Page 22 of Electric Kiss

“Well, most of it is on the floor, but it looks like some went over your feet. It smells delicious whatever it is.”

“Beef casserole. Or it was.”

“You should get your feet in cold water.”

“Okay,” she said. “Where did Rob go?”

“I sent him away,” Nate said through gritted teeth. “Rob’s harmless but doesn’t know where to draw the line.”

“He never did. He was the one I hated most at school.”

He reared his head back. “More than me?”

“Way more than you. He wasn’t very nice to me.”

“What did he do?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

“What do you mean?”

Daisy didn’t want to confess she didn’t know because she had suppressed memories coming back to haunt her. She clambered off his lap and moved to where her black leather handbag was on the floor. It was splattered with the beef casserole. Daisy brushed off as much as she could and swung it over her shoulder.

“Don’t think I haven’t forgotten you lied to me,” Daisy said and hobbled away.

Nate was at her side in a few strides. “What do you mean?”

“You let me believe I had sprained your wrist.”

“You did dislocate my shoulder,” he said.

She stopped in the middle of the concrete between the workshop and the dark waters.

Her fury bubbled up, and she stabbed a finger at his chest.

“Technically, you did that when you were protecting falling on your sprained wrist. Twist it all you want, but I felt bad. I’ve helped around here, done your side job so you get paid, brought you meals, and you never said a word that you’d already hurt your wrist.”

He moved forward, and she stepped back. He respected the move and didn’t stay still.

“Daisy, I’m sorry,” he said.

“I don’t care,” she snapped. “Have a nice life. I thought you’d changed, thought you were a decent guy.”

His retort was quick. “I am a decent guy. I am not letting you walk home after the episode you just had.”

“I brought the buggy. I’ll be fine,” she wailed, frustrated that he thought she was helpless.

“I am not taking that chance. You don’t know what you’re like when you’re triggered. I don’t want you driving off the side of the cliff and plunging to your death.”

“Why do you even care?” she yelled.

“I don’t know, Daisy,” he yelled back. “Maybe I like you, maybe I have this urge to take care of you, to make sure you’re all right. To chase away these demons that plague you,” he shouted louder. “All I know is these past five days have been the happiest days I’ve had in years.”

“Nate,” she said and sagged her shoulders.

“Don’tNateme. Give me a minute to lock up, and I’ll chaperone you home. I can’t drive.”

“I’m not sure I can drive either. My feet really hurt,” she muttered.

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