CHAPTER 5
KILLIAN
This was a terrible fucking idea.
Hunter lasted a whole ten minutes before making his exit with his bride-to-be.
Noah has been following my sister around like a lost puppy dog with his tail between his legs – I’ll be sure to ask him what he’s done to upset her later.
Grayson is looking at Liv like he wants to spread her across this table and feast on her, witnesses be damned.
And I’m clenching my jaw to the point of pain to keep from doing something stupid.
Like losing my fucking shit with the girl doing her best at pretending I’m not even fucking here.
She won’t even look at me.
I should have drove myself here. At least then I could leave whenever I feel like it.
Like right fucking now.
Liv leans over and whispers something to Grayson that has him standing abruptly and tossing a handful of dollar bills on the table. His attention lands on the girls’. “Do you girls’ need a ride home?”
I almost jump out of my seat and yell, I do! but judging by the look that Olivia is giving the girls’, she’s likely to beat anyone that accepts the ride with her shoe. So, I begrudgingly keep my mouth shut.
Bella answers for them, politely declining, and the pair waste no time scurrying for the exit, leaving the four of us in strained silence.
I pull the pack of cigarettes from my pocket and place one between my lips. “I’ll wait for you outside,” I mutter to Noah, my feet already carrying me toward the doors.
The cold night air sends shivers racing down my spine and I welcome it as I lean back against Noah’s truck, inhaling deeply. My back is to the doors of the bar, so I don’t realise that someone has joined me until their voice penetrates the quiet of the empty parking lot.
“Can we talk?”
I turn my head slowly to the side, blowing out a cloud of smoke as I do, and come face to face with the woman that’s haunted my every waking moment for far too long. “Now you want to talk?”
Daisy kicks a rock with her boot, and my eyes are drawn downwards briefly before she speaks again. “I don’t want things to be awkward between us when we’re around each other.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. “Sure, Dais.”
“Killian, it doesn’t have to be-”
“Be what?” I snap. “Doesn’t have to be awkward? Doesn’t have to be like this? What doesn’t it have to be like, Daisy?”
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears and a part of me fucking hates myself for being the one responsible for them.
I never, ever wanted to be the man responsible for this woman’s sadness.
But the other part of me, the part that’s holding onto three years’ worth of resentment wins out.
I push off from the truck and come to stand in front of her.
Her eyes remain focused over my shoulder, and it pisses me off. “Look at me, Daisy.”
She doesn’t.
Instead, she trains them back on the ground, silent tears falling freely down her face as she shakes her head.
“Why?”
She says nothing, so I push harder.
“Why won’t you look at me?”
I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time entertaining this. I shouldn’t fucking care. I don’t want to care.
But I do.
Daisy still says nothing, her eyes remaining focused on the ground and I take one final drag on my cigarette before dropping it to the floor and stomping it out with my boot.
“Tell Noah I walked home.”
I don’t wait for her reply. I don’t stop when she calls out my name. I keep walking as my blood boils with pent up rage, my pulse thundering in my ears and only once I’m far enough away from town – away from her, do I let it out.
“Fuck!”