All For A Daisy

Chapter 15

Natalie:

            A couple of days after I told Cam I wanted to take a break, things just seemed to go slowly. The calls from Cam were non-stop, my dad tried to comfort me daily, Delilah came to my house often to see if I was okay, and the memory of my secret admirer never faded from my mind and my heart. I never felt so low in my life.

            I walked inside my room and slammed the door. I grabbed my jewelry box that was sitting in my closet and pulled it out in front of me.

            From under my shirt, I pulled out the key which was hanging around my neck on the chain since the day I found it. I haven't taken it off in a while.

            I unhooked the chain and held it in my hand.

            Engraved in the little key, it read 'I love you'. I smiled, remembering that day.

            I inserted the key and turned it slightly and the latch unlocked.

            There I saw were five wilted daisies. Each containing a story, each containing a moment that made me smile, made me cry, made me scream, each matched a letter, and each had a heart-breaking, yet beautiful memory. And the letters were all handwritten by the same mysterious person that moved on, leaving me with unsolved questions.

            I reread the first letter that I found in my locker.

            I've been waiting so long for a girl like you. And it's taken me a while to realize I'm in love with you. Everything about you just makes me believe that first loves actually exist.

            And then I realized, my secret admirer was my first love. But, how is the possible? How could I have possibly fallen in love with someone I didn't know? Although my mind couldn't figure it out, my heart just knew it was true. And I wouldn't deny it.

            I picked up the second letter that I found at Barnes & Noble in the Nicholas Sparks corner.

            Honestly, I can't stop thinking about you. And everyday just makes me go crazier and crazier.

            Oh, how he made me feel just as crazy!

            I picked up the third letter and read it over again.

            Well, you drive me crazy half the time. The other half I'm only trying to let you know what I feel is true. I would've never gone through this if I wasn't sure. I just wanted to say, I love you, Natalie.

            I remembered Bryce had handed the fourth letter to me.

            I know you and Cam are hitting if off and I don't ever want to come between two people who love each other. And I love you too much to see you hurting like this. So here's the last clue to your last letter:

Truth be told, I'm no Brad Pitt

I'm no Cam either, I'll admit

I'm just a guy with a daisy and a heart

At this place, you made your work of art

Flowers everywhere, the stars will shine

I'll always love you even if you're not mine

            I remembered how my heart just fluttered when I read those words. How sincere and touching he just seemed when I read those words!

            Then, the last and final letter that I found in the field on the bench. I remember reading it then crying until I saw Cam. Until I thought my secret admirer had come back for me.

            I read it over again anyway despite how bad my heart ached. I guess that's what you do for love. No matter how bad it hurts, you still want to keep on loving. The feeling of love overcomes the pain. And it didn't matter to me, I wanted to experience all of it over again from the beginning until the end, each word hitting me harder than I read it the first time.

            Dear Natalie,

…You're in love with Cam…let's face it, Natalie. I'm never going to be a Cam. I'm just going to be me. And I'm afraid I'm just not going to be good enough …

…I didn't only pick a daisy over a rose because it's your favorite flower. I picked it because you are my daisy. Out of all the other bouquets of roses, you're the only daisy. You're the only reason why I did all of this. You're so special and different. You're the only one I can actually talk to, the only one I can actually understand and listen to, the only one who can make me laugh while there's tears in my eyes, the one I shared the best moments of my life with, the one I never want to forget...

…Through all the other flowers in the garden, I picked you…

…I just have to face the fact that I waited for too long. I'm just too late. You've fallen in love with someone else before I could take off my mask.

…So, I'll just keep it on and call it a fairytale gone wrong. Midnight has stroke. Our fairytale is over. It's time to go home. It's time to face reality. It's time to wake up from the beautiful dream. It's time to let you go…

So, just go out there and love him with all your heart.

            …I love you, Natalie. Everything I do is all for you, my daisy.

Always,

Your Secret Admirer

            My heart felt like it was being pierced with needles formed by words only in a mere letter.

            I lifted up my sleeve. It was because I never wanted to forget those days. I still wore his heart, the key to his heart, and his daisy.

            I sat there for a while and watched the tears land on the letter, smudging the ink slowing.

            I wanted him so badly it hurt.

            I stared as the tears ran dry. I tried to think of what to do next.

            Then, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. I picked it up and it read 1 new voicemail.

            I rolled my eyes and shoved it back into my pocket. I wanted to get away from the pain. But how?

            After moments and moments of thinking, there was somewhere I needed to be. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew my heart would take me where I wanted to go.

            I raced out the front door and out to the driveway.

            I stopped myself in my tracks. Nothing could've made me stop as quickly as I just had.

            There it was. I knelt down and picked it up gently. It was a little wilted but still beautiful.

            I stared so long at the white petals that I missed seeing.

            It just hit me. My secret admirer had just been there.

            I quickly stood up and looked both directions, trying to decide where to go.

            It was funny how without the letter, he had spoken to me so loud and clear. With only a daisy, I felt his love. And I guess that was a good enough reason for me.

            I didn't move on yet. And neither did he. It's not over. I didn't want it to be.

            One last glance at the daisy, I was certain where he would be. I gripped the daisy in my hand tightly.

            Without a second thought...

            I started to run.