Page 53 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

“What? It’s the Harvard of fashion! There’s no other choice to make—Crap, that’s my boss calling, we’ll talk later!” She smacked a kiss on my cheek, and finished descending the stairs, leaving me and Levi.

“You’re moving to Paris?” he asked, shock seemed to etch itself into his forehead.

“I only found out about it today. It’s not my top pick though.” He wasn’t supposed to find out this way, no one was. I hadn’t made a decision yet, I wasn’t ready to make a decision yet.

He picked up one of my hands, running his fingers over my rings. His eyes were distant and reserved. “Well, that’s amazing, congratulations.” He gave me a small smile. “You should’ve told me sooner. Are you,” he stopped midsentence, his gaze now snagged on something behind me.

I turned instinctively to find…Bella. She stood far away, watching us like a mourning ghost. She looked sad. But all I had

room for in my heart right now was my own sadness.

She had been watching.

She watched Levi console me, tell me nice things, and then kiss me. Kiss my neck, touch my back, run his tongue across my bottom lip. Things a couple would do.

Pretending. He was pretending.

I was a pity to him. He felt bad for me. I was the stained, old

dress that couldn’t be rewashed any longer and got lost under the bed. She was silk, she was clean, she was summer—she was beautiful. I was tattered. Iamtattered. I'd never be as beautiful.

My next movements became slow and robotic.

Leaning on the balls of my feet, I kissed him on the cheek.

“Good night.” Pulled my hand out of his grasp.

Walked down the stairs. Grab a taxi.

Hold in the tears. Get out of the car.

Walk up my front steps. Sit down.

Cry. Call Gabe and Jia.

“It happened again.”

24

my heart sagging like the stems of uncut

My prom dress, the color of green tea, was in a puddle around my feet in the Senior Prom venue corridor. Students I grew up with for four years were down the hall dancing, taking photos, and probably doing incredulous things that would remain forever engrained in this night. While mine would forever be pitiful.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong, Daisy?”

My eyes opened as if on command at the sound of Levi’s voice, watching him crouch down on the floor in front of me. His hands immediately cupped my face, tilting it up, forcing me to meet his eyes, where I found that his own face looks distressed. My heart pounded harder in my chest causing my face to heat up.

Could he see how my love for him was painted across my face, in the way that I looked at him? Could he tell from the way I shuddered when he touched me, that every fiber of my being was made to be touched by him?

Tears refused to reel themselves in. But when I registered the absolute devastation in his face, my heart refilled with the hope thathe could feel the same way.

His hands refused to leave my face until I gave him an answer.

But the alcohol in my stomach was affecting every word that left my mouth and raced through my mind. I couldn’t form a full sentence without hiccupping.

“Jeremiah,”hiccup,“I need him.” Levi looked taken aback.

“Oh, okay, I can find him.” He brushed one more of my tears away before standing up.