Closer But Far Away (A Candle Cove Novel: Daisy and Poppy's Story)

Chapter 8: I Care No Matter What You Say

Horace and Daisy were constantly up til the crack of dawn studying the spell books, but most nights they would take a break from it and enjoy slumber. Or at least, that's how it seemed. 

Daisy woke up a few mornings and she would catch Horace sneaking back into the house. After the 30th time she became curious. One night she caught him sneaking out. "Where are you going?" She asked as he was unaware she was behind him with her arms crossed.  Horace shrieked like a woman and held a hand over his mouth entirely embarrassed before looking at Daisy with a very mad look on his face. "Why would you do that?! You almost gave me a heart attack!" He yelled, still blushing from embarrassment. "Seriously where are you going?" She asked and he sighed, "I'm going to my dock fighting match." He said with no other choice but to be honest and she  tapped her boot on the ground. She looked very upset which, Horace found it adorable. "Has anyone ever told you how adorable you look when you're mad?" He smiled nervously. She was still tapping her shoe on the ground. "In the house. NOW." She pointed to the house but Horace crossed his arms and glared at her. "I'm not letting a woman tell me what to do-" Before he could end his sentence, she teleported the two into the house. He squeaked in a bit of fear. "Dock fighting is illegal, Horace! What if my father finds you?!" He sighed and picked up the satchel that was once around him, and took out a gold hand claw with razor sharp looking talons. "I'm going to the dock fight and you are staying here." He pushed past her and before she had time to say anything, he was already down the hall. She was just trying to protect him. If he was captured, her father would surely kill him. She knew her father was amused by slow painful deaths. The thought made Daisy scared. 

She sat on the couch and stared at the wall. Tears flooding her eyes from fear. She sobbed softly. 

Horace came home almost in the afternoon. "Daisy! I won the dock fight! I won! You won't believe-" He stopped when he saw her on the floor. His heart stopped. "D-Daisy?" He walked over to her and when he nudged her, she didn't move. "Daisy! Daisy get up! This isn't funny! Daisy get up, you're scaring me!" He felt her neck, her pulse was there, but she felt warm, he then felt her head. "Shit! You have a fever! I knew we shouldn't have been up late the past three weeks. You stressed yourself out after your labor..." He carried her to her bed. She weakly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Please don't scare me like that again..." Horace said and she smiled a bit. "You shriek like a woman..." She laughed and he looked away blushing. "Shut up and let's just get you to bed." He put her down on the bed and threw her night gown into her lap. "Get changed. I'll go get some cold water." He left the room and she got up and changed. He came back but he apparently came back too quickly cause he saw her body. He quietly and quickly walked out and set the bowl of cold water to the side and he covered his face turning pink. He let out a quiet wheeze as he felt his face heat up. Horace couldn't help but feel utterly shocked and embarrassed for walking in on her. After thirty minutes he walked back in with the bowl of cold water. Daisy curled up in the bed and was under the giant wool blanket.  He applied the cool little cloth on her head. "Thank you..." She whispered as she looked up at him. He nods. He looked at her clothes at the end of the bed, then he thought about when he saw her body earlier. "Do you even wear a corset?" He asked out of curiosity. She shook her head. "It's painful and I feel like I can't breathe... Plus my waist is skinny enough so I don't see the purpose of me wearing one." He nods and turns pink.