Page 92 of Ripple Effect

She leans into my touch, looking up at me with big, sad eyes. “Thank you,” she says softly. “It’s just harder than I thought. Being here. I want to leave the past in the past, but I think it always has a way of coming back to haunt you.”

“I can agree with that.” I stroke my thumb along the side of her forearm. “You want me to straighten Summer out when we get back?”

“No.” She gives me a full-body laugh. “God, no. That would just give her more ammunition to be annoyed by me. I don’t know why she has to act like this, like I’m her competition or something. We used to be so close when we were little.”

“Well, people change,” I say softly. “Sometimes they grow apart.”

She nods, her eyes downcast. “Yeah, I guess so.”

We finish up our lunch and continue our walk around town, stopping by the harbor that Daisy loves so much. The two of us make our way to a bench that overlooks the water, the huge cruises docked up in the distance.

“It’s nice here,” I say, taking in the salty air.

“I know,” she murmurs beside me. “Do you see why it’s my favorite?”

“Yeah, I do.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, wrapped up in each other, her head resting on my shoulder. The wind ruffles the water and shakes the branches of the trees lining the shoreline. Seagulls fly low over the water, and boats of all shapes and sizes bob up and down in the harbor.

After a while, a loud voice interrupts us, calling out Daisy’s name. I turn toward the direction of the sound, and there’s a group of people walking toward us from further up the road. One girl in particular stands out, and she’s coming toward us at a fast trot.

“Daisy!” she calls as she approaches. “Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in months! I didn’t realize you’d be coming home.”

Daisy stands to greet her, stammering out something about visiting her parents before introducing us. The girl, Hailey—one of Daisy’s old high school friends, now a Dayton coed—is clearly surprised by my presence.

She gives me a tight-lipped smile before stretching out a hand in greeting. I return the shake, grinning when Daisy tacks on the fact that I’m her boyfriend.

“Your boyfriend, really?” Hailey’s eyes visibly widen. “Already?”

“It’s still new,” Daisy adds softly.

“Hmm, right.” Hailey glances back to the group of people, now just a few yards away. “Well, we’re all headed to my family’s place tonight for a bonfire. Would you want to come? It’ll be just like old times.”

Daisy looks at me uncertainly, and I can sense that she’s conflicted. That maybe she wants to say yes, to bridge that gap and enjoy the night, but is hesitant because of me. I gently squeeze her hand in reassurance, turning back to Hailey with a smile.

“Sure,” I tell her. “We’ll be there.”

“Oh, uh, great,” she says quickly. “We’ll see you later. Oh, and um, just a heads-up ... Logan will be there tonight, too.”

The moment his name is mentioned, a subtle tension fills the air. I notice Hailey’s expression change, a hint of reproach—or is it guilt?—flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regains her composure.

Daisy tries to hide her discomfort, but her voice wavers slightly. “Okay, no worries.”

I observe closely as Hailey rejoins her group. They share a brief, whispered conversation before they leave, a strained silence following their exit. I glance over at Daisy, and her gaze is downcast, her fingers nervously tapping together.

“I’m sorry.” She lifts her eyes to meet mine, a shadow of guilt in them. “We don’t actually have to go.”

I step closer and gently shake my head, wanting to erase her uncertainties. Drawing her into a comforting embrace, I place a gentle kiss on her temple. “Oh, we’re going,” I say with a grin.

She pulls back, searching my eyes, amusement bubbling in her voice. “Why? You trying to cause trouble?”

“Only if there’s trouble to be found.”

She swats at my chest, brows raised in mock reprimand. “El ...”

“I’m kidding.” I wink at her. “I’ll be a good boy.”

“Will you now?”

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