Page 54 of Maximum Dare
Lights blared on and I squinted at the gathering crowd that had come to see me—the girl floundering in the center of the pool who wished she could walk on water.
“Daisy?” Nick called out. “What are you doing?”
“How embarrassing,” Morgan muttered loud enough for me to hear.
Ignoring her, and the gathering crowd filled with posh outfits and judgy faces, I kept my focus on Nick as I fought to keep my balance.
“Hi.” I was holding my shoes in my left hand, so I waved at Nick with the other.
“What is that girl doing?” asked an elegant-looking woman. She was staring at me with a harried expression.
“Oh, hello, you must be Nick’s mum?” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Her brows knitted together as she swapped a wary glance with Nick.
Tonight’s big “Dare” wasn’t going so well. This share-your-true-feelings-and-be-your-authentic-self moment felt like my worst idea ever. Doubt crept in like the water around my ankles.
But I forced myself to finish what I’d started. “Nick, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Daisy, don’t,” he said, his face twisted with worry.
“This is what best friends do,” I said breathlessly, trying to ignore the squelching around my feet. “I know we’re over. I respect that decision—”
“Daisy!” Max drew my attention toward him.
“Oh, hello,” I said brightly. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Oh, God,” said Mrs. Banham, moving closer to Nick.
Her embroidered silver high-slit dress shimmered beautifully under the lights.
What must I look like to her?
“Don’t move,” ordered Max.
Each time I saw him he took my breath away. His eyes were kind, but his sophistication was enough to make anyone feel inferior. Holding Max’s intense gaze almost made me forget this disaster.
Almost.
I’d been brave enough to come here—I wasn’t going to let my resolve weaken now. Not with Nick’s full attention on me.
“This is your family home?” I asked him.
His shoulders slumped as he realized that now I knew the truth. He’d never brought me here. Never introduced me to his family. Never admitted to the world we werea thing.
“It’s very nice,” I added. “You grew up here?”
He gave an unsteady nod.
I raised my hand to reassure him. “Nick, I need to tell you the truth about…”
Her.
Morgan’s narrowed hate-filled gaze locked onto me—morphing into something tangible, something that seeped inside and weaved vitriol around my soul.
This woman had ruined my life and she was about to decimate Nick’s—because that was what she did. The trail of evidence was devastating. Morgan was a Tasmanian devil whirling around and wielding destruction.
Only for Nick it hadn’t happenedyet.
