##Chapter 11: Daisy"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Olivia asks from where she's parked on the other side of the breakfast bar while I add eggs and oil to the brownie mix.Is this a good idea?Without question, it's the best damn idea I've ever had!"Yup," I proclaim, popping the P.Olivia hasn't voiced her concerns, but I can tell by her nervous demeanor that she's not a hundred percent on board with this plan. But I don't care. My mind is made up, and I'm moving forward. If Carter thinks he's had the last laugh, he can think again.Olivia gnaws her lower lip. I'm afraid if she keeps this up, it'll end up a bloody mess. I huff out a breath, well acquainted with what she's silently trying to convey. She thinks I'm being rash.Under normal circumstances, I love that Olivia and I balance each other out. I tend to be more of the leap-before-looking type, and she's more the look-both-ways-before-crossing-the-street-and-then-look-one-last-time-just-to-be-safe type. And I'll admi
##Chapter 12: DaisyMy mind tumbles back to freshman year. Even though Noah's parents live close enough for us to commute to school, Marnie and Craig thought it was important that we live on campus to get the full college experience. Noah roomed with Carter. And I would pop over all the time.I didn't have a problem with Carter right off the bat. When we first met, I thought he was sort of good-looking. Fine, I thought he was hot.There. I admitted it.I was a smitten kitten just like all the other stupid freshman girls on campus.But then he opened his big fat trap, said something jerky, and the lust that had rushed through my veins disappeared. Every time I saw him after that, he would go out of his way to be a dick. Plus, he was a major player, hooking up with different chicks every weekend. One right after the next. The guy is like a carnival ride that never stops punching tickets.Gross.Know what else I've noticed?He doesn't treat anyone else the way he treats me. The
##Chapter 13: DaisyIt's after six o'clock at night by the time I get back to the apartment. Olivia and I were hunkered down at the library longer than expected. And then, on the way home, we stopped and grabbed sandwiches from a deli on campus. Now that my belly's full, I can put in a few more hours of studying for my test tomorrow.I'm not one of those people who can waltz into an exam without glancing at the material and magically pull an A out of my ass. It doesn't work that way for me. If I want to see results, I have to put in the effort.Carter, on the other hand, has a photographic memory. It's just one of the many things about that guy that drives me bonkers. I've rarely seen him study. And he has a near-perfect grade point average. I know this because he makes the dean's list every semester.As soon as I open the door to our apartment, the smell of brownies hits me. I can't believe I forgot about them. For the first time since whipping up the dessert this afternoon
##Chapter 14: DaisyNoah pats his flat belly. "Yup. Did I mention how delicious they were? Almost as good as Mom's."I doubt Aunt Marnie's secret ingredient is chocolate-flavored laxatives."Yeah," I admit, my voice cracking on that one syllable. "You did."I wring my hands, trying to come up with a plan. Well, another plan. After this, there are no more plans. I'm officially resigning from plans.Should I come clean and confess that I doctored up the brownies or stay silent? I gnaw my lower lip in silent debate. I mean...it's possible the stimulant won't have any effect on Noah. He easily weighs over two hundred pounds. Probably more like two-twenty or even two-thirty.I narrow my eyes and look him over more carefully. Yeah, he's definitely packed on a few pounds. That should work in my favor.Just as that thought scampers through my mind, Noah shifts on the couch. His brows draw together as he lays a hand on his lower abdomen and rubs it. "I think I overdid it on the b
##Chapter 15: CarterBoth Daisy and I have taken up sentinel outside the bathroom door. The sounds that are coming from inside...I grimace.At this rate, Noah is going to lose a solid five pounds. Maybe more.I scrub a hand over my face in disbelief. What's occurring in there could have just as easily have happened to me. If I'd come home earlier, I'm the one who would be crapping my intestines out right now. Another wave of anger rolls through me and I spin toward Daisy with a glare."I can't believe you added laxatives to the brownies! And you were totally going to let me eat them if Noah hadn't gotten to them first!" I shake my head. "What the hell is wrong with you?"For once in her life, Daisy has the good grace to drop her eyes and keep her mouth shut. "I shouldn't have done it," she admits quietly after almost a minute of silence, a guilty flush stealing across her creamy complexion. I throw my hands in the air. "What were you thinking?""Payback," she mutters under
##Chapter 16: Carter"Dude, that practice sucked ass." Noah drops onto the bench that runs parallel to our lockers. "You heading back to the apartment after this?"Most of our teammates are busy bitching and moaning about the grueling workout Coach just put us through, but not me. I welcome the suicides and hitting drills. I want my muscles to scream bloody murder when all is said and done. I want to be so freaking tired that when I fall into bed an exhausted heap, I won't dwell on the girl sleeping twenty feet down the hall from me.Or the curve-hugging tank top and short shorts she likes to torment me with.I push those thoughts away and shake my head before they can do further damage. "Can't." I focus on the inside of my metal locker. "I need to stop at my parent's house."Noah falls silent for a moment and then asks, "Do you want me to come with you?""Nah," I mutter. That would only make matters worse. Just thinking about what I have to do makes my shoulders tense up.He
##Chapter 17: Carter"It's fine, Mom," I say soothingly through gritted teeth.She nods, but her eyes dart around the spacious kitchen with its endless sea of white marble counters and stainless-steel appliances, checking to make sure nothing is out of place. Even though she's in the middle of preparing dinner, everything is perfect and clean. Wiped down and polished. As soon as she uses a spice, it's put away in the cabinet. As soon as she's finished with a dish or pan, it's washed and set back on its shelf.How the fuck does a person live like this?It makes me want to smash everything in my path just to tick my father off.The back door slams and Mom flinches as the sound reverberates through the first floor. A fine tremble racks her hands as she brushes them over the silky material of her dress, making sure it's in place.Heavy footfalls land with sharp clicks that echo against the polished marble tile in the hall.I straighten my shoulders and pull myself up to my full height
##Chapter 18: DaisyMy current relationship with Carter can be summed up in one word.Awkward.We've gone from constantly sniping and taking shots at each other to this bizarre formalness. It's like we're strangers. Strangers who unfortunately live together and are forced to, upon occasion, interact.I dread when Noah takes off and leaves the two of us alone at the apartment. Within minutes, I find excuses to hide out in my room. I spend way too much time there. Which has led to the realization that I need more artwork on the walls. This place is boring. I've created a whole new Pinterest board with ideas.I might crash at Olivia's place for a few days because I need a break from the forced cordialness. Maybe then we can get back to normal. Well, not normal-normal. I don't think we can go back to the way it was before. But we need something better than these painful interactions.I slide the key into the lock and push open the door. My head tips to the side as I listen for