The Fae Book 2: Burr and Daisy

Chapter 2: Look At Me

Four months ago...

When I answered my sister's door to find Daisy on the other side, I realized I hadn't seen her since the night we'd fucked. She'd made herself scarce for the rest of my leave back then and never showed up to say goodbye, even though my parents and Harmony had invited her for my last dinner at home before I shipped out.

"Hey, Daze --"

She brushed right past me, without even glancing my way or acknowledging my existence, which threw me because Daisy was always sneaking peeks at me and trying to talk to me. I even had a smile on my lips, to let her know we could both be adults about our drunken night together, but she headed straight to my sister and Lyric on the couch, greeting Harmony as if I wasn't even here.

What the fuck?

She set down the pink gift bag and grabbed one of the cloths from the coffee table and threw it over her shoulder. Lyric had just finished nursing so Daisy gently took her from Harmony and put Lyric on her shoulder. Daisy rubbed Lyric's back as she nuzzled her sweet-smelling head.

We all laughed when Lyric finally burped, and then Daisy held Lyric so she was cradled in her arms. I felt my energy intensify at the picture they made, Daisy's long black curls making a curtain around Lyric.

"She's so beautiful," Daisy cooed, clearly enamored of my niece. Lyric looked up at Daisy as Daisy gently rocked her. 

"Hello, Miss Lyric. You're just the most beautiful little girl in the world, aren't you? Look at those pretty, pretty eyes and that cute little nose and that bright red fuzz."

She continued to coo nonsense at my sister's baby, and I felt ramped up, wired as I watched her.

Look at me. Look at me.

She did a great job of ignoring me as she cuddled Lyric and cooed to her and kept up a steady stream of conversation with my sister. All without once looking at me, acknowledging me or saying one fucking word to me. I stared hard at her, still trying to will her to look over at me, but she didn't. Or wouldn't. It was like I didn't exist. 

"Burr, could you get us some iced tea, please?" Harmony's voice intruded on my thoughts and I nodded at her, avoiding her eyes. Even though her gifts didn't work on me, Harmony still saw too much as it was.

I did my sister's bidding, but when I brought the drinks back to the girls, Daisy didn't look at me or even thank me. Since Daisy was unfailingly polite, the nicest girl I knew, I couldn't believe she was ignoring me like this. We'd agreed the sex was a drunken mistake, so why did I suddenly no longer exist? I took my seat across from her again and continued staring at her.

Look at me, dammit. LOOK AT ME!

When she left with a kiss and a hug to Harmony and a final kiss to Lyric's little head, but without one fucking word to me or even a motherfucking glance, I told my sister I was walking Daisy to her car and then heading home.

Daisy had heard me but blew out of Harmony's house ahead of me, apparently racing to some fire, not waiting to see if I kept up. Short she might be, Daisy could move when motivated, and I obviously was motivating her.

"Daisy, come on," I said, grabbing her arm when I caught up to her and tugging her around to face me. "What was that all about? You won't talk to me or look at me -- you're acting like I'm invisible and I haven't even seen you for over a year."

And I didn't like it. I could feel the lightning breaking loose, ripping through the night sky to reflect my agitation.

"Just giving you what you wanted after your drunken mistake. You better back away before Harmony sees you with me. Wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea that something was going on between us, Burr."