Page 18 of Pocket Full Of Posies (Snowberry #2)

My mother approaches our table with a gorgeous Nysa at her side. Pink and teal moth wings are folded demurely at her back, her opalescent hands folded at her waist, while her downy antenna bob gently above her brow. Her smile is pristine and conveys easy friendliness. She looks kind enough, but I know that’s a farce. She’s as prickly and deadly as a machete.

“Kai, there you are. Where have you been hiding?”

“Not hiding, just not attempting to speak to every single person in attendance,” I mutter but she doesn’t seem to hear as she turns her attention to Daisy.

“And this must be the elusive Daisy. How nice of you to attend. I was worried that I may never meet you.”

My mom extends a hand in that strange way that’s more expecting a kiss on the knuckles than a shake. Daisy, to her credit, accepts it only a little awkwardly not knowing what to do with it.

“Yes, it’s so nice to meet you Mrs. Kingsley.”

“Oh, please call me Naomi.” She looks Daisy up and down in her inquisitive and judgmental way. “You’re quite pretty. Not what I expected.”

I want to demand what exactly she did expect, but keep my mouth shut, not wanting to start an argument in the middle of a party and in front of Daisy.

“Um, thank you.”

My mother remains silent for a long awkward moment. No one offering to fill the space and break the tension until she’s done with her perusal of Daisy.

“I’d like to introduce you to a special guest of mine. This is Nysa.” Nysa takes a half step forward and inclines her head in greeting, having waited dutifully for her introduction before participating in the conversation. High bred, indeed. “She’s a friend of the family. I believe Kai is already acquainted with her, aren’t you Kai?”

So, her play is to rub my past sexual partners in Daisy’s face. Low blow even for her. I haven’t concealed my past from Daisy, but I also haven’t paraded it out in front of her, in public. I had hoped to keep the past in the past, but it seems my mother has made that choice for me and is strutting it out on a red carpet for all to see.

“Yes. Kai and I met nearly ten years ago. We were very close.”

Nysa practically eye-fucks me and brushes her fingers along her collarbone all demure and shit. She is not demure. She may act like it and have all the practiced mannerisms of a socialite, but she is devious and heartless. Ten years ago, I was fucking anyone who struck my fancy and there’s no denying her physical beauty. Once I discovered her inner ugly, I was out. I didn’t want her then and I most definitely don’t want her now.

My expression remains flat and impassive, an expression I’m not used to wearing but am tired of masking and smiling and playing the part of idiotic party boy. Not that I don’t still enjoy a good party—current environment excluded—and having fun, I just want to spend all that time with Daisy now.

And I’m tired of being brushed off as the dumb one. Just because I like to drink, fuck, and have a little fun doesn’t mean I’m uneducated. Something most people don’t know is that I have my Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. In between traveling and ignoring my family I went to school. Sure, it started because I was bored but it led to me continuing my education. I like helping animals. I would love to work with them on a regular basis but how? Where? Who would hire me? And hire me for my skill and ability, not because of my family name. It’s a pipe dream I sometimes dream about but have no idea how to manifest.

“Oh. It’s very nice to meet you Nysa. I’m Daisy.”

Daisy extends her hand to Nysa, who just looks down at it distastefully, not reciprocating the civility.

“Yes, Naomi has told me all about Kai’s new female. I must say I’m surprised he’s committed himself to only one. If memory serves, he was quite the philanderer.”

“And the past has nothing to do with the present. Daisy is my girlfriend. My only girlfriend.”

My declaration may be made a tad aggressively, but I don’t give a shit. Mom may be abiding by my rules, but I won’t let this slide. She can parade around females and males and flaunt my sexual proclivity and none of it matters. Daisy is my present and my future. Nysa is my past and that’s where she’s going to stay.

“I never thought I’d see the day when Kai Kingsley was monogamous.”

“And I never thought I’d see the day when a Chambers attended a Kingsley private event. What exactly are you doing here again?”

Nysa doesn’t even flinch, not even a twitch in her wings. Only a tightening of her lips indicates her displeasure.

“I’m a personal guest of your mother’s. I was invited and I decided to attend, just like every other guest present."

Yeah, I don’t believe that for one second. I don’t know what my mom said to convince her to attend tonight, and it doesn’t matter. We just need to get through this conversation, appease both Daisy and my mother then leave and get dinner at Dottie’s .

~Daisy~

From the tone of the conversation, it’s obvious Nysa is a past sexual partner of Kai’s. It’s easy to tell that Kai is irritated at her presence, and I don’t even have to hear it in his words, it’s written all over his face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him unsmiling for this long.

I want to assure Kai that I knew of his past and I accept him as he is, but now is not the time. And although it’s clear where his affections lie, it’s hard not to feel jealous staring at his beautiful ex-lover. Nysa is magnificent. Her coloring, wings, elegance, and beauty. She’s a perfect match for Kai. Wearing a chic low-cut dress that shows off her figure and unique skin tone, she’s the type of female his family would want him with, who they would approve of. That must be why his mother invited her tonight, in the hopes they would rekindle their romantic relationship.

The thought makes my heart catch in my throat and a hot chill run down my spine. That familiar panic of not fitting in and being unaccepted makes my previous state of elation vanish. The easy conversation and familiarity with his siblings is smothered under the evidence of my obvious deficiency.

My spiraling emotions are brought to an abrupt halt when I feel Kai’s warm presence surround me. His strong arms holding me close while his breath heats my exposed throat, a sensation that eases my nerves and calms my doubt.

“Are you alright, Blossom? Do you need to go?” Kai’s voice is a balm and I want to lather myself in it.

“I’m fine. I don’t mind, really.”

“Okay. If you say so.”

Turning away from Kai and back to his mother and the others, I catch them all watching us very intently. It brings me up short and I trip over my thoughts trying to get our conversation back on track.

I want his family to like me for some reason. I’ve never had a boyfriend, and I always imagined what it would be like to meet the family of the male I’m with and be greeted with smiles and open arms. What it would feel like to be accepted and fit in for once.

“You’re a local, correct?” Naomi asks conversationally. I’m thankful for the somewhat normal topic and shake off the lingering nervousness. I came here to get to know his family and that’s what I’m going to do.

“Yes. I actually live on the east border of your property. We have a flower nursery there.”

“Is that so? Going for convenience Kai, or lack of options? Small towns can have a diminished dating pool to pick from.” Nysa’s sharp words are delivered with such flatness, I would think she was being impartial except for the bitterness in her tone only a nymph could hear, and she knows it.

Kai bristles at my side as I internally wither and die. So much for fitting in. This female doesn’t even know about my human heritage and still I don’t belong. I’m still the odd one out. I think I bit off more than I could chew coming here. I blame the endorphins I experienced on my outing to Sticky Buns. It made me feel capable and brave to the point where I ignored who would be in attendance.

Even if they don’t know about my human half, I’m still considered lower than these people because of where I live, how much money I don’t have, that my last name can’t be tracked back dozens of generations, and that I don’t have an ivy league education. No matter what, they will always find fault with me. I’ll never measure up and I’ll never be enough, and that thought makes me question everything Kai and I have together.

There’s no way a male like him, from a world like his, would give it all up for me and my lame flower garden. Kai is an extroverted world traveler and so completely different from me, the introverted homebody. I was stupid to believe this could work.

I open my mouth to begin to give some kind of excuse to leave but Kai beats me to it.

“I’d argue the dating pool among people who isolate themselves from the rest of the world is more diminished than the low population of Snowberry. There’s so much muddled blood among your circles, how can you tell if the male you’re sleeping with isn’t your half-brother or cousin?”

Endo bursts out laughing, not even caring about the affronted look on Nysa’s face or the clenched jaw of his mother. Even Keiko covers her mouth with her hand to conceal her giggle and smile. I’m so shocked by Kai’s words I can’t decide what I should do. I don’t think this is about me anymore, and although I’m grateful to no longer be the center of attention I don’t like where this conversation is heading.

“You weren’t complaining while you were in my bed,” Nysa retorts, trying to regain the upper hand over Kai.

Looking up at him at my side, I want to pull on his elbow and urge him to leave. This is only making a scene and I can see his mother’s patience dwindling by the second. He was right we shouldn’t have come.

“That’s because you were too busy staring at your own reflection in the mirror to realize I wasn’t even looking at you. You could have been anyone, it didn’t matter.”

“Oh, and it matters now?”

“Yes! Because when I’m with Daisy I don’t feel like I’m being smothered by overbearing, demanding, greedy, self-centered people who care more about what I can do for them than how I feel. She makes me smile, laugh, and feel more like myself than I have in decades. Being with her isn’t a chore that eats away at my soul.” Kai looks down at me and although he’s speaking to Nysa, his words are meant for me. “Daisy is sweet, considerate, beautiful, and secretly funny even if she doesn’t realize it. She cares about her family and friends, treating them with respect and love. Spending every day doing what makes her happy.” He turns back to face his mother and Nysa not at all withering under their glares like I did. His words brand themselves onto my heart and I nearly melt into a puddle at his feet as he keeps reprimanding the two females. “I’d rather spend every day watching her tend to her flowers than spend one more minute attending pointless parties only orchestrated to fulfill your own self-importance.”

Kai concludes his speech, and no one makes a sound. Endo, Keiko and I remain silent bystanders, observing and waiting. The atmosphere shifting drastically in the wake of his declaration. My own heart stutters and trips and I want to wrap my arms around Kai and kiss him. Kiss away the deep hurt in his heart and be everything he thinks I am. We may come from completely different worlds and families, but we’re both misfits that don’t fit quite right in the world around us. Yet we fit together.

“Come on Daisy, I think it’s time to go. Endo, I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight Keiko.” Kai focuses on both his siblings before turning his attention back to his mother and Nysa. “Thank you for another unforgettable evening, mother. I’d almost forgotten why I avoid such gatherings. Nysa, I hope whatever she promised you was worth it.”

With his strong and sure hand in mine, Kai directs us out of the house and away from his family.