Page 107 of Maximum Dare
I should have called her.“I’m sorry you have to see him like this.”
“How does his future look?”
I shrugged, doubt all over my face.
“Oh, God.” She closed her eyes.
“One day at a time. We need to get him through surgery before we make any major decisions.”
“He’s spent his entire life getting here and now this…” She looked up at me. “What really happened, Max?”
“He got in a fight with Morgan’s ex-boyfriend outside a pub.”
Daisy’s eyes widened in shock.
“Sometimes it sucks to be right.” I paused, trying to find the right words. “Daisy, listen…”
She took my hand and kissed my fingers. “I’m here for you.”
She meant all of us but was kind enough not to say it.
“I’m glad.” I studied her reaction, looking for any seed of affection for Nick that might have still been buried deep, listening for quiet whispers of her heart that might reveal her true feelings.
Nick’s relationship with Morgan was fraught with complications. That girl had potentially ended his career.
Staring at Daisy, I wondered if all this chaos would ricochet back on us, shattering our newfound happiness and breaking our hearts.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Daisy snapped. “It’s you. It will always be you for me, Max.” She changed her footing, looking up at me with soulful eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I dragged her into a hug and held her tight, sending out a silent prayer.
Down the hall, my injured brother was fighting for hope, fearing his life’s dream might be in ruins. I just hoped the world didn’t ask the impossible of me.
I’d always been the good brother. I’d always tried to do the right thing and put myself last. If fighting to keep Daisy meant destroying my brother, I wasn’t sure I could be that man.
But how could I ever bring myself to let Daisy go, now that I’d found her…
“Come on! Let me see you!” Max called through my bedroom door.
“I’ll be down in a minute!” I listened to his footfalls heading back downstairs.
I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms, but I needed a few more minutes.
I can do this.
I could play happy family with Max’s relatives. I could face his mum again…see Nick with Morgan and finally tell him about us. There was nothing to it, really. All I had to do was walk back into their grand mansion in Hampstead and pretend that the last time I’d been there I hadn’t almost drowned in their family pool in front of all their friends.
The good news was I doubted anyone would recognize me anyway. Hell, I hardly recognized myself. After I’d shared with Max that I was thinking of getting my hair and makeup done, he’d arranged for a professional to visit the house. She’d spent the last couple of hours styling my hair and beautifying me. She’d made my eyes pop with eyeshadow, eyeliner, and then applied a pretty shade of lipstick. A hint of blush and I was ready.
I was going to enter Nick’s family home feeling that I deserved to be there just as much as Morgan. After all, she had singlehandedly threatened Nick’s career and she was still around.
Nick was recovering well from his surgery. It had been good to hear he was feeling optimistic, and he was eager to begin physical therapy.
Tonight, he would finally see me and Max together as a couple. It would feel good not to have to hide our relationship from him anymore.
All that was left for me to do now was don the gown Max had bought me at Harvey Nichols. This was like one of those fairytales that never happened in real life—except it was happening to me.
All those times I’d stuck my nose against that shop window, and not once had I ever believed this dress would be mine.
