Chapter Twenty-Three
DAISY
The room was silent after she had said those words. Daisy felt physically ill as she waited for Asher to say something. Had she told him too much? Was he realizing that she was more trouble than she was worth?
“I’m sorry,” she quickly said as she placed her plate on the table and stood. “I shouldn’t have sa—”
The words fell short as her whole body tilted, falling before she could do anything.
“Daisy!” Asher yelled, arms wrapping around her. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“You can let me go. I’m okay. I just stood up too fast.” She pushed against his chest.
Asher helped her sit down, and she tried to stand again, but Asher stopped her.
“You aren’t going anywhere,” he declared.
“I think we should be done talking. I don’t want to do this any longer,” she whispered.
He had taken so long to say something after she told him her worries. This was why she never did anything like this. People always left, and she was disappointed.
“No, we aren’t done talking,” he said.
Her head snapped up to his. They weren’t?
“I really don’t want to hear you tell me that the girl is foolish for trying to stay and that she is too much of a hassle. I understand,” she said.
“Who told you that?” he asked. “Who told you that you were too much of a hassle?”
She shook her head as she stopped looking at him. “No one.”
“Daisy.” His voice went hard.
“Okay, fine. My parents told me when they found out about my medical condition. It was friends who told me I needed to get over it and not pay attention to it or tell anyone about it so I could find someone,” she blurted out, tears streaming down her face.
“It was countless people over the years who would give me looks as I walked with Chilli or had an episode in the store. It was everyone who would whisper and point after something happened because they couldn’t believe I was still showing my face. ”
Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his lap as he rocked them both. Daisy gripped onto Daddy’s shirt as she cried, letting out everything she had been holding in for years.
“It was all the people who told me that I was faking to get attention, and that it wasn’t a good look on me,” she choked out.
“Shhh, you’re okay,” he whispered, tightening his hold on her.
“Everyone in my life but the two authors, and now the group of Littles I just met,” she wailed. “No one else believes me, or they think I’m a freak.”
A freak who couldn’t stand without passing out. A freak who had to have a service dog to help her live. A freak who—
“You are not a freak. I will not tolerate you calling yourself that. Do you understand?” Asher asked as he gripped her chin, so they were looking at each other. “You are not a freak, and you never will be. If I hear you call yourself that one more time, you will have a hot bottom.”
“But—”
“No, we are not playing this game. I want you to repeat after me,” he said. “I am not a freak.”
“I am not a freak,” she whispered.
Asher hummed. “Louder.”
Daisy pursed her lips. She didn’t really want to say it louder.
“Louder, Daisy.”
“I am not a freak,” she said louder than before.
“Good girl. I want you to say that at least once a day while you look at yourself in the mirror because it’s true.
You aren’t a freak. People have medical conditions.
It’s not good to ignore them, and you aren’t going to do that,” he declared.
“No one has made fun of you here. People in Springfield are different.”
And Daisy was slowly starting to realize that. The Littles didn’t bat an eyelid at her or Chilli when they were introduced. They were happy to see her and accepted her right away into their group, even though they knew she might be leaving.
“Everything you’ve been told is wrong. I don’t want you to listen to those voices any longer, understand?
” he asked. “I know it might take a while for you to believe it, but I want you to try. You are precious, and people love you here already. You are not a waste of space. You deserve to live your life the way you want to live it and be happy. I’m sorry they made you feel like that for so many years. ”
Tears pool in her eyes, and she quickly fanned her face, trying to stop them.
“It’s okay to cry, Little Flower,” he cooed at her. “You can cry as much as you want in front of me.”
“I don’t want to cry,” she whispered. “You are saying really nice things to me, and I’m not used to it.”
Even though her two authors had told her that she was loved and shouldn’t listen to anyone who says otherwise, hearing Asher say those words was different. It was like her mind was finally saying, “Okay, let's start believing what they have been saying all along.”
“Oh, baby, that breaks my heart to hear that you aren’t used to it.” He pulled her closer to him. “We are going to change that, though. Every day, I’m going to send you something that I really mean with all my heart.”
“You don’t have to,” she mumbled.
“But I want to. I want to show you how I see you,” he tells me. “The other Littles already love you. A lot of them have been texting me to see if they can get your number, or if I can bring you again tonight or another night. They want you for who you are. You don’t have to pretend around them.”
“Really?” She looked up at him.
He nods, kissing her forehead. “Really, baby. They want to be your friend so badly. They want to add you to the Littles’ group chat, but I told them to hold off until you were feeling a little better. I didn’t want them to overwhelm you.”
“That is really sweet.” Tears ran down her face.
At this point, Daisy should have just accepted that she was going to be crying a lot around Asher. Hopefully, it would stop soon.
“That they want to add you, or that I’m being such a good person and helping you not get overwhelmed?” he asked, a smile dashing across his face.
“Both.” She glanced away.
Daisy wasn’t going to let him know that it was more him looking out for her. She hadn’t had that happen a lot in life, and it felt really nice to have someone in her corner.
Asher kissed the side of her head once again, and she melted into him. Oh, how she wanted him to do that all the time. Daisy wanted to wake up in his arms with a kiss on her forehead. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms, safe and secure.
“Do you want to do something tonight?” he asked.
“Oh, um... I was just going to relax and be in my head,” she whispered. “That was all I had planned for.”
“Have you had lunch or dinner?”
She shook her head. “My stomach is tied to my emotions. They have been all over the place. I’ve only managed to drink some coffee today.”
Which wasn’t the wisest idea. Daisy had always been particularly good about eating something before she drank coffee, so it didn’t upset her stomach, but today was an off day.
Everyone had one of those occasionally.
“Why don’t we go out to a place I know and love, and we can have some food?” he suggested. “My treat.”
She waved her hands in the air. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“But I want to,” he whispered. “It would make me the happiest man alive if you would accompany me.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m more than sure. Why don’t we head there? You want to grab Chilli’s leash?” Asher helped Daisy stand slowly. “You feeling okay?”
“Yes.”
“Go get the leash, and then I’ll drive us there.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to take me to a diner,” she said as she read the menu for the umpteenth time.
Daisy very rarely ate out because it meant everyone looking at her and Chilli. She hadn’t been to a diner in over five years. There were too many options, and she didn’t know what was good here.
“What were you expecting?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A restaurant or a fast-food place. Somewhere else.”
“Do you not like diners? Do you want to go somewhere else?” He gave her his full attention.
She waved her hands in front of herself quickly. “Oh, no! I don’t... I just haven’t been to a diner in years. I also don’t really eat out much, either.”
Daisy wasn’t embarrassed about it. Okay, she was. Not because she hadn’t been to one in years, but because she was so overwhelmed and didn’t know what to get. She didn’t want to embarrass Asher in front of everyone.
The number of people who had stopped them as they were walking to their table in the far corner of the room was astonishing.
“Wait.” Her eyes grew wide as she leaned in. “You don’t own this diner, do you?”
Asher’s head dropped back as he let out a loud laugh. Her cheeks flushed, and she hid behind the menu as everyone looked over toward them. Oh, she shouldn’t have said that, but she couldn’t help herself. He owned several places in Springfield, so it was a legit question.
“I’m sorry, Little Flower. I wasn’t laughing at you,” he said after he composed himself. “You can stop hiding behind the menu now.”
“I don’t think I want to do that,” she whispered.
“No one is looking at us. I promise,” he gently said. “Come on.” His finger pushed the top of the menu down, and they made eye contact. “There you are.”
“I didn’t mean to imply something, if that’s why you were laughing,” she mumbled, not really knowing what she was saying. She just felt like she needed to apologize.
“No, I’m sorry for laughing so hard. I’ve never had someone ask me that question. It took me by surprise,” he explained. “And no, I don’t own this diner, but I do come in here a lot by myself. They have really good food. When I need a little pick-me-up, I come here.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
That was why everyone who worked here seemed to know him.
“And a lot of these people come to the bar, so I see them a lot. You don’t have to worry about me owning everything in Springfield.
I just own the bar, some houses that I rent out, and I’m one of the owners of the club,” he said.
“I also own some land, but I let farmers use it and rent whatever they need for little money.”
“Boy Scout?” she couldn’t help but ask.
A smile danced across his face. “No, I wasn’t a Boy Scout, but I really wanted to be one. Sadly, that wasn’t in the cards for what my parents were able to give me.”
Daisy didn’t know what to say, so she looked back at her menu. The waitress decided to come right at that moment, and anxiety rolled through her.
“Are you guys ready to order?” she asked.
“Daisy?” Asher said, and she looked up at him. “Are you ready to order, or do you need some more time?”
Daisy looked back down at the menu. “I’ll um... I’ll take the chocolate chip pancakes with a side of bacon.”
No one could ever go wrong with picking pancakes. They were always so soft and fluffy.
“She’ll also take a side of fruit as well. No peaches, though, she’s allergic to them,” Asher added. “And I’ll take my usual.”