Page 91 of Daisy Chain
“I think it’s sexy. But I like your dark and dangerous look too.”
His hands slide down to my butt, and he cups me, pulling me close. “You like a bad boy, do you?” He nuzzles my neck.
“Hmm-hmm.” I sigh. Before I lose myself in this bliss, I pull back.
“I need to talk to my father about us. Jeremy told him about seeing us in the club. How what we were doing was damaging to my reputation, and that you’re not suitable for me.”
“I knew I should’ve kicked that weasel’s ass.” His face darkens.
“I wish you did too.”
He runs his hand through my hair. “Will your father accept our relationship?”
I sigh heavily. “I’m not sure. Eventually, maybe?” Or is it wishful thinking?
“Let me talk to him. Once he knows how much I love you, hopefully he’ll come around.”
“It’s probably best if I do it. I’ll talk to him after morning tea when everyone’s left.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
I shake my head. “No, I think it’ll be best if it’s only me for now.”
He nods.
“I better get back. He’ll be wondering where I am.” I turn to leave.
Kade grasps my wrists and pulls me back. “Not so fast.”
He nudges me against the desk, kissing me long and deep, which sets my body on fire.
Mrs. Goldstein could walk in at any moment, and I don’t care. All I care about is being in Kade’s arms again.
And I never want to leave.
***
I didn’t get a chance to talk to my father, as a new couple invited him to their house for a coffee. So I decide to go to his house and wait for him to come home. I don’t want to put this off longer.
As I walk through the quiet house, I notice that my memories of my mother are fading. I only vaguely remember her laughter and singing to me and sitting on her lap while she read me a story.
Feeling nostalgic, I head to the guest bedroom where boxes of her things are in the closet. I haven’t looked at them in years. I pull out a timber chest with a bunch of clothes my father said he didn’t have the heart to donate. When I open the lid, a musky scent of something that hasn’t been aired for years wafts toward me. Inside, very simple skirts and blouses fill the box. There’snot a speck of color in any of the fabric. Did she ever dress up in anything fancy or sexy?
Next, I pull out a box of books and magazines. Mostly Christian literature. As I flick through them, I wonder if everything about her life revolved around the church? Was she that dedicated? Next, I take out a jewelery box. Inside, I find gold studs, two pearl necklaces, and a smooth silver bangle. Nothing flashy or blingy. I clip one around my neck, placing my fingers over the tiny beads as I try to remember her wearing them. When I put the box back, the bottom of the chest moves, and when I touch it, the bottom tilts slightly. With my fingernail, I lift what I thought was the base of the chest and find there’s a false bottom. It’s a hidden compartment, and inside is what looks like a diary and a bunch of letters addressed to her with a blue ribbon tied around them.
On closer inspection, they’re dated before she married my father. Untying the ribbon, I flip the top envelope over to see that the return address says they’re from someone named David Concord. A name I’ve never heard before. Opening one, I scan its contents. It’s a love letter, with David gushing about how much he loves her and misses her when she flies home for the holidays. A smile tugs at my lips, and I place my hand over my heart. She had a college sweetheart. Was this her first love? I wonder why they broke up?
If these letters were hidden in a secret compartment, is it because she couldn’t part with them? Or did she hide them because Dad didn’t know about them or the man who sent them?
I read a couple more letters, and they are so heartfelt; his love for her jumps from the pages.
Next, I pick up the diary, and for the next hour, I get lost in their love story, but I skip over the more intimate details. That’s something I don’t need to read about. But from the little I’d read, my mother was no virgin when she married my father.
This romance was like a fairy tale. I can’t imagine what tore them apart.
After a few more pages, I find out.
She writes about how David got a job in London. And as much as she begged her parents to let her go with him, they refused. Although now in her early twenties and technically an adult, she didn’t go against her family.
