CHAPTER 28
NOW
DAPHNE
“There she is!” Shannon shrieks.
She and Mitch barrel into me, enveloping me in a hug and knocking the graduation cap from my head. Mitch bends down to scoop up the square hat I’ve bedazzled, laughing as he takes in the shock painted across my face.
“What are you guys doing here?!” My arms squeeze Shannon tighter, squishing the bouquet of flowers she’s holding between our bodies. “You’re supposed to be in California!”
“Excuse me, bitch. My ass doesn’t graduate until tomorrow.” My best friend’s voice gives me pause, my head frantically scanning the area. Shannon chuckles, holding up her phone to reveal Jonsie’s smiling face proudly on display. “Today is all about you.”
“Oh my God.” I reach out as Shannon relinquishes her hold on the cell, allowing me to pull the screen closer to my face. “You watched?”
“Of course I watched! Like 3,000 miles could keep me from cheering you on as you walked across that stage. You better watch me walk tomorrow!” she demands, feigning outrage before the two of us erupt in a fit of giggles. “I’m so proud of you, Daph.”
My smile widens, growing to the point one would think it’s been months since I spoke with Jones and not a mere twelve hours. There isn’t a day that passes that we don’t talk in some capacity. She is my lifeline.
“I miss you so much, boo.” My voice trembles with emotion.
“Ditto, babe. But no worries, I’ll be back next week.”
The thought of having her permanently home, so easily accessible to me after four long years, heals a part of me I didn’t even realize was broken. “I cannot freaking wait!” I exclaim, only to have my excitement tinged with worry as I look to her parents. “Are you sure you guys didn’t screw up your travel plans for me?”
“Stop.” Shannon holds up a hand, waving me off. “We’re flying out tonight. We’ll get there with plenty of time to spare. Honestly, sweetheart, did you really think we’d miss your graduation?”
The notion seems ludicrous now that she says it aloud. I can’t think of a time when either of them has ever treated me with anything less than the same love and adoration they reserve for their children. My chest tightens, a ball of emotion wedging itself at the back of my throat. “It means the world you guys came.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear us. Nick and the boys were screaming so loud when they called your name, they damn near got us kicked out of the section.”
“Nick was here?”
“Of course. And Rico and JP. They left after the ceremony to beat the traffic. Nick still has to pack before the flight, so he couldn’t stick around, but he wanted me to give you this.”
She hands me a small box wrapped in a white bow, taking the phone from me in trade. My fingers trace along its edges, trembling slightly as I tug at the flared edge of the satin ribbon. Slipping it free, I stuff the piece of fabric into my pocket before slowly lifting the lid.
Inside, I find what must be a hundred or so rectangular pieces of cardstock. Thumbing the stack, I slide one of the glossy pieces upward, my breath stuttering when I notice my name printed in gold foil against a black backdrop.
Daphne Burke
Luxury Interior Designs
Business cards.
He had business cards made for me.
My eyes sting with the onset of fresh tears. The struggle to keep them from falling only intensifies when I flip it over, revealing a white dahlia in full bloom centered on the back of the card.
It’s been just over three months since I stormed out of Nicky C.’s life, demanding he let me go. A part of me didn’t think him capable. Those first couple weeks, I couldn’t go anywhere without wondering if he’d pop up. A few times I could’ve even sworn I felt his eyes on me. And yet, nothing. For the first time in the history of our relationship, Nicky did exactly as I asked. It was as if any trace of him had been scrubbed from my life. If it weren’t for Mitch and Shannon, I’d have started to worry I’d imagined his existence entirely.
Things with Luc are… stable. The morning after I’d left Nicky, I’d adhered to my mother’s demands and went to see Lucian in the hospital. After overhearing Rico’s warnings, her claims regarding the trouble she could cause for the boys suddenly held a lot more legitimacy. Luc cried when he saw my face. A self-serving show of guilt-ridden grief, no doubt, but some small part of me wanted to believe he was actually sorry for what he’d done. He swore to me up and down he’d never put hands on me ever again. Promised me if I stayed, he’d make more time for me. He assured me I’d be the only woman in his life.
I agreed, and though things aren’t perfect, it certainly seems like he’s making an effort.
“Sugar bear.” Speak of the devil.
I internally groan at the latest nickname he’s been trying on for size, though smile as he tosses an arm around me and plants a kiss to my temple.
“I’ve been looking for you. Come on. We have to meet your parents at the restaurant.”
Ahh, yes. My parents. The ones who showed up before the ceremony to snap pictures with me but didn’t stay because the heat was “an unreasonable burden” I was “selfishly asking them to endure.” I was initially shocked they even showed up at all, but when my mother started tagging me on Facebook with captions like “When she inherits your beauty AND brains,” it all made sense. Looks like I finally did something worth bragging about. Anything that keeps that image up.
“Oh!” Luc glances over, startling in surprise. “Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Conners. Didn’t see you there. Hey, J!”
“Hey Luc!” Jonsie waves at him as Shannon hands the phone back to me so they can see one another better.
“How’s Caleb? All set for the move?”
Lucian introduced Jonsie to Caleb when we were visiting her last year in California. She’d decided not to come home for the summer—a tactic in her long-standing mission to never see Mav again—and so when I’d told him I wanted to go see her, Lucian thought it would be a good opportunity to visit one of his best friends, Caleb, who attended Berkeley five hours from Jones. It was also the first time I’d gotten to meet him, only previously having spoken to him on the phone when he and Luc would periodically chat.
It was a good time. And, not surprisingly, Caleb had become instantly smitten with my five-foot-eight blonde-haired blue-eyed bombshell of a best friend. I think he serves as a nice distraction from the memories she’s still running from, but I worry her heart’s not in it like his is. J’s the type of person who will stick it out to avoid hurting others, and I can’t bear the thought of my best friend simply settling. With her moving home, it will be the first time in years she and Bishop will be forced to coexist in such close proximity to one another. It’s only a matter of time before the two of them come face to face.
Not to mention, as one of my father-in-law’s top clients, Mav scored himself an invite to my wedding per Elliot’s request. An invite that he surprisingly replied Yes to. I’m dreading telling her. Shit is gonna hit the fan.
“He’s good,” J fills Luc in. “I was talking to him about it last night. He’s looking forward to seeing you.”
“When will you be home?”
“Next week.”
“Cool. Tell him I’ll call him later.”
“Will do. Oh! I almost forgot. Nicky’s hosting a quiet welcome-home dinner for me next week. It’s literally some lame excuse for him to meet Caleb for the first time.”
“Caleb won’t be at your graduation tomorrow?” I ask, brow furrowing in confusion.
“No. His graduation is tomorrow, too, so I can’t hold it against him.”
“Fair point.” I chuckle.
“Anyway,” she continues. “Will you guys come? Run interference on poor Caleb’s behalf? We all know Nick can be a lot.”
Lucian tenses beside me, and I’m guessing the memory of the beating is still far too fresh in his mind. Especially since he’s been suffering from some pretty intense migraines ever since. Sometimes I feel bad, but then I remember what earned him that bat to the head, and I struggle to hold on to the sympathy. Still, probably best to sit this one out.
“I don’t think we can make it, babe.”
“I haven’t even told you when it is yet!” She laughs, shaking her head. “Next Friday. You better be there. No excuses! I gotta run, though. I love you, Daph. I can’t wait to see you!”
“I love you, too!” I blow her a kiss just before the screen cuts out. Handing the phone back to Shannon, I fumble the box holding the business cards, managing to catch it before it hits the ground.
“What’s that?” Luc reaches down to retrieve the gift from my grasp, handing me the lid and plucking one of the cards from within.
“Our graduation present to Daphne.” Shannon swoops in, commandeering my response. “Just a little something to get her started in her business.”
“Oh, wow. That’s amazing, babe. It’s almost like you’re a real business!”
I bristle at his comment, though he doesn’t notice. He continues to admire them, blissfully unaware of the death stare Mama Conners is currently sending his way. She opens her mouth to say something to him, but I quickly shake my head, silently asking her to let it go.
Luc slips the card away, tucking the box up under his arm as he begins to bid the Conners goodbye. “Well, I hate to steal her from you guys, but we do have to go meet her parents.” He looks to me, this time pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll go grab the car. Should buy you a few extra minutes.”
“Thank you.” I smile, genuinely grateful for his thoughtfulness in the moment.
Luc offers up a few final parting words, then makes his way through the crowd toward one of the student lots, leaving me alone with Shannon and Mitch.
“I’ll go grab our car, too,” Mitch offers before pulling me into a hug. “We’re so proud of you, sweetheart. You’re going to be a huge success.”
“Of course she is!” Shannon exclaims with pride. “Just look what she did with our upstairs bedrooms. I want exclusivity on that, by the way. Don’t you be peddling that design to anybody else out here.”
“I would never,” I gasp, my jaw going slack in a show of faux offense.
Mitch releases me, dipping his head to give Shannon a quick kiss like he isn’t going to see her in five minutes, then takes off across the field. It’s then I take notice of a decorative pale purple gift bag beside Shannon’s feet.
She tracks my gaze, smiling when she bends down to retrieve it.
“He also wanted me to give you this.”
“Nicky did?” I question, thinking I misunderstood her.
But alas, she nods, passing the present to me that’s deceptively heavy. Glancing to her once more, it isn’t until she waves at me to get on with it that I finally begin to sift through all the bubblegum pink tissue paper.
My hand pushes deeper, enclosing around something smooth and hard. I slowly pull the object free, and a lump seems to form in my throat as I take in the sight of the pristine porcelain unicorn.
It’s a decent size, the mini statue standing about six or seven inches tall, an elegant bright white depiction of the mythical creature from the neck up. It’s horn sits high atop its head, adorned with gold glitter, sparkling in the sunlight.
It’s beautiful.
Turning it over in my hands, I locate a small slit in the back along its mane. A coin bank? Odd choice. Taking note of the small tag dangling from the handle of the bag, I flip it over to read the short message written in his familiar scrawl.
A unicorn to guard your wishes in hopes they all come true.
I hope you don’t mind, I went first.
“Here.” Shannon extends her hand, passing me a small scrap of paper. “He said you’d know what to do with it.”
My heart gallops in my chest, my fingers trembling as they fumble to flip open the thin slip.
I wish she’d come to dinner.
A car horn sounds out from somewhere in the distance, though I remain dialed in on the wish I hold in my hands.
He said you’d know what to do with it.
Folding the paper back in half, I slip it inside the coin slot for safe keeping—for the unicorn to guard until it comes true.