Page 64 of Wed to the Devil
She sweeps back her hair and makes a face. “So that was something yesterday, huh?”
I stare off across the sea, intentionally not looking at her.
I realize now that my pulse is racing and it isn’t because of my stroll down the beach.
Daisy bites her lips and looks me up and down. I can feel her gaze catch on my baby bump. She squints at it but doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“I just came to say that I feel terrible. You probably hate me.”
This draws my attention back to her. I arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”
She pushes the hair out of her face and gives me a wry smile. “Well, I’m the reason that Dare is probably still completely screwed up. You probably already know that he and I were together in college. We even talked about getting married. But… Then I met Burn. And we just had such undeniable chemistry that I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. I broke up with Dare and Burn proposed to me the very same night.” She pulls a face. “So yeah, Dare is probably still completely hung up on me.”
I frown. “Dare said that you and Burn met before he actually met you. Is that not true?”
One glance at her suddenly red face tells me everything I want to know. She runs a hand down her stomach, poking out her cheek with her tongue.
“Well, sort of. I did know Burn when I met Dare. But I didn’t know him well.”
“And you got to know your boyfriend’s brother well, after you had been dating him for three years? Is that it?”
I see a flush of disgust on her face but it’s gone before I can comment on it. “You obviously don’t understand the timeline that I’m talking about here.” I shrug, “Maybe not. But I do know that you broke up with Dare after Burn proposed to you. Dare told me that you had that ring that’s on your finger right now when you showed up to his house late at night and essentially dumped him. So that’s two things that you have lied about in the space of a brief conversation.” I turn my head, looking at her. “I’m not sure why you came out here to talk to me. But if it was just to fill my ear with these falsehoods that are easy to check the veracity of, you can just leave now.” I pause, slowing my steps. “Or did Burn send you out to make peace with me? Is that what this is about?”
Daisy flushes scarlet red and her eyes tighten. “Are you calling me a liar?”
I roll my eyes. “If the name fits. Are we done here?”
“I just came out here to tell you that Dare still thinks about me all the time. There’s no question about it. He has tried to get me back several times since I left him for Burn. Including right before you two met. I’m absolutely certain that he still dreams about me at night.”
I whirled around, facing her. My pulse is high and I can feel my heart hammering against my chest.
“I don’t know who you think you are fooling. I love that you think you’re fooling everybody. I don’t know if you are just trying to lie to me because I am the newest member of this fucked up family. But whatever spell you think you’ve cast over my husband has long since been broken. I know for a fact he didn’t fall asleep thinking about you last night. Because we fucked until the early hours of the morning and he fell asleep satisfied after going all nightwith me. The fact that you seem to think that he has the brain space available to think of you is honestly pretty mind blowing.”
Her mouth twists into a hard little ball. “I know one thing for sure. Dare hasn’t told you he loved you. He said that to me so many times I lost count. But he told me he would never love any woman like he loves me. And I believe him.”
My heart falls to my stomach. I lift my chin and open my mouth, speaking before I even think to stop myself.
“Of course he has said he loves me,” I lie easily. “And I love him. We're married. And not only that, but I am pregnant. So whatever little schemes you have for the future, I would forget them. Focus on trying to love the fucked up man that you are engaged to. Because my husband and I are deeply in love and we’re going to have a baby.”
Her jaw drops. She looks down at my baby bump again and her eyes narrow viciously.
“Dare can’t have children. I am living proof of it. We were together for three years and never used a condom once.”
My heart is pounding so loudly in my ears that I am afraid that it will drown out the sound of my voice. “Maybe you should get yourself checked out then. Because Dare got me pregnant on purpose right away. Probably the first or second time that we tried to conceive.”
The lies just roll off my tongue, each one surprising me more than the next.
Daisy looks furious and she steps to me, pushing me hard. I stumble back a step and my hands form fists. But two seconds later, Bill intervenes.
“Hey! Hey!” He runs up, pushing her away from me. He spins and spreads his hands out wide, caging Daisy and making her back up. “Get back. Get back!”
“This isn’t over, bitch!” Daisy screams.
I turn away, my eyes welling up with unshed tears. I shove out a breath and dab at my eyes as Bill continues to back Daisy up.
“Ma’am? You need to start moving down the beach back toward the house. I radioed for help and Carl should be out here in a few seconds.”
“Don’t touch me!” Daisy snarls. “I swear to God, I will have your job for this. Don’t you dare touch me.”