Claimed by my Best Friend's Brother

Chapter One

Daisy’s POV

Ever since I was little, it had always been me and dad, the terrible twosome, that’s what he called us. Mum left us when I was a baby and he never remarried, saying he didn’t need to, as I was the only girl he needed in his life. Now, it’s just me, and I don’t know what to do with that.

I’m numb, my mind and body feel detached from everything around me, like an out of body experience. I can see what is happening around me, but I'm not quite a part of it, nothing feels real as I sit here in the house that belonged to my father, dressed in a black lace covered dress that I bought two days ago in a thrift store.

People keep coming up to me and whispering condolences, hollow words and platitudes that are somehow meant to help fill the void inside of me but don’t. My daddy is gone, I’ll never hear his bold laugh again, never drink hot chocolate at three am when neither of us could sleep. Our tv series we’ve been watching together, how am I going to watch the end without him? He won’t be here to fall asleep after ten minutes and then wake up and ask me what happened! I’ll have to eat our sneak treat candy bar on my own, the one we always have when we watch our show. I don’t know if I can eat an entire bar by myself, we always share it!

I suck in a shuddering breath, my shoulders dropping as I fight not to cry, blinking rapidly as I tuck my jet black hair behind my ear. There is no coloured streaks today, no flash of brightness that usually adorns my locks. I couldn’t do it, It didn’t feel right, to splash my usual brightness through my hair when everything is so grey around me.

‘Are you OK dear?’ I glance up to find Eden’s mum Lorraine beside me, a plate of whatever is on the buffet in her hand.

I nod, swallowing hard, not sure I can keep my composure if I speak.

Lorraine sits beside me on the edge of the couch and pushes the plate into my hands.

‘Eat’ she orders gently, ‘I know you don’t want to, but you should still try.’

I grip the edge of the paper plate, pretty sure that I’ll vomit if I try and push anything past my lips right now. I haven’t really eaten since I found out that my dad died. One minute I was celebrating Zara’s wedding in Vegas, amazed that I was actually in Nevada, somewhere I’d always wanted to visit but had never managed to save up for. The next my phone is ringing, and I barely hear over the music, a police officer telling me that my father had a second stroke. He managed to call nine one one, but he was already gone before they reached him.

I can’t get past my guilt, the fact I wasn’t there when he needed me. The thought of my dad, alone and scared in this house eats at me every waking moment. What kind of daughter am I? I knew his health was bad and I still left him!

‘You don’t have to be this strong you know’ Lorraine murmurs beside me drawing my attention to her. She reaches out, placing a hand on my arm gently. ‘We’re all here to support you Daisy’ she continues, ‘don’t feel like you can’t let go.’

I shake my head, ‘I can’t’ I whisper, ‘if I let go, I’ll cry, and if I cry, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.’

Eden’s mother gives me a sad smile, one of understanding, of someone who has felt loss like me.

‘I’m not going to tell you it gets better dear’ she says, ‘because it doesn’t, the loss never leaves you . . but it does get easier. One day, at some point, you’ll wake up and the loss won’t be the first thing that hits you. Memories will become less painful and more comforting as you learn to live with your new normal.’ She sighs softly, squeezing my arm, ‘there is no right way to grieve dear, no set time limit where suddenly everything is OK. But, as you grieve, remember that you have friends and family who love and care for you, we are all here, whenever you need us.’

I nod, my throat tightening, perversely glad that the woman across from me doesn’t fall into the automated words of everyone before her. It does hurt, every breath I take . . . hurts, because I’m breathing and my father, my rock, isn’t, and never will again.

Lorraine pats my arm before standing nodding toward the plate that has a few pastries stacked on it.

‘Try and eat something’ he coaxes, ‘grief will deplete you worse than a workout, trust me.’

I give the woman a watery smile, watching as she turns away and walks back to her husband who wraps an arm around her waist, tugging her closer.

A fresh wave of pain washes over me at the sight, and I look around the room at the guests that have invaded my father’s home. Friends of my father, people who knew him from the café, what seems to be a sea of couples that feel like they are everywhere. Families standing together at this time of sorrow, supporting each other where as my support is in the cold ground at the cemetery a few blocks away.

Pushing to my feet, I move around the edge, avoiding eye contact with everyone and hurrying through the door toward the hallway, taking the stairs two at a time.

I shoulder open the second door on the left, stepping into the small space and kicking the door shut behind me. I look around my old room, still set out as though I only left yesterday where really I moved out years ago when I left for college.

Photos of Seona and I in high school are stuck around the edge of the mirror, medals from my time in track are hung from hooks along the wall. Posters cover the wallpaper, mostly metal bands, but a few are of the teen heartthrobs of my high school days.

Sinking down onto the bed spread, I look around me, the ache in my chest worsening. Dad and I painted this room together, grey and cream, I wanted black to go with my Goth phase, he just laughed and said ‘Angel, you’d wake up screaming thinking you were in a black hole.’ So we compromised on the dreary, soul crushing grey as he liked to call it.

A soft knock sounds on the door and I glance up just as it opens, Noah peeking around the edge, his gaze flicking around my room before he slides inside.

‘Hey’ he says moving toward me as I try to give him a smile but fail miserably. ‘I saw you leave, I figured it was getting a bit much for you . . ‘ He holds up his hand that contains a solo cup, ‘I brought you a drink’ he explains. ‘Some of those pastries can really dry out your mouth, trust me on this, I don’t know who brought the canapes but they stuck to the roof of my mouth, took me five minutes to de-clog and swallow them.’

I let out a half laugh, half sob, a tear falling as my best friend’s brother hurries toward me, placing the cup on my dresser.

He takes a seat beside me, wrapping an arm around me and I lean into him, desperate for any kind of human contact that might help with the numbness holding on to me.

Wiping at my cheek with my free hand, I give him a small smile as the jock takes the plate that I’m still holding and places it onto the carpet by his feet.

‘How you doing?’ he asks quietly, his strong hand rubbing up and down my arm.

I sniff, shrugging, ‘I don’t know’ I admit honestly, ‘like the best part of me died and that I’ll never be whole again?’

Noah nods, tugging me closer into his side, ‘Your dad would have said that the best part of him lived’ he murmurs.

I laugh again, this time a little stronger, knowing that Noah is right, my father often said I was the miracle he didn’t know he needed.

Noah’s deep chuckle washes over me, the jock smiling down at me as I look up at him.

We hold each others gaze for a few moments and I feel something spark between us, an electricity that makes me shudder. Breaking our eye contact, I look away from him, instead staring down at my fingers that are clasped together in my lap..

‘So, this is your room’ he states conversationally, ‘I never thought I’d get an invite in here, my teenage self is so jealous of me right now.’

A bubble of laughter ripples up my throat, the tension of moments ago dissipating as I shove him with my shoulder.

‘Well, you weren’t exactly invited in, were you?’ I point out, ‘you just barged in without waiting.’

Noah shrugs, ‘hey, if I had known it was that easy, I’d have done it years ago’ he replies, winking at me as I look back at him.

‘I would never have invited you over’ I retort.

Noah chuckles, ‘I wouldn’t have needed an invite Dais’ he drawls, ‘Se was always here, I could have totally blagged my way past your dad . . ‘

The weight of my grief barrels back over me as Noah stiffens, a muttered curse falling from his lips as I collapse back in on myself.

‘Dais, I’m sorry, I . . ‘ Noah starts hurriedly.

I pull away, his arm falling from my shoulders, ‘you should go back downstairs’ I mumble, ‘go and get some more food, there is way to much for me to take with me . . ‘

‘Dais . .’ Noah’s deep voice, is pained.

I meet his gaze, fighting back the tears, ‘please’ I whisper desperately.

The jock stares at me for a second before he slowly nods, standing up and heading toward the door. Pulling it open, he looks back at me, ‘if you need me Dais, I’m here’ he tells me before he slips out into the hall, closing the door behind him just as the sob that has been clawing at my throat, rips its way out.