother. Need a minute.”
“Shit,” Daisy mutters. She starts to stand and then thinks better of it. She clears her throat and addresses everyone the same way Gus did. “I’m sorry, too. I was wrong to show up here like this.”
“You’re always welcome here, Daze. We just all need to be able to coexist.” I lean over and pat her thigh.
We salvage the rest of the night, Gus returning after a couple minutes. He smartly picks the seat on the other side of the table next to Melanie. We dish out the dessert, and I send everyone home with to-go containers holding a little bit of everything.
Miller puts Penelope to bed and meets me back down in the cafe afterwards to help me finish cleaning up. Thankfully, he gets a little distracted along the way. He pins me up against the wall and kisses me senseless a few times before watching me drive off towards my house.
I didn’t give him the chance to ask me to stay. There are conversations to be had. If we have any shot of making this work, we have to do things the right way. For Penelope. For Miller. For me. For us.