She shook her head, stepping back against me. “No, not me. I’m okay.”

I ran my hand down her arms, looking down at her tear-stained cheeks.

“It’s Mia, Kye. She’s dead.”

My hands froze on her as I looked back at the diner. “How?”

“They don’t know. I came and the doors were locked, but she was in there…dead.”

“Come on,” I said, already heading towards her dad’s car. “We need to figure out what happens now.”

My arm stayed tight around her, and her dad didn’t fail to notice it. Daisy noticed it too, leaning against me harder and cursing.

“Did this really all have to happen right now?”

“I think your dad hating me is going to be the least of our concerns tonight.”

“I doubt it,” she said. “He’s going to make it a concern.”

“What the fuck are you doing here now?” her dad said, nearly yelling as we got closer.

Daisy froze at my side. “He came for me. To make sure I was okay, and I need him here.”

“Why?”

“Because I just found my coworker dead and I would like someone to be here for me. Is that really an issue to you?”

He shook with anger, but looked back at the diner. “I have bigger things to deal with right now, but I can guarantee you both, we will be dealing with this.”

“There’s nothing between her and I that you need to deal with,” I said, realizing Daisy wasn’t going to say anything. I knew she hated the disapproval, and probably hated it even more when it was said right to her face, but part of me wished she wasn’t so damn ashamed of me that she couldn’t just tell him to shut up. “What happened?” I asked, trying to put all of our thoughts back on what was going on around us.

“Mia was killed. I won’t be telling either of you more than that, but it doesn’t seem like an accident of any sort. We…We have a few things that we need to piece together, and we’re going to need you to come to the station tonight, Daisy. Alone.”

I smirked. “She doesn’t have to go alone. You might need to talk to her alone, but she doesn’t have to go sit there and wait alone.” I couldn’t stop it, couldn’t help the words coming out of my mouth, already knowing he was going to be pissed about it. “I’m pretty sure her boyfriend is allowed to take her there and wait until she is done.”

His nostrils flared. “Actually, she is a witness, and we need to make sure no one is feeding her what she should be saying. Mark will take you. You can follow on your…bicycle, if you want.”

“I think I’ll take my car, but thanks.”

Her hand squeezed mine tighter. “But I don’t want to go with Mark. I would like Kye to take me.”

“Well, that isn’t an option. We don’t know who was involved in this yet,” he said, looking at me. “And I can’t risk anyone getting your story confused.”

I leaned down to her, my lips at her ear. “It’s okay. I’ll follow behind you and be there at the same time.”

“I don’t want to go alone with Mark. Please, I can’t,” she whispered to me. 

The fear and panic were clear, and I knew there was nothing that was going to stop me from being at her side.

“Alright, then, Daze. Let’s get you to the station.”

I opened the door, letting her into the back so she could be as far away from Mark as she wanted, and I pulled open the passenger door, sliding into the seat next to Mark.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?”

“Getting a ride to the station.”

“If you don’t get out of this car right now, I’m going to⁠—”

“What? Arrest me? That’s fine. Then you’ll have to put me back there with her.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel, nearly turning white, and I wondered what he really wanted to say to her alone in the car. If he thought talking shit about me for an hour or two would change her mind.

Daisy said he seemed upset about the breakup, but when he looked back in the rearview mirror at her, I didn’t think she understood how upset he might be.

I understood it at the very least. Losing Daisy wasn’t easy, and I didn’t blame him for trying to get her back, but I was going to guarantee he didn’t have a chance this time.

FIFTY-THREEDAISY

Kye watched me the entire ride. If he wasn’t looking back at me, I could see him watching from the side mirror. With the way Mark was looking at me from the other side of the car, I was glad I asked Kye to come. I didn’t know that I would have heard the end of whatever lecture Mark had to give me today. This was the first time that Mark and my dad had seen Kye and I together, and while they already suspected, I knew seeing it in person was going to cause issues.

And I was right, based on how my dad already reacted and how Mark wanted to react.

We rode to the station in silence, and I tried to think of anything I knew about Mia. I barely knew her. She didn’t share much about herself, more about other people. I knew she lived with a roommate, and I thought she had a boyfriend, but again, she didn’t say much about it.

Kye opened my door, pulling me against him as soon as I stood. As much as Kye liked pissing off Mark and my dad, I knew he wasn’t doing it to make a problem, but to support me.

“Thank you for coming,” I whispered.

Mark walked in ahead of us, but Kye pulled me back, turning me into his arms to cup my face and kiss me hard.

“Thank you for being okay, because I wasn’t sure what I would do if you weren’t,” he whispered, kissing me again.

Before I could say anything, Mark was already storming back out and urging us inside.

He brought us to the waiting area, and Kye sat with an arm around the back of my chair.

I went to sit, but Amber burst through the door, already running to grab me.

“Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re okay!” she yelled. 

I hugged her back. “You, too. I’m glad you weren’t there tonight.”

“I almost was. Almost. Have they told you anything yet?”

“No. Nothing yet. Hopefully, soon. I can text you when I learn anything.”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding, but chewing her lip. “Yeah. I guess I will give my information and…go home.”