Page 104 of Ripple Effect

“Yeah,” I say, “my girl’s the exact same.”

He gives me a knowing smile. “Figured she might be.”

* * *

The deep bluewalls of my childhood bedroom, a shade I’d chosen in the midst of teenage angst, had long ago been my safety net. A place where I could isolate myself and deal with my issues alone. But now, I don’t have to.

Now, I’m lying on my bed, tucked in between Daisy’s legs, her warmth encasing me, her fingers gently playing with my hair. It feels right to have her here, to help me unwind after the roller coaster this day has turned out to be.

I gave her a quick explanation of what happened earlier, and we’d done our best to salvage the rest of the evening—laughing with my sisters, crafting makeshift decorations, and ordering an obscene amount of takeout.

Moments of genuine joy sprinkled through the hours. But it’s late now, and Daisy and I are finally alone. We have to continue the conversation one way or another.

“How are you feeling?” she asks in a soft murmur.

“I’m really fucking tired, Daze,” I say, leaning into her touch. “Sorry it’s always like this.”

She strokes my hair, loosely curling an end around her finger. “Like what?”

“Like ... I’m constantly the broken one, and you’re perfect.”

“I’m not perfect, El. You know that.”

“Yeah, sorry, but I fail to see your faults.”

“Stop that.” She gently tugs at my roots, a pointless reprimand. “Do you want to talk more about what happened now or rest first?”

I dip my chin, blow out a heated breath. “Let’s just do it now.”

“Go ahead, then. I’m here.”

“You know, at first, I felt ... violated. Disgusted that he would do something like that, and that I was so oblivious to it this whole time.” I pause, trying to find the right words to explain my feelings now. “But I took a step back, and I’ve realized now there’s just ... calm.”

I tilt my head up to meet her gaze, an understanding smile tugging at her lips. She brushes a few strands of hair back from my face. “Like ... you’ve found clarity?”

“Yeah, like the fog’s been lifted after all these years.”

She studies me, trying to see if I’m merely putting up a brave front, and the genuine care in her eyes nearly undoes me. “I’m so proud of you,” she finally whispers. “You’ve been really strong through this whole thing.”

“Thank you.” Pulling away slightly, I reach over to my nightstand and grab my phone, bringing up an email. “And look at this.”

I hand it over, and she squints at the screen, reading carefully. “Oh, my God! It’s a formal contract offer!”

“Yeah, the notification came in while we were having dinner. I wanted to wait until we were alone to tell you.” My thumb swipes over the email. “It’s not just an offer, though—it’s a way out. Saying goodbye to Jacks, to Sapphire ... it also means saying goodbye to AfterDark for good. Echo’s my fresh start.”

“I’m so glad.” Her fingers leave my hair, softly tracing my jawline. “You deserve it.”

Goddammit.

She may think otherwise, but I swear, she’s as close to perfect as it gets—the sweetest and most compassionate person I’ve ever met. And the fact that she knows about every dark corner of my past and still wants to be with me?

It’s like finally being told that I’m good enough and actually believing it.

“You’re a light in my life, Daze,” I tell her. “I think I might have forgotten how to be happy until I met you.”

“God, I’m so,soglad we met and beyond sorry for everything you’ve had to go through.”

“I’m not,” I say, choking back the gravel in my throat. “Meeting Jacks? Falling down that path with him? Maybe it was the start of a ripple effect, a cascade of events that all led me back to you. Right where I belong.”

---