CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
[39]
song: we exist by arcade fire
DAISY COULDN'T SLEEP. She tried, though, in hopes to make time go faster. Maybe it was the fact that she was trying to sleep on cold concrete, or maybe it was the anxiety of never knowing when Kai was going to walk in next.
Laying on the ground with her eyes closed for hours, she was given a lot of time to think. Clearly, fighting back wasn't getting her anywhere— and if anything, it was making her situation worse.
She had to give in.
Faking it would be the hard part, considering every time she saw him she wanted to spit in his face— but she had to do something. Daisy knew that feelings for him were still there, deep deep down. What they had couldn't disappear over night, no matter what he did. She had to find those feelings again, and depend on them to bring her safety.
First she heard footsteps coming down from the upstairs, and her muscles immediately tensed. She didn't open her eyes, just remained in the position on the floor like she had for the past day. Then the doors swung open, she tried to still her panicked breathing that become to subconsciously rise at his presence.
Kai set down the bag of groceries besides a shelf and eyed Daisy, who was asleep on the ground. She was asleep? Right? He narrowed his eyebrows, and let out a quick sigh of relief when he saw her chest inhaling and exhaling as she slept.
He didn't want to wake her, he assumed it had taken her some time to fall asleep. So he quietly reached into the bag and began to place food next to her sleeping body, taking back the half eaten back of tortilla chips that sat next to her— feeling bad that that's all he left her with for a whole day.
Daisy thought quickly, unsure what she should do. He would probably just leave if she didn't say something— and she couldn't sit here waiting for him to come back again.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she watched as Kai walked back over to his bag of groceries, shuffling through it and turning to sit them next to Daisy. He stopped when he realized she was awake.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He said, before walking back over to her and placing a bag of red vines next to the rest of the food he'd bought.
"It's okay." She said quietly, shrugging a bit. He stood up and let out a breath, glancing to the food and back up to her. "Is this all for me?" She asked.
"Well, I mean— yeah, who else would it be for?" Kai let out a faint chuckle.
"You don't have to leave." Daisy shrugged. Kai narrowed his eyebrows at her. "It's not as enjoyable down here by myself."
Kai eyed her cautiously. Before sitting down, a distance away from her, as he was hesitant as to why she was suddenly so calm around him. "Oh." Kai stood up, as if he remembered something, walking back over to her. "I can take this off." He gestures towards her tie.
Daisy looked taken back. Was that seriously all it took?
"I used magic and sealed the room, so you won't be tied up but—" Kai began.
"But I still can't leave." Daisy interrupted, a disappointed look on her face.
"Yeah." Kai says, he leaned towards her to cut the tie, but stopped himself. "I have magic right now— so— don't try anything." He said, before cutting the tie.
Daisy felt a bit of relaxation as she brought her arm up from behind the pipe, she rubbed her wrist and felt the satisfaction of stretching out her arm.
"Are you going to let me go to the bathroom?" Daisy spoke up.
Kai looked a bit taken back, like he hadn't really planned out any of Daisy's needs besides food and water. "Uh—" He thought for a second. "Yeah, but— I'll have to come with you."
"Okay." She said quietly, shrugging a bit.
Daisy stood up, and immediately felt her head rush, her eyes fell droopy and the world spun. She stumbled, and Kai grabbed her arms gently, helping her stand. "You okay?" He asks.
"Mhm." She responded, rubbing her eyes and trying to shake the nauseous feeling. Kai led Daisy out of the room, swinging the doors open.
Daisy, however, felt an invisible force stop her from exiting the room. She stumbled back, and turned to see Kai turn around to realize she hadn't walked out with him. "Oh, sorry." He said, before waving a hand lazily towards where Daisy stood.
Daisy hesitantly stepped forward out the door, and continued walking normally when she realized the boarder was no longer there.
She looked around at the dark nightclub that was completely inhabited, it looked much different when it was empty. She remembered all the nights Kai had taken her here— and wondered if this was the fate he had planned for her this whole time.
"Here." Kai said, pushing open the restroom door. Daisy walked inside and switched on the light, it was only one single restroom.
She turned to Kai with shy eyes. "Can you wait outside?" Daisy asks.
Kai's eyes hesitantly trail up to the tiny high window that sat in the corner of the bathroom, then back to Daisy. "I don't think that's—"
"Can I please have a little bit of my dignity left?" She asked with a eyes, closing her eyes as she spoke.
Kai thought for a second before he spoke. "Yeah." He took a deep breath. "I'll be out here."
Daisy nodded a bit, before shutting the door and locking it. Kai heard the lock turn, and his heart beat jump with it. But he calmed himself down, telling himself that it was fine.
Daisy looked around the bathroom frantically, she could easily crawl out that window, all she had to do was get on the sink and figure out a way to lift herself up and out.
But that would be noisy— and Kai would find her as soon as she got free, only restarting this entire process. She swallowed harshly, and walked over to the mirror.
She looked awful, worse than she'd ever seen herself before. Bags and dark circles lived under her eyes, her lips and skin were pale, and her hair was messy and tangled.
Daisy turned on the sink and splashed water on her face. She didn't even have to go the bathroom, but it was a good step in getting Kai to trust her again.
Kai paced around the night club, glancing at the bathroom door every few seconds. "Are you almost done?" Kai asked. There was no response. He heard the sink running, so he assumed she couldn't hear him.
He rubbed his hands together anxiously, cracking his knuckles as he paced. He glanced over to the bathroom door again. "Daisy?" He said, still no response. Kai stood in place, before walking over to the door and knocking.
She just couldn't hear him over the water running. That was it. She was still in there. She'll open the door in just a second. Kai told himself.
"Hello?" He said, still no response.
The sink was running to hide the sound of her opening the window and climbing free. She was smart, he'll admit.
"Daisy!" Kai said, panic getting to him as he pinned his ear to the door. He twisted the door handle quickly. Locked, obviously, he had heard her lock it. He slammed his shoulder against the door, trying to bust it open.
Daisy rubbed water over her face, trying to let the sensation relax her a bit. She turned off the sink, and immediately the door bust open.
Daisy jumped at the sudden sound, turning around quickly to see Kai's eyes trailing down from the still closed window, to Daisy who stood at the sink with wide, confused eyes.
"Do you need something?" Daisy asks, sarcasm in her voice.
He shook his head. "Sorry."
She looked at him with confused eyes. "You can take me back now."
Kai nodded a bit, as Daisy walked past him and out into the nightclub. He didn't even have to hold onto her, she just willingly walked back into the pantry. It was unexpected, obviously, he thought she'd hold up a fight much longer than this, but he couldn't complain.
"You thought I was gonna climb out that window, didn't you?" Daisy asked, as he followed her back into the pantry.
He suspiciously watched as she calmly walked right back to her spot, he shut the doors and resealed the room before following her over there. "Yeah, I did." He scoffed, coming around the corner and seeing Daisy sat back near the pipe.
She shuffled through the bag of food, and then looked back to Kai. "Thanks for all this." She said
He nodded a bit. "It's not much."
Daisy smiled faintly and looked up at him. "It's okay." She felt herself focusing too hard on her facial expressions, would he notice that? She shook her thoughts from her head, and continued on. "What have you been up to?" She asks casually, trying to progress the conversation to what she wanted.
Kai shrugs as he sits down near her. "Not a lot. My coven's kind of after me right now, so I'm trying to lay low." He lets out a scoff.
"Why are they after you?" Daisy asks. Kai turns to Daisy with an eyebrow raised, and she knew what he meant. "Dumb question." She left out a little laugh.
"They don't get it." Kai shook his head, and leaned it back on the shelf he sat against. "This has nothing to do with my family— or my coven—"
"Just us." Daisy finishes his sentence.
Kai looks at her with soft eyes. "Yes." He responds.
She nods. "I get it now." She swallows after she speaks.
He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You do?"
Daisy nodded. "I've been thinking and— and you're right." She began. "I just needed time to gather my thoughts."
He watched her as she spoke, she didn't look up at him once. "And what are your thoughts?" He asks.
"I want to run away with you." She nods a bit, still not looking at him.
Kai leaned towards her with narrowed eyes, examining her face. She was still avoiding his eye contact, and he wondered if she really thought he was that stupid. He gently grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. "You can't even look me in the eyes." He said, a hint of anger in his voice. He let go of her and stood up with a scoff, before turning to leave.
Daisy panicked, standing up quickly and following after her. "Kai!" She said, in a frantic tone. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards her. "I'm not lying." She shook her head quickly, with wide pleading eyes. "Please." She begged.
Kai watched her, angry breaths spewing from his nose as she spoke. "Please what?" He asked.
Daisy clenched her jaw, feeling a bit grow in her stomach as she thought about her next words. "Stay." She said quietly. Her began to tremble, but she forced herself to remain put together. "I love you." She let out, almost puking on her own words. Kai's eyes stayed intensely staring into hers, but they quickly soften as he felt his muscles relax. She brought a gentle hand to his cheek, and Kai closed his eyes, melting into her touch. "I love you." She repeated, and he leaned his forehead onto hers.
She was closer to the high ground than he was. He was unaware, of course, as she was quickly crawling inside his head like he was in hers.
But she had to lock herself in.
Daisy quickly leans in and kisses Kai's lips. He pulls away for a second and took shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to contain himself anymore, Kai holds Daisy's head in his hands and pulls her into a fiery and passionate kiss. Her hands work their way around his body, feeling each crevasse, each line along his perfect physique. He eagerly pushes her against a shelf, hearing a few things crash fo the floor at the sudden force. Kai's hands venture over her body, exploring. They pull apart and open their eyes. They stare at each other, deep into each other's eyes. Kai's full of eagerness and passion, Daisy's cunning and disguised.
She felt a part of her enjoying this, and she thought maybe she was just as fucked up as him for wanting this to happen right now. She prided herself for gaining pleasure and the high ground from the situation she had found herself in— but a hint of worry washed over her body as she realize she was beginning to use the same tactics he used on her.