Chapter 5
I’m not even sure what started this. Why I asked her all that shit with Isaac.
If she was with him again?
If she loved him?
She didn’t even answer my fucking questions, instead pushing my buttons in a way only she knows how, before she left me raging on the side of the road.
I’ve spent so long keeping these questions and fears bottled up inside. So long trying not to let her see how much she hurt me, how much I hate that he gets to touch her, kiss her, fuck her. So long just pretending that I don’t want her back because she is my whole fucking world.
Always has been.
“Fuck,” I mutter as Daisy’s car speeds off.
I unleash my board, tucking it under my arm as I make my way along the side of the road and back home. Thankfully, Kai isn’t here, the house silent as I head inside and straight to the bathroom.
I strip off my boardshorts, kicking them to the side as I step into the shower, the steam quickly filling the small room. My body feels wired, and I know that’s from touching her.
It’s the first time I’ve touched her like that in nearly a year, and it took every ounce of self-control I have not to keep going. To move my fingers higher, beneath her shorts and to her pussy, which I know would have been wet for me.
Groaning, I grab the soap, lathering up my hand because, of course, I’m hard, and I need to fucking jerk off. Daisy has always driven me insane, in both the good and bad way, and today was no different.
From the way she snuck out of here in the morning.
To having breakfast and then surfing with us.
To refusing to answer my fucking questions.
“Jesus,” I grunt, gripping my dick as I give it one long, hard pull. I wish she were here with me now, on her knees, and it was her lips wrapping around my cock as she sucked me off.
She’d know then that not only was her name still tattooed above it, but that there were new additions too—things she hasn’t seen because I never got a chance to show them to her.
I drop my head to the cool tile, my grip tight as I continue to stroke my dick. I know it’s not going to take long because this is the only action my dick has seen since I came back to Maui.
I might have fucked around on the mainland when I found out about Isaac and Daisy, but since coming home, I haven’t touched another woman. Can’t fucking bear the thought of it, even though it drives me insane to think about him touching her.
I come hard, my release hitting the tile as the loud groan I let out echoes in the shower stall.
I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this, and maybe that’s another reason why I exploded today, finally giving voice to the questions that have been swirling in my head ever since I found out about Daisy and Isaac.
I fucking hate the thought of her with him.
And I want her back so badly it hurts, like my heart is permanently cracked open inside my chest and the only way it’s ever going to be fixed is if Daisy is mine again.
I finish up in the shower before drying off and walking naked back to my bedroom to get dressed. I need to head into work, get some shit done for Dad, even though he told me it could wait.
I don’t like the idea of letting him down, and a part of me feels like I did when I left for the mainland. He always knew I wasn’t as into the family business as Kai was, and while he said he was cool about it, a part of me wonders if he really was.
And don’t get me wrong, I love working for my dad. But I love music too, and when the band got that opportunity to be the opening act on a tour of the U.S., it was impossible to turn down. And now, after everything went to shit, I feel like helping my dad is the least I can do.
When I walk into the workshop, Dad is bent over a board, applying one of the designs Nate has drawn. He doesn’t hear me come in. The music that’s always playing, loud and filling the huge space. It takes me a second to realize it’s my music, and I stop, surprised.
It feels like a distant memory now, recording this song, playing this song. Given the chance, I’m not sure I’d go back to it either, especially with everything that came with it.
“Hey, Miles,” Dad says, smiling as he straightens, stretching out his back. “You didn’t need to come in today.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say, giving him a hug. “But I wanted to get this stuff done for you. Board looks good,” I add, gesturing to the custom he’s working on.
“It does, another custom for Flynn, would you believe?”
I let out a laugh. “Yeah, he told me he’s always wanted one, and I guess now that he’s got an in, he’s taking advantage, huh?”
Dad shrugs. “Guy can surf. I’m very happy to give him as many boards as he wants.”
I nod, knowing that with Flynn back surfing competitively, him using an Olsen board is awesome publicity for Dad. Not that he needs it, of course, but it sure doesn’t hurt.
“Well, I’m gonna go get started on those fins,” I say, slapping a hand on his back. “You need me to do anything else while I’m here?”
“You don’t need to be here, Miles,” he says, again reminding me that I’m not working today.
“I know,” I reply, shrugging. “But what else am I gonna do?”
Dad looks at me, his head tilting to the side as he takes me in, a curious expression crossing his face. “Everything okay?” he now asks, concern in his eyes.
“Yeah,” I lie.
He scoffs, stepping closer and putting a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, well that was bullshit. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Smirking, I ask, “What makes you think something is going on?”
Dad chuckles. “Miles, you’re my son. I know you better than anyone, despite how much you try to keep everything locked up tight.” I blow out a breath, running a hand over my buzzed hair. “Talk to me,” he now says.
Scrubbing the hand down my face, I let out a low groan as I say, “Daisy.”
Dad laughs, squeezing my shoulder as he says, “Okay, see, that I could’ve guessed. It’s always Daisy when it comes to you, but what’s happened this time?”
Exhaling, I reply, “I don’t know exactly, but I asked about her and that asshole.”
“And?” Dad prompts. “What did she say?”
“Nothing,” I reply. “That’s the problem. She didn’t say anything, and it drives me insane not knowing what’s going on with her and him. Shit, it drives me insane just thinking about them.”
Dad smiles now, putting both hands on my shoulders as he turns me to face him. “Miles, I know you’re hurting over this, but I’m pretty sure Daisy is too, and the sooner you two talk to each other, the better,” he says. “Were you cool when you asked her about it?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “What do you think?”
His smile widens. “So much like your mother, you are,” he murmurs. “Try talking to her, okay? Like actually sit down and have an adult conversation together.”
Scoffing, I say, “I’m not sure we can.”
Dad raises his brows as he tips his head in acknowledgment. “This is true. You two were always a pair of hotheads, even as teenagers.”
I smile at his comment, knowing it’s true. Daze and I have always burned hard and fast. It’s probably half the reason we’re in this mess to begin with, neither of us stopping to talk about what happened or why.
But maybe that needs to change. Maybe I really do need to talk to her, let her know how I feel so I can find out once and for all if I have any chance of getting her back.
“Maybe you’re right,” I concede.
He laughs. “Oh, you think?”
I roll my eyes at him, but smiling, I say, “Okay, fine, you are right. Happy?”
Dad slings an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a half hug. “I’ll be happy when you get your head out of your ass and get your girl back. You two belong together, always have.”
“Not sure she thinks that,” I mutter, almost to myself.
“She will,” Dad says, squeezing my shoulder. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I reply, nodding. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Anytime, you know that.”
I smile, moving over to the bench with the fins all laid out. Just before I get to work, I turn back and call out, “Dad?”
“Yep?” he says, looking over at me.
“I didn’t know you...” I trail off, pointing to the speakers hanging on the wall, still playing my music.
“You kidding?” he says, narrowing his brow. “It’s your music, Miles. Of course I listen to it. I’m proud of you, kid.”
I spend the afternoon hanging out with Dad, fixing the fins for the boards he makes, the two of us shooting the shit as he plays the band’s album on repeat. I know he’s heard it. All my family has, and I know they’re proud of me too. I just didn’t know he still listened to it.
“Alright, I think we call it,” he says, wandering over to the workbench I’m at. “You wanna come home, grab some dinner?”
I exhale, replacing the tools on the rack as I turn and smile at him. “I was thinking I might go talk to her.”
“Daze?”
I roll my eyes, laughing a little as I say, “Yeah, Dad, Daze.”
He laughs, throwing his arm around me as he pulls me close and drops a quick kiss to the top of my head, just like he did when we were kids. “Good. Go get your girl back. The sooner we get that squared away, the sooner we can work on your brother and his philandering.”
I burst out laughing, shaking my head as I say, “Shit, Dad, I think that’s a bigger ask than me getting Daisy back.”
“I know,” he replies with a nod of his head. “So I’m gonna need both of your help with it.”
“Whatever you say, old man. See you tomorrow.”
“Later, kid,” he says, squeezing my shoulder.
After I finish up, I don’t head home but instead do something I haven’t done since I got back to Maui.
I go and see Daisy at work.
At least I hope that’s where she’s going to be. She said she had to work when she was coming up with excuses to run off on me this morning. Maybe it was bullshit. I don’t know, but if she isn’t there, I guess I’ll find out.
The bar is busy, a real tourist trap down on the water. I can hear the music blaring as I pull into the parking lot, finding a spot around the back. I’ve been here before, but that was before. Before with the band and before Daisy started working here.
Opening the door, I head inside, scanning the place, which is packed with both locals and tourists. The bar runs along the back wall, and as I make my way through the crowd, I scan the people working it, my eyes finally landing on Daisy at the far end.
She hasn’t noticed me yet, and I take the opportunity to watch her as she serves a group of guys who are clearly tourists. They’re clearly into her too, if the way they are all laughing and leaning over the bar while she lines up some shots for them is anything to go by.
She points a finger at the first shot, running it along the rest of them before she holds the bottle up and shouts something, the five guys all picking up their shots and downing them together.
They slam their glasses down, cheering and high-fiving each other like taking a tequila shot is the greatest fucking thing in the world.
Daisy holds up the bottle again, and one guy nods before crooking his finger at her, as if to tell her to come closer. She leans in, not too close, but close enough that this asshole takes a good look down her tank.
Fuck this.
I march over there, my eyes never leaving Daisy. When she finally notices me, hers widen in surprise, her smile disappearing as her mouth drops into a tiny O shape.
“We need to talk,” I snap, pushing my way to the bar as I shove past the dick who was checking out her tits.
Daisy’s mouth snaps shut as fury fills her eyes. “I’m working,” she bites back.
“Take a break.”
“No,” she argues, shaking her head at me.
The idiot beside me grabs my arm, but I shake it off as I turn to look at the other people working, hoping I know one of them. When I see Lisa, a chick who I know occasionally hooks up with Kai, I whistle, catching her attention.
“Miles Olsen,” she says, sauntering over to me. “Been a while.”
“Hey, Lisa, it has,” I say, smiling at her. “Can I borrow Daze for a sec? Won’t be long.”
I hear Daisy start to protest, but Lisa agrees to it before she can get more than two words out. I thank her, chuckling when she says, “Say hi to your brother for me.”
Turning to Daisy, I jerk my thumb toward the back corridor. “Let’s go.”
Daisy doesn’t move, huffing out a breath. Lisa just laughs, pushing Daisy toward the corridor. “Just go. You were due for a break anyway, and it’ll save me from having a fight on my hands.”
As Daisy storms off toward the darkened corridor, I can’t resist turning to the dickheads beside me, smirking at the asshole who was perving on her as I say, “Get lost,” before stalking over to where she stands.
She opens her mouth to speak, but I grab her elbow, dragging her down into the darkness and pushing her into the storeroom.
“Miles, what the fuck!?” she shouts, hands on her hips as she stands in the middle of the small space.
I walk toward her, my steps slow and measured as I say, “You never answered my questions.”
She huffs out a breath, throwing up her arms, taking a step back for every step I take toward her until she’s backed up against some shelves of booze.
“I don’t have to answer you anything,” she growls.
I close the distance, our bodies not quite touching, even as electricity crackles between us. I grab her hips, yanking her toward me, my fingers digging in as I say, “Do you love him, and are you back on?”
I don’t know why I’m insisting she answer me. Maybe I just need to know where I stand and what my chances are of getting her back.
Or maybe I just enjoy torturing myself over the woman I can’t seem to let go of.
“I’m not—”
“Answer me,” I growl, my grip tightening.
Daisy gasps, and even in the darkness, I can see her eyes widen, her pupils dilating as my hips brush against hers.
“No,” she eventually says, the word a whisper, barely audible over the pounding in my heart.
“No to which?” I ask, my thumbs brushing against her hip bones, sliding under the fabric of her tank to rest against her warm skin.
Daisy swallows hard, her chest rising and falling with hard breaths as she whispers, “Both.”
“Fuck,” I growl, my heart pounding in my chest as I slam my mouth against hers in a hard kiss.