Hothouse Flower (Calloway Sisters #2)

by Krista Ritchie

I can’t lose these two people today. I can handle a lot of fucking shit, but not this. I don’t know how to handle this.

THE TWO PEOPLE HE CARES ABOUT MOST

My voice chokes at the word, and I pinch the bridge of my nose to stop from breaking down and crying. I rarely ever fucking cry. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve shed a fucking tear. There’s a long pause before Connor asks, “Is she alive?” The question sends me to my fucking knees. I breathe heavily, no amount of training preparing me for this agony. I shake my head and I say, “I don’t…I don’t know.” I could have been carrying a girl without a pulse for three miles. I didn’t check. I just ran.

OMG

This may be the worst night of my life. I failed the two people that matter most to me.

It’s all a wicked game that I never asked to play.

If Daisy liked to burden people with her pain, she would have told her sisters about her insomnia, about her horrible fucking prep school friends. About what happened during the ten months that she was living with her parents—when I was at my apartment. She doesn’t think her problems measure up to Lily’s addiction, but they do. They’re just as important. I stare at the ground, my eyes burning again. I just have this mental picture of Daisy waking up in a strange place, in a foreign country, with no familiar face in the room. It’s fucking horrifying, and I want to save her from that.

“And Celebrity Crush posted a photo of Daisy thrown over your shoulder.” He pauses, and his deep blue eyes narrow at me. “Your hand is on her ass, by the way. You should care more about what her father thinks if you want to have a real relationship with her, and if you don’t, then I’m telling you now, as her brother-in-law, back off.” This is a new side of Connor. Protective of Daisy. I do appreciate it, more than I’m going to let on. “How do you know what I want?” “I can read people really well. I’m almost a hundred-percent positive you’ve kissed her, based on seeing her in Paris. Her lips were red. She was a little flushed. You were too.” I open my mouth, but he cuts me off. “Lo didn’t pick up on it. He wouldn’t. I don’t think many people can see what I can.” “Why do you have to fucking compliment yourself when you prove a point?” “I’m stating truths.” I cross my arms. “Well, here’s one for you, Cobalt. It doesn’t matter if I grab her around the waist, if I kiss her chastely or if I kiss her roughly. No matter what I fucking do, her father isn’t going to like me. Her mom is going to hate me. Fuck you for thinking I need their approval to have a real relationship. What I feel is fucking real, and I don’t need her mom to verify that for me.”

“I thought you, out of all people, would be more concerned about her health. I thought you would have run to her sisters with the news. I thought you’d do anything to ensure Daisy’s safety and protection.” “I fucking did!” I shout.

“Rose is going to be so upset that she didn’t pay enough attention to her.” Connor blows out a deep breath, as though he can feel his wife’s pain from this and she still has no idea.

“Connor,” I cut him off, “she’s my fucking girlfriend. I’ve triple fucking checked every person she’s been seeing. I don’t need you to do my job for me. I’m more than capable of taking care of her.” He hesitates before pocketing his phone, and then he stares at me with more respect than when this conversation started. “So you put a label on your relationship?” I nod. “Yeah, we did.” My nose flares as I hold back emotion. She’s in a fucking hospital room, maybe fighting for her life. What wrong decisions did I make to put her there? Where did I fuck up? Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I chose to never meet my brother. If I chose to keep my head buried in the sand. My mom would have never known about Lily’s sex addiction. She would have never shouted it to the fucking world. No media. Daisy would sleep peacefully. Lily wouldn’t feel so fucking ashamed. Connor and Rose wouldn’t have their sex life distributed online. And my brother—I think he’d still be drinking.

the butterfly effect

“I haven’t always done the right thing, Connor,” I say. “I’m not perfect. But I’m trying so hard to look after my brother and her. But if I’m hurting them, then you need to tell me right now.” I meet his gaze—no pretenses. No jokes. The severity in our postures makes it hard to breathe. And I tell him something from my fucking soul. “I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life by being in it. That was never my intention.” Connor lets out an exhausted laugh, and tears actually brim his eyes. “Ryke…” He shakes his head and rubs his lips. He drops his hand. “You ran with her in your arms for over three miles. Your brother’s existence caused your parent’s divorce, and yet, you gave up most of your time and energy to help him through his sobriety. How can you possibly think you’re a pain in their life? What you’ve done for them, it’s nothing short of heroic, and if you can’t see that, then you’re blind, my friend.” A hot tear rolls down my cheek. I’m so fucking tired of being alone. I was scared that he’d tell me to fucking leave. Because that means going back to a life I can’t see for myself anymore. Daisy has changed that for me. She made me comfortable to share my life with someone else, to live for happiness in the company of others. My solitary future looks bleak. But my future filled with my brother, my friends, her—there’s nothing fucking brighter. She’s the sun. I’m the dark. If she’s gone, I can kiss that fucking light away. Without her, I know I’ll never see it again.

OMGOMG

“Can you…come closer?” I reach for his hand, but I grasp air. I try to sit up in the bed so I can see more of him, but my whole body is sore like I was hit by a truck. Was I? Did I accidentally run into traffic? Please tell me I didn’t do something stupid that got him hurt too. I burst into tears because I’m terrified that’s what happened. “Daisy, don’t cry,” he says. “We’re going to get through this.” We.

“Did I…did I do something stupid? You didn’t…you didn’t follow me into traffic, did you?” The fact that this could be a possibility, I realize that reflects poorly upon me. I can be unthinking and selfish when I try to live fully. But I’ve always loved that Ryke never stops me. Whatever wild thing I do, Ryke Meadows does too. Down a ski slope. In an ocean, caged with sharks. Off a cliff. Off a cliff. I was fifteen. I dove into the water. He jumped in after me. I couldn’t imagine any other guy willing to do that for someone they hardly knew. In that moment, I had fallen for Ryke. Literally, figuratively—I knew, if we couldn’t be together, he would be my friend. Here we are now. In a hospital. “Maybe I should have left you alone,” I whisper. “What are you talking about?” “You wouldn’t be hurt…”

OMG

I want to kiss the wounds,

“Daisy, look at me,” Ryke says, his hand sliding on my thigh, holding me tightly. I meet his concerned gaze just as the last memory hits me. I picked myself off the concrete. “I saw you,” I whisper. “You were right there.” I remember meeting his eyes. And they were full of anger, full of desperation, full of gut-wrenching pain. He screamed my name. I heard it only once before something hard met my face.

Because I’ll have this scar forever. Because I’ll never be the pretty Daisy Calloway in magazine spreads or down runways. I am no longer a model. I am no longer the person my mom aspired me to be. But I am more me now than I was before. I shut my eyes and lean my head back. And my heart rate—it slows. I take a deep breath. What feels like my very first one ever, and silent tears fall. A pressure so heavy begins to rise off my chest. “It’s okay to be upset,” Janet tells me. I open my eyes and shake my head, a weak laugh escaping. “I’m not upset.” My chin quivers. I wipe the tears and I say, “I’m relieved.” My gaze meets Ryke’s. “How sick is that?” And then I burst into tears because I know I shouldn’t feel this way. He’s by my side in seconds, and I wrap my arms around his chest. I didn’t realize how trapped I was until this very moment. Until something so horrifying could actually feel good. And I know I’m partly to blame. If this doesn’t tell me that I need to stand up for myself, then I don’t think anything could.

people pleasers unite

My career has ended because of my face, but it should have ended so much sooner because of my health, my emotions, my happiness. It has taken a near-death experience and the end-all of modeling for me to realize this. Blaming it on the scar—it seems like the easy way to deal. I know I won’t feel better unless I do it the way I was always meant to.

I can’t tell what he’s going to do, and that mystery instantly draws me to him. I take a couple steps forward and then stop halfway, a few feet separating us. He stands tall, his masculinity so apparent in his build and hard jawline. I think I could live underneath Ryke Meadows, under his weight and protection, and be satisfied for life. The thought pulls my lips upward. I ignore the pinch in my cheek, the slight pain of the motion. I want to smile, dammit. So I’m gonna smile.

OMG

His eyes meet mine and then fall to the collar of my hospital gown. He never looks at me like I’m half of myself, too beaten to love, too fragile to handle. Instead, his gaze rakes me like it’s our first time being this close again. One more step and his chest brushes against mine with each deep breath. He leans forward, and I go rigid. His lips tickle my ear. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” I smile wide. Those words mean so much more now than they ever did before. “Say that again.” “How about I just fucking show you?” His hot breath warms my neck, and then he kisses that very spot, deeply right away. Just like that, my body responds by curving towards him.

he's so perfect

My arms slip underneath his, holding his back like he belongs to me. I can’t believe I’m turned on after being cooped up in a hospital. But my sore limbs loosen like jelly at his possessive touch. He unties my hair, slipping the band on his wrist. Then he messes the long locks with a rough hand, as he’s done so many times before. It dizzies me, and my heart palpitates.

I stiffen, thinking he’s going to pull away at the sight of all the purple blemishes, but he only gently kisses around them, being careful with me but not so much that he’d let me go. I wish I could kiss him back. Even if it didn’t hurt, Ryke would never allow my lips to near him, not wanting to cause me pain.

“I want you so badly,”

“I love so many fucking parts of you,” he says huskily.

This is so foreign. And I adore every single second. “We’re not having sex yet, so store that fantasy for later, sweetheart.” Sweetheart. I smile. No pain. It’s drowned beneath my arousal. Ryke says sweetheart with so much force that it conflicts with the mildness of the word. I wonder if that’s us. Soft to his hard. Sweet to his rough. Wild to his stone. I like it.

We are in a hospital. A public place. But he has a way of making it feel like the most private, safe place on Earth.

“You’ve done what I have trouble doing to myself.” “It’s time for that to fucking change, don’t you think?” I smile wider. “Don’t smile,” he says. “I don’t want to fucking hurt you.” “There’s no way you can.” He’s only ever been the opposite in my life. The most positive force there ever was. He’s like that to everyone he meets. I’m sure of it.

OMG

I am climbing a gorgeous mountain that I have never even neared before. And he’s the one taking me there. He leans my back on the blanket again, but he doesn’t pry me off him, so in result, I’ve taken Ryke with me. He hovers over my body, so close to me. Even if he’s fully clothed and I lie naked, I feel safe in his possession.

“Better than chocolate?” he asks, wiping my lips that stay parted. His forearm rests beside my head, propping up his body as he stares down at me. “I don’t know,” I pant. “I think I need to test this out five or six more times to make a definitive answer.” I smile playfully. “I have a strong fucking feeling that we’ll hear your answer quickly.” “I love your strong feelings,” I tell him. “I love watching you come,” he says like it’s a simple fact. But it’s not simple at all. “How much?” He kisses my good cheek and then whispers, “More than you’ll ever fucking know.”

He’s taking care of me to a new degree. It makes me feel more than just loved. I feel like I’m truly his.

AW (listening to my love mine all mine) while reading this part is making my heart warm)

I don’t back down to the darkness in his features. I cling to every dangerous quality he possesses. “I just thought you’d want to go back to being just friends after what happened with my face.” His confusion turns into a hard glare. “I’m not with you because you’re a fucking model.” “I know.” “Clearly you didn’t.” “I do now.” He’s not happy with that answer. “I didn’t think I was going to have to spell it out for you, Calloway.” “Now I’m confused.” He shakes his head. “I’ve never met a fucking girl that I wanted to stick around for longer than a month, and then I became friends with you—” I cut him off, “And I thought that you could go back to being my friend.” “No, you thought that I’d want to. You think I’m with you just because you’re fucking gorgeous? Daisy, I could have been with you the moment you turned eighteen. Having sex with a hot fucking girl that gets me hard isn’t worth risking the relationship I have with my brother.” I breathe heavily. “What’s worth the risk then?” “What we fucking have,” he says. “I love you beyond physical attraction.” He cups my smooth cheek, looking deep into my eyes. “I love you, Dais, because you’re the wildest fucking girl with the biggest fucking heart. And without you in my life”—he shakes his head like it’s an inconceivable picture—“I’d be the unhappiest fucking guy.” His words flood me with so much emotion. For however ineloquent they are, they sound perfect off his lips—because they’re one-hundred percent Ryke Meadows. I focus ...

AW (they're so glue song by bea)

“He carried you,” Janet says, a hand to her chest, like that night was emotional, even for her. “You were in his arms when he reached the hospital doors. He arrived about ten minutes before anyone else from the riot.” Tears well, and I suppress them as best I can. My voice trembles. “He ran here?” She nods and reaches out to touch my wrist in comfort. I glance down the hallway at Ryke who speaks with force into the phone, like he wants the person on the other end to fully listen to him. He’s the hero of my story, but he refuses to claim any of those moments, as if they don’t matter. They do matter. Everyone sees partial sides to Ryke, and he lets them think he’s just an athlete with no brains, an aggressive asshole. It’s like he’s been alone for so long that he’s lost any interest in showing off his worth. I think I’ve hit the lottery—to have him in my life. To me, he’s worth every loud moment, every peaceful silence, the crazy and the sad, the restless and the quiet. I would trade it all to be with him,

SO ROMANTIC (my standards are rising)

She’s usually glued to my brother’s side and vice versa. “You’re really okay without him?” Silence stretches before she says, “I mean, I miss him a lot more than I can articulate. It hurts without him here. But I’m better than I was when he first left for rehab. I’m at a better place.” “I know you are,” I tell her. Back then, she was almost in tears every time I called her. It was kind of fucking pathetic, but I didn’t understand their relationship. I didn’t understand that kind of unconditional love. And then Daisy left, and I felt out of my fucking mind for three days. I yelled at Lily for bitching after only seven days without Lo, so who’s the hypocrite now?

OMG

“Promise me that whatever it is, you’ll be fucking safe. And be careful on your way out to us. My brother can’t live without you. I’m expendable, you aren’t.” “You can’t honestly think that about yourself,” she says softly. “Just promise me, Lily.” “I promise, but Ryke—he needs you. You’re his brother.” I shake my head. To Lo, I’m equal to Connor. We met Lo at nearly the same fucking time. In fact, Connor has some months on me. For fuck’s sake, Lo made us flip a coin to determine who would be his best man at his wedding. I didn’t get it by fucking default because I’m related to him. In less than a year, I’ll be standing by his side as he’s about to get married, all because of luck. A flip of a coin. He can so easily push me out of his life, and the only reason I’m still here is because I refuse to go, no matter how hard he shoves. But Daisy…I know in my heart she’s something that can drive me away from him. I’m going to fight against the moment, but I also mentally prepare for it.

poor ryke omg

“Just don’t let Rose fucking cut you. Stick up for yourself.” “Is that what you’ve been telling my little sister?” she asks, flipping the switch. “I tell her a lot of fucking things,” I say. “And yeah, that’s one of them.” “Good,” Lily says. I can practically see her nod with resoluteness, in this goofy fucking way.

I remember her smile as she came, her laugh and the genuine happiness that blanketed over her. I wish this bad fucking thing didn’t have to happen for her to make these hard decisions about modeling, but I am glad she’s finally made them. “She’s going to be okay,” I tell Lily. “She looks good.” She looks fucking beautiful. “Thank you, for what you did,” Lily says. “We all appreciate it, you know.” I don’t pick my words that carefully. I just fucking say them. “I’d do anything for her.”

“She means a fucking lot to me, Calloway.”

“Was she happy that she’s able to go with you guys to California?” she asks before we hang up. “Yeah,” I say, my chest rising with the fucking fact. “I’ll keep her safe.” “You be safe,” Lily emphasizes. “You’re the one climbing. I’m packing a first-aid kit, just in case you fall, so you know.” “Your fucking Band-Aid isn’t going to save me.” “Wolverine is printed on the front. He can save anyone.” I roll my eyes for the fifth time it feels like. “Let’s just hope we all make it there in one piece.”

i love lily and ryke's friendship

“You ready for a fucking adventure, sweetheart?” I ask her. She hugs me close and says, “Does this adventure contain cupcakes, Ryke Meadows and motorcycles?” “Substitute the last one for a fucking rental car.” She smiles. “I’m ready for this awfully big adventure then.” She pauses and adds, “With you.” I kiss her temple.

she would go anywhere with him fr

Lily started to open up a little bit. It wasn’t my fucking intention to share our sexual exploits with each other, but I just wanted to make her feel less ashamed about her sex life. So fuck me.

And then she told me it was with a random guy she met at the cotton candy booth. My insides kind of twisted. For her. For my brother. I wish she could have just enjoyed sex like me, but instead it was something else entirely for her. Something darker.

“And don’t have sex in public. It’s fucking gross.” “Hey,” I cut in. “Let her do what she wants.” “Yeah, sure, get arrested, Dais,” Lo tells her. “Or better yet, screw in a grocery store and then some cashier will be peeking in from the aisle over and film you on his cellphone. Great story to tell the world.” I expect another sarcastic comment from her, but instead, her face turns serious. “Do you think it’s gross that Lily has had public sex?” Lo’s face contorts and he starts shaking his head. “Of course not. She’s not gross.” “But it’d be gross for me,” Daisy says, touching her chest. Confusion wrinkles her forehead. I glower at Lo. He did just say that. “That’s not what I meant,” Lo says, cringing. “You’re just…you’re you, Dais. You’re young.” “Lily had sex on a Ferris wheel when she was eighteen,” I refute coldly. “Don’t make this into an age thing. Say the fucking truth, Lo. It’d be gross for you to think about Daisy having sex. It doesn’t matter where the fuck it is.” “It’s okay, guys,” Daisy says quickly, “I’m sorry I brought it up.” She slides over to the window, her face sinking in guilt at stirring more confrontation between my brother and me. But honestly, anything she fucking says is going to rile Lo. It’s just the way he is.

this is already a mess