But no. I’m totally not confessing my love or anything. It’s just a thank you type of heart, not an I’m in love with you type of heart.

Kye

Honestly, the emojis make this a hundred times more confusing. When the girls send me those things I usually ignore it.

Daisy

Alright, you old man, I’ll lay off the emojis.

Kye

Then I will come tomorrow.

I added a smile emoji. At least I knew what that one meant.

Kye

What are you doing tonight?

Daisy

On a Wednesday? Idk studying?

Kye

Want to come out for a drive with me?

Daisy

Absolutely yes.

I sent her back a ridiculous range of emojis and let her know what time I’d get there. Then I threw my phone aside, ignoring the wave of calm that came over me, knowing that I would see her in a few hours.

FIFTEENKYE

My fake girlfriend was ruining my life.

I’d been thinking about her for three fucking days straight, to the point I was struggling to focus on anything else.

Now, I had agreed to come to her party that was, apparently, being held at a pool.

I walked around the back of the country club’s building, already hating the entire day. There was something nagging me, though, making me know I couldn’t miss this, even if I would rather just wait and take her out for a drive later tonight.

Years of hanging around the crew, driving it into my head, that I couldn’t let her down over something so simple.

I didn’t know when or why I cared so much, but for some reason, fate had brought Daisy into my life. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed inevitable now.

The worst part of all of it, though, I was desperate to see her.

I pulled my hat lower, trying to hide more of my face as I made it around back.

Then I saw her.

Her black bikini was covered in small little white daisy flowers, and her hair was up, clipped away and threatening to fall as she laughed.

Even looking right at her, I couldn’t figure out what it was that made me feel…anything.

But fuck if I didn’t feel things around her.

She looked my way, and the smile that spread over her face was real.

“Hey,” she said, walking up to me. She moved to hug me, but she seemed to think better of it and froze. “For appearance’s sake, could I hug you?”

It didn’t matter if I could figure out why we were brought together. I just knew that for the first time in my life that I could remember, I wanted to touch her, and I did not deny myself what I wanted.

I moved first, pulling her in and hugging her. Her crowd of friends looked our way, but they made it less obvious than my friends about how hard they were staring.

She turned, pressing a small kiss to my lips, and I froze like always. It wasn’t even that I didn’t like it, but I kept waiting for the pleasure to disappear and the pain to come back.

“You taste like candy,” I mumbled, leaning in further. I kissed her again, and she smiled against me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and lips parted so I could take more. And for a second, I did.

Until I realized how fast I was losing control.

I wanted her hand wrapped around my neck again, for her to kiss me like her next breath depended on it, and I was seconds from asking when I finally broke away.

I pushed back, putting space between us fast.

The fact that her smile grew only shocked me. Most people were mad when I denied them affection, not smiling and ready to spend more time with me.

“Come on, drinks and party over here.”

She led me over, not reaching for my hand or hanging on me.

And I hated it.

She was doing exactly what I had told her I wanted, and now I was pissed.

What the fuck happened that I suddenly wanted affection, and what was it about Daisy that triggered it? Unless it wasn’t just Daisy.

I looked around. The party was packed with girls, and I tried to look at each one as though my brain would suddenly light up and want their touch.

Nothing happened.

Maybe it was just that I hadn’t been touched much in so long in an affectionate way that I had been cured and hadn’t known it. Which meant I needed to find another girl that would touch me to test it.

Even the thought of it made my skin crawl, and I didn’t think that was a good sign.

Daisy introduced me to a few people before I couldn’t stand anymore. I needed a break from the small talk that she seemed happy to continue.