Chapter Five

“I only mentioned it once yesterday.” Daisy said, looking at the bag.

“I remembered. Open it.” Nick said as he took a sip of his can Coke.

“Okay.” Daisy said as she opened the bag up and reached inside to pull out a little box, “What is it?”

“Open it up.” Nick said as Daisy looked at him and opened the little gift box up to see a silver necklace with a little daisy charm on it, “You like it?”

“You shouldn’t have.” Daisy said as she smiled, taking it out of the box, “I love it.”

“Well you’re helping me out and well it didn’t cost much because of well you know, but it’ s the thought that counts.” Nick said as Daisy smiled at him and held it up, looking at it.

“I love it.”

“Damn and it only cost $3.99. You’re easy to please.” Nick said as Daisy cut her eyes at him, “Didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.” Daisy said as she reached over, giving him a little hug and a kiss on the cheek, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Nick said as he looked away smiling and then looked back at her, “I think I’m gonna go shower.”

“Okay.” Daisy said as she smiled, looking over at Nick as he got up from the floor and started to walk upstairs, looking back down at her until he couldn’t see her anymore.

Nick walked downstairs in his jeans, with no t-shirt on and a towel wrapped around his neck to see Daisy sitting there on the floor in the living room, crying.

“Daisy, what’s wrong?” Nick asked as he walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her, “Why are you crying? It’s your birthday.”

“Nothing.” Daisy said as she wiped her tears away and smiled, “Nothing.”

“You’re hiding something.” Nick said as he looked at her, “Come here.”, he said as he took her hand, lifting her off of the floor, “It’s your birthday. You’re 23. We’re gonna celebrate.”

“I don’t feel like celebrating.” Daisy said as Nick walked over to the stereo, turning it on to hear “When The Lights Go Down” by Faith Hill.

“Come on, let’s dance.” Nick said as he walked over to her, taking her hand and placing his right hand on her hip. Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck and Nick put his other hand that she had let go of on her other hip, “It’s your birthday. You should be happy. Didn’t you like my gift?”

“Yes I did.” Daisy said as she looked at him, “Just, it’s a bad day too.”

“Why?” Nick asked as Daisy looked down, “Why Daisy?”

“My brother..” Daisy said as she looked back up at him, “He got killed two years ago today.”

“He’s dead?” Nick asked as Daisy looked back down, trying not to cry, “The way you talked I thought he was a alive and -”

“I want him to be.” Daisy said as she blinked her eyes fast, so that she could try to hold back the tears, “But he’s not.”

“I’m sorry.” Nick said as Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck tighter, hugging him, “And on your birthday too.”, he said as he hugged her back, kissing her shoulder lightly. Daisy opened her eyes and moved her head back as Nick moved his back up, looking at her. They stood there looking at each other for a few seconds until they both moved in closer to one another, began to kiss each other slowly and then backed away, looking at each other again.

“Nichole.” Daisy whispered, as she looked him in the eyes, crying lightly.

“What?” Nick asked, looking confused.

“My name. My name is Nichole.” Daisy whispered back as Nick smiled at her.

“Kind of like mine.” Nick whispered back as Daisy smiled, leaning up to hug him again, “Like your brother and his wife.”

“What?” Daisy asked as she looked back at him, “How did you know that?”

“I saw a photo album with a letter you wrote to him in his room. I’m sorry if I wasn’t supposed to -”

“No, it’s fine.”

“But they’re names were alike and ours is too.” Nick said as he looked at her, “And, I kinda like you.”

“I wouldn’t have never let you stay here if I didn’t like you.” Daisy said as Nick smiled, leaning back up to kiss her when the phone ring, “Hang on.”

“Okay.” Nick said as Daisy walked to the other side of the room, picking up the cordless phone.

“Hello?” Daisy asked, answering the phone.

“Uh hi, I’m calling for Nick C -” Brian said as Daisy interrupted him.

“Oh, yeah. Hang on, here he is.” Daisy said as she handed the phone to Nick, “I think it’s your friend.”

“Great.” Nick said as he rolled his eyes and took the phone from her, “Hello?”

“Nick, where the hell are you at? You’re lucky I checked my email -” Brian said as Nick interrupted him.

“Dude man, you don’t begin to know.” Nick said as he looked over at Daisy, “Can I go upstairs and talk?”

“Sure.” Daisy said as Nick smiled and started to walk upstairs, listening to Brian bitch on the phone.

“Dude, no. I’m like in Lakeland, Georgia wherever the hell that is.” Nick said as he walked into Daisy’s bedroom.

“Who the hell is this girl?” Brian asked as Nick smiled, looking around.

“This girl I met. She’s helping me out. She doesn’t even know who I am. She’s all into country music man, but she’s cool. Today’s her birthday and -”

“Nick, think seriously here.” Brian said as Nick looked down, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand, “You’re in some strangers house. You ran away from your tour and they had to cancel a show because of it. Tracy is -”

“Tracy can kiss my ass.” Nick said, “She and the others can go to hell. I’m tired of it.”

“Nick, you don’t just walk out on a tour.” Brian said as Nick rolled his eyes, “You have obligations -”

“Brian, you don’t understand man.” Nick said as he sat down on Daisy’s bed, putting his head in his hands, “I hate how they’re treating me. They’re treating me like shit since we filed the lawsuit against them man. It’s not even my show anymore, it’s theirs. I couldn’t take it so I walked out. I ended up here, and this girl -”

“Nick, you need to go back on the tour.”

“Brian -”

“Nick -”

“No. I’m not.” Nick said, “You call Tracy and it’ll prove you never cared anything about me.”

“Nick, you need to call her. You’re the only thing that’s keeping our name out in the media right now besides this lawsuit and everybody thinking we’ve broken up. Call her.” Brian said as Nick rolled his eyes.

“No Rok. Sorry.” Nick said as he hung up the phone and looked around. He looked over at his reflection in the mirror and then up to see Daisy standing in the doorway, “Hey.”

“Who’s Tracy?” Daisy asked as Nick looked down and back up at her, “I thought you said you didn’t have a girlfriend -”

“No.” Nick said as he stood up, shaking his head no, “I don’t have a girlfriend. She’s someone that I work with kinda. Definitely not my girlfriend.”

“What did your friend say? Are you leaving?” Daisy asked as Nick looked down and back up at her as she walked closer to the bed.

“I kinda hung up on him without even mentioning me leaving.” Nick said as Daisy smiled a little, “I need to leave. I need to get home -”

“Where’s home?” Daisy asked as Nick looked into her eyes, “I mean you never -”

“Tampa. I live in Tampa.” Nick said as he stood up and walked up closer to her, “I really don’t want to leave, I’m gonna have to. Not right now because well, I can’t, but, it’s really complicated -”

“What’s so complicated?” Daisy asked as Nick smiled at her, “What?”

“You have no clue do you?”

“About what?”

“About me.” Nick said as Daisy smiled, walking even closer to him, “Who I am and -”

“I think I know enough.” Daisy said as she leaned up to kiss him lightly on the lips. Nick leaned over, turning the kiss into something more. Daisy moved her right arm around his neck, pushing herself up closer to him until finally Nick moved his lips away from hers, looking into her eyes, “I like you.”

“I like you too.” Nick said smiling at her, “But -”

“Know what I want for my birthday?” Daisy asked as Nick nodded his head no, still looking into her eyes, “I want you.”

“Daisy, but -” Nick said as Daisy interrupted him by kissing him again and he pushed her away lightly, “Daisy, you don’t know me.”

“I think I know you well enough.”

“You think you do.”

“I know all I need to know. Did anybody else remember that it was my birthday? My own mother forgot. You’re a strange and you remembered.” Daisy said as Nick looked away, “You’re really going to think I’m stupid when I say this and I don’t normally do this kinda of thing or say this stuff, but I want you. Remember what you read in my brother’s room?”

“Andrew and Andrea?” Nick asked as Daisy nodded her head yes.

“Nick and Nichole.” Daisy said as she pointed to him and back at her, “They belonged with each other. They had been since they were 13 and he got killed. She couldn’t take it when he died and she killed herself -”

“Daisy -”

“It was kind of like Romeo and Juliet. They were meant to meet each other. Her family was visiting her Uncle and cousins who lived two streets over and her father almost hit Andy with his car while Andy was riding his bike. They’d been with each other ever since.” Daisy said as Nick looked down, “I don’t care who you are, or what you do, or where you’re from -”

“God.” Nick said as he looked up, rolling his eyes and wanting to laugh.

“What?” Daisy asked as he looked back at her, “You can laugh at me if you want to.”

“I’m not laughing.” Nick said as he smiled at her lightly and put his hands on the side of her face, looking at her, “Your brother and sister - in - law had something special but baby, yours won’t happen like that. Just -”

“Look at me and tell me you don’t feel anything.” Daisy said as Nick stared back at her, “Tell me.”

“I can’t.” Nick said as he swallowed hard, “I can’t.” as he leaned over, taking her lips into his and kissing her deeply.