SWNOVELS Daisy Haites: Chapter 42
When me and Daisy walk into Harry’s on Basil Street hand-in-hand, Henry jumps to his feet and crows at the ceiling. He runs over, takes my face in both his hands and kisses my head.
“Fuck, yes.” He grabs Daisy by the shoulders and shakes her excitedly in the kind of way where if she was a baby, he’d be in prison now. “Look at this! What a time!”
Daisy’s cheeks go pink from the fuss and I can tell she likes it but she tries to look annoyed.
“Calm down,” she says as she kisses Taura on the cheek.
Henry claps his hands as he sits back in his seat, and he’s such a fucking idiot but a pretty good friend, being this excited for me.
“It’s been a long time coming, this—” He nods over at us, flags down a waiter. “I want your best bottle of champagne—” he tells him.
“Stop.” I roll my eyes.
Daisy’s sitting there shaking her head, but happy. I love it when she’s happy. She has been these last few days.
Suits her.
The champagne comes and Henry holds his glass in the air and I roll my eyes at him.
“To my sanity returning.” He beams.
Daisy flicks Taura a look and they clink glasses.
Henry leans over and says to me quietly, “Happy for you, bro.”
I give him a small wink because I’m shit at the mushy stuff.
“So,” Henry leans back in his chair, “are you two official, or—?”
I sigh, shaking my head. “Henry loves a label—”
Taura coughs awkwardly and Henry pulls a face.
Daisy eyes me, looking down her nose as she clears her throat.
“Nice side-step there—”
“No side-step.” I shake my head.
She lifts an eyebrow.
I keep shaking my head.
“You and me are 100% together, Dais.” I give her a look. “Boyfriend/girlfriend, life partners, mi familia es tu familia—” I shrug like she’s an idiot. “Call it whatever the fuck you want, Dais — I don’t care.”
That pleases her. She hugs my arm, puts her head on my shoulder and I stare over at my shit-stirring best friend.
“What about you two then, ey?” Flick Henry a look. “Any labels?”
Henry glares at me. Maybe that one was a bit mean on my part.
Taura folds her arms in front of herself. “Not yet.”
“Oh good.” Daisy nods dimly. “I’m sure this won’t be an uncomfortable trip at all.”
Henry throws her a look.
We’re all going to Italy. I don’t know why.
Jordan planned it for Beej and I don’t think he knew how to say no, because he told us all to come — it took a particularly weird turn when Julian suggested everyone stay at their place on Lake Como. So now we’re all coming, because we’re all fucking suckers for a vacation and what doesn’t sound relaxing about being in a foreign country with an incestuous friend group who love each other but are fucking other people to teach each other lessons? Sounds great, can’t wait.
“Who’s coming, anyway?” Daisy asks, leaning into me.
“Us all—” Henry gestures between us. “Magnolia, your brother—” Looks over at Taura. “I think Banksy’s coming?”
“Oh—” Daisy nods. “Right, who is that?”
“Just a friend of Jonah’s,” Taura says, not looking up from her menu. “She’s nice.”
Daisy looks at me for more information and I give her a shrug. “She’s a girl he hooked up with once in high school and they just stayed, like, weird friends.”
Daisy looks over at them curiously, purses her mouth as she thinks. “Sorry if this is an uncomfortable question—” Henry looks over at her, frowning in anticipation. “But how are you three going to—” Daisy’s face pulls as she tries to word what she’s asking. “Are… are you—”
“I don’t know,” Henry jumps in, gives her a shrug.
“With the rooms, even,” Daisy says. “There are only ten, and three of them will be used by security for me and Julian.” She gives us all an unimpressed look.
Taura flashes Henry a quick smile. “Me and Gus will share.”
And it hangs there, all shimmery above us, how obvious it is that whatever the fuck those three have been playing at is on the wind down. They can’t keep functioning like they are. Honestly, they’re barely functioning as it is.