Page 73 of Ripple Effect

Fucking hell.That exchange felt hollow, empty, a far cry from the comfortable conversations we’ve shared over the last few weeks. I can’t bring myself to pass pleasantries over text when I’m feeling this way—so lost and unanchored.

I flick on something random, letting the noise fill the void. But my mind is elsewhere, trapped in how it felt to have someone here beside me. To haveDaisyhere beside me. It was more than just easy companionship between us.

I’ve always prided myself on being sort of a lone wolf. Of course, I have my family, I have Kaia, but at the end of the day, I’d come home and spend the majority of my time alone. I enjoyed the solitude, the silence.

For the longest time, it’s how I filled my cup.

But when Daisy entered my world, I realized that perhaps I wasn’t meant to be so alone. That despite the comfort Bentley’s provided, this apartment started to feel repressive, empty, long before she came along.

She had this way of sliding seamlessly into the gaps of my life, gaps I didn’t even know existed until she filled them.

As a distraction, I should drive over to Amber Isle and take Bentley for a walk. He’d appreciate it, and I could get myself out of the apartment. But I doubt that would help ease my mind even a fraction.

Just like my home, Amber Isle seems to belong to Daisy now.

As I’m about to switch off the TV, a knock breaks the silence. Brow furrowed, I head to the door. Opening it reveals the girl that won’t escape my mind, her soft brown eyes shimmering with determination.

“Forget something?” I ask, my voice wavering.

“You wanted me to settle back into the apartment. To readjust to my old life and then revisit my feelings for you.” She shifts her weight, biting the corner of her lower lip. “Well, I’m settled.”

My pulse thunders in my ears, and I battle the urge to slide a palm over my chest. “You didn’t give it much time, did you?”

“El, if you truly want me, then stop making excuses.”

The distance between us narrows in a heartbeat. My breath ragged, I curve a hand around the base of her neck, inching us closer. But she pulls back one last time, gaze flitting across my face.

“If you kiss me now,” she murmurs, her voice a soft challenge, “there’s no changing your mind. There’s no going back. You can’t wake up tomorrow and tell me that we need more time. You’re either all in, or you’re out.”

“I’m all in on you,” I say, my throat tight. “Now and always.”

And then I pull her in for a kiss.

28

DAISY

Elio’s lipscrash onto mine, softer than I remember but with a hunger I didn’t see coming. Heat races through me as he yanks me closer, his grip on my waist firm enough to leave a mark. I hitch my legs around him without thinking, relishing the solid feel of him against me.

He kisses me like he’s trying to prove something—like he’s been waiting for this just as long as I have. He’s nipping at my lips and tangling his tongue with mine, messy but so fucking perfect. Our breathing is erratic, heads spinning from the rapid rush of desire.

“God, Daisy,” he groans, pulling back just enough to look at me, voice rough with want.

His grip on me is firm as he walks us back through the open door, our bodies flush against each other. But the spell breaks when Bentley bounds up to us, tail wagging wildly.

As Elio shifts his weight, trying to avoid the excited dog, he stumbles. I let out a short laugh, our faces inches apart, and we narrowly avoid disaster.

“Damn dog,” Elio mutters, a grin tilting his lips, the comment more playful than annoyed.

Once we navigate past the living room, the bedroom comes into view. He strides inside, releasing me just enough to shut the door behind us. My body’s craving his touch, craving the feel of him against me.

He gently lays me onto his bed, the cool sheets offering a brief respite from the fiery need coursing through me. For a long moment, he simply looks at me, not daring to speak a word.

My chest heaves, my breaths short and shallow, desire pooling low in my belly.

“This is what you want?” The question rumbles deep in his throat, and I blow out a hot breath at the sound of it.

“Yes.”

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