14. Change of Plans
14
Change of Plans
Asher
When I wake up, Daisy’s head is resting on my torso. She’s breathing deeply, and I don’t dare move an inch. Is it weird to have someone you barely know using you as a pillow? Definitely.
But with Daisy, there’s something that just makes sense. Something right. No matter how much I try to fight it.
After the power came back, we huddled in the fort again to watch a documentary about the making of the first skyscraper, and we ended up talking about it for hours before finally falling asleep. I tried to p robe her for information about the firm, but this girl is a fort—stronger than the one we’re lying in right now. Doug tried to call me five times last night, but I shut my phone off. It’s not like I have anything to report.
Daisy must sense the shift in my breathing, because she gently stirs, and her eyes open.
“Oh, gosh.” She freezes. “I’m sorry. I have no boundaries when I sleep,” she jokes, bolting upright. “I hope you were able to get some rest.”
I offer a reassuring smile. “Slept like a baby.” It’s true. Better than I have in months, even with the storm raging outside. I should really add ‘quality of sleep’ to that decision list.
“Do you want something to eat? Or maybe some coffee?” she asks, her hand in front of her mouth. “I need to go to the bathroom, but help yourself.”
We both exit the fort, and Daisy practically sprints to the bathroom. I shuffle to the kitchen to start the coffee and rifle around the fridge. I settle on eggs, locating a skillet and heating it over the stove.
I’m almost done frying the eggs when the doorbell rings.
Since Daisy is still in the bathroom, I head to the door. As soon as I open it, I’m staring down a tall guy with a brush-up hairstyle who glares at me with a deep scowl. “Who the heck are you?”
I arch an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same question.”
He straightens his shoulders. “I’m Todd, Daisy’s boyfriend. I came here to check on my girl.”
I scoff. Is this guy for real? “Your girl? I don’t think so. She tells me you two have been over for months. Time to back off, dude. She doesn’t want to see you.”
He shakes his head, as if I’m the delusional one. Then, he tries to push past me, but I block the door with my hand.
“What do you want?” I ask, trying to keep my tone civil. “Daisy is in the shower. I’ll let her know what you came here for, and she can call you back if she’s interested.”
His face scrunches into a frown. “In the shower?” Then, he looks at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. “Are you . . .? No, there’s no way.”
“Yes, we are,” I reply, defying him with my gaze. If that’s what it takes for this guy to finally back off and leave her alone, so be it.
His eyes trail me from head to toe, then he chuckles, as if the idea of Daisy and me together is the craziest thing he’s ever heard. This guy is really starting to piss me off. “So,” he says, cocking his head. “I guess you’re coming to the Architecture Foundation Gala, then?”
“I am,” I blurt out, unable t o stop myself.
Before he can retort, Daisy steps out of the corridor, dressed in a simple black sweater and jeans, her hair still wet. “Who are you t—”
“I just met your new ‘boyfriend,’” Todd teases, emphasizing the word in air quotes.
I cough out a laugh. “What’s with the quotation marks, man? You don’t believe me?” I grab Daisy’s hand and tug her toward me, shooting her a knowing look. A slight frown shadows her face, but she quickly recovers.
“That’s right, Todd.” She nods eagerly. “I’m taken.”
“Now, can you please excuse us?” I prop one hand on the door. “We’re kind of busy.”
He narrows his eyes at me, then turns to Daisy with a smug smirk. “Taken, huh? Why didn’t you register a plus one at the gala, then?”
She opens her mouth, but I’m faster. “Oh, I’ll be there. I wasn’t sure I’d make it, but now, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
He holds my gaze. Finally, he looks away. “Fine. I’ll see you there.”
And with that, I shut the door in his face.
Daisy
I sta nd on my tiptoes to look through the peephole. When I see Todd leave, I let out a long breath. “He’s gone.”
I turn around to face Asher, and the realization of what just happened hits. Wait. Todd, Asher. The gala.
“What have you done?” I exclaim, and he just shrugs.
“The guy pissed me off, and he doesn’t seem to take no for an answer. Maybe he got the memo this time.”
Well, that’s one way to shut him down. “But the gala! I’m screwed. It’s next week! You won’t be here next week, and he’ll know that this was all just a charade. Oh my gosh.” I start pacing, tugging at my wet hair. “It’ll be worse than before. I spent months trying to convince him I was through with him, but now he’ll think I’ve been lying all this time. He’ll think I was just trying to make him jealous, or some other crazy story his mind fabricates.”
“It’s going to be fine, Red.”
“No, it’s not,” I snap, fisting the collar of his T-shirt. “You don’t understand. He’ll never leave me alone now.” Okay. It doesn’t help that the last four times I left him, I always ended up coming back. He’s never going to let this go.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make things worse,” Asher says, running his hands over my arms, the warmth soothing me. “I’ll come with you to the gala. It’ll be fine.”
“Didn’t you hear a word I just said? It’s next Thursday. You leave tomorrow!”
“So? I’ll change my flight,” he says with a small shrug, like it’s no big deal.
My racing heart rate starts to slow. “You will?”
He nods, caressing my cheek. “I will. I don’t have a job, remember? There’s no reason I can’t stay. Our tour of the city was interrupted by the storm. I think I’m owed at least an additional day. Besides, I got you into this mess, and I’ll get you out of it. Consider it a demonstration of the legendary New York kindness. Or a superhero save. We have plenty of those in New York,” he jokes, and I chuckle, bumping my fist on his hard torso.
“Gosh,” I sigh, breaking away and walking to the living room. But I quickly remember that I can’t exactly slump onto my couch right now. “Why is my life so crazy?”
“At least that’s one thing both Chicago and New York have in common,” he says, his lips tilting into a smile.
“Yeah, I guess that’s universal.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Thank you for helping me out and extending your stay for me. We barely know each oth er and—” I clear my throat, my eyes meeting his. “It means a lot.”
“No worries.” He smiles even brighter, stealing my breath in the process. “You know more about me than so many people in my life do. And anyway, you said you’d come with me to my mom’s. It’s only fair I return the favor.”
I swallow hard. How am I going to survive, now that we’re adding dinner at his mom’s and the Architecture Foundation Gala to the agenda? The way he looked at me yesterday, how his lips almost touched mine, and how that ignited a fire inside of me tells me I’m screwed. So screwed. Because if I wasn’t sure yesterday, I’m now one hundred percent certain that I have feelings for Asher Forbes. And I don’t even need to make a list to know that. It’s a simple fact. And like so many facts, it’s now etched into my brain with permanent ink that will never fade away.