Page 59 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

“You’re nine too!”

“Daisy, how do you know when you’re in love?” Claire asked me with an innocent and curious look, in need of saving.

I never spoke to the girls like they were kids, they deserved to be spoken to like humans, so I took their questions seriously.

“You’ll know you’re in love when being around them never feels long enough. Everything you learn about them will be beautiful pockets of information, no matter how flawed. Your hands will be clammy, and you’ll trip over your words when you’re around them. But if they love you back, they’ll only think that it makes you lovelier.”

“Wow,” Claire looked up at me with wonder in her wide eyes. “I don’t think I love Tyler.” She said it with such a straight face that it made me laugh. Her face changed into a childish grin where I could see that she had lost a tooth.

“Is that how you knew you loved Levi?” Rhea asked from my left. I almost dropped the dish at her question, remembering that she didn’t know the truth of our relationship.

In truth, Levi was the king of my heart. He had my heart in high school, and he’s been borrowing it all these years since. I didn’t want to believe that I still loved him, but there was a reason every relationship or intimate moment I’ve had since felt like a disappointment.

It was him. I always wanted him.

“Actually, it was the moment I watched him stuff seven donut holes in his mouth.” The girls giggled at my response; it made me smile.

“Levi talks about you a lot,” Rhea mentioned as if it wasn’t something I’d replay in my mind for months—who was I kidding?More like years.

“Does he?” I asked as calmy as possible, rinsing off another dish, passing it to her to dry.

“All the time. He says that you smell like flowers,” Claire giggled.

You intoxicate me, Daisy. The scent of flowers lingers on you everywhere you go, and I always want to follow. The memory sizzled at the bottom of my stomach like a recalled sex dream.

“He never goes out, he’s so boring,” Rhea complained, sounding like a housewife.

Claire gasped, “You should come over next weekend for movie night!”

“Movie night?” I asked with surprise. They still did movie nights?

“We can watch any movie you want, please!” Rhea shouted.

“Please, please, pleasepleaseplease!” Claire yelled. They began jumping up and down; Claire wobbling back and forth on the stool and Rhea splashing the sink water everywhere.

“Okay! Okay! I’ll come! Just stop spraying me with water!” I laughed as the girls calmed down. “I’m going to go dry off, so I’m trusting you to make sure the kitchen is spotless when I come back, and then we can decorate the cake!” They cheered as I left the kitchen.

Walking down the hallway and into the bathroom, I tried to not think of how the last time I was in here, Levi was pulling his shirt off.Breathe, Dani.You’re friends and nothing more.

The linen closet was filled with towels. I pulled out a face cloth and lifted up my shirt to wipe the water from my stomach that had soaked through the fabric. Dabbing the front of my shirt, I—

“That was quite some show last night.”Bella.

Levi sighed. “What show?”

I froze behind the bathroom door.I should not be listening to this,it’s an invasion of privacy. I should exit the bathroom and go back to the kitchen. I should definitely not move closer to the door and listen.

“You and Dani. You were quite the romantics last night.”

Well…this sounds like my business now too so I may as well stay. I kept my ear against the door.

“I have to say, I never thought I’d seetheLevi Coldwell in love. I know my mother was definitely impressed, especially on top of your interview this week.”

“Good to hear,” he said. He didn’t sound happy though, but rather sullen. I moved to the crack between the door and wall, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on, but could only spot Bella.

“She told me that you practically have the job,” she said. If he “practically” had this job, was I needed anymore then?

Bella sounded different from the person I greeted at the door. Less robotic and more sultry. Particularly, as she reached her hand out and ran it across his forearm. It was such a small movement, but it appeared so intimate. How she looked at him from under her lashes as her hair just perfectly laid behind her back.