by Kallysten
When her father confirmed it, she asked to talk to her sister, and within moments Helen was on the line.
“Congratulations!” Daisy said, and like earlier she must have been too loud because on the balcony, both Rachel and Woods flinched. She lowered her voice to add, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We had decided to tell everyone tonight,” Helen replied, and in Daisy’s mind she was ten years old, with pigtails and sticking her tongue out at Daisy. “It’s your own fault if you didn’t come. Is he there, then?”
The abrupt change of subject took Daisy aback, and she shifted on the sofa before answering, suddenly very aware that Woods was on the other side of the window.
“Yeah, he’s here,” she muttered, wishing she hadn’t needed to tell Helen why she wanted Woods’ phone number.
“Can I talk to him?”
Did she want to tell him she was pregnant? Were they that close? Daisy was taken by the sudden urge to ask what Helen’s vision had been. Did she even remember it?
“He’s busy right now,” she said instead.
“Oh. Of course. Did you do it yet? Or are you going to?”
That was the first thing Helen had asked when Daisy had explained she wanted to organize a ‘reading soiree’ for her friends. From the very first time Helen had mentioned him, she had been trying to convince Daisy to have Woods reveal her future to her.
Daisy’s answer now was the same it had been then. “No.”
Helen’s voice took that Trust me, I’m older and I know better tone that, when they were little girls, had always persuaded Daisy. “I think you should.”
But they weren’t little girls anymore, and on this, Daisy wouldn’t let herself be swayed.
“I told you,” she said, letting just a hint of exasperation show in her voice. “I’m not interested. Whatever he could show me, I will discover it soon enough.”
She had known that Helen wouldn’t yield that easily, although this time Helen took a slightly different track. “But Daisy! He could be the one for you! You two have so much in common, I’m sure—”
“So he studied art and history, too,” Daisy cut in. “Big deal.”
In her sister’s absence, Daisy started to glare at Woods on the balcony instead. It was all his fault. Even if he hadn’t kissed Helen and given her that damn vision, she’d still have met and fallen in love with Eric anyway, and Daisy wouldn’t be currently trying to fend off her sister’s matchmaking efforts.
“But it’s more than that,” Helen insisted. “I know you, I know what you’re like, and I know him, and I think you two would be terrific together. If you just gave him a chance, I’m sure you’d see that.”
The thought flitted through Daisy’s mind that maybe if Helen hadn’t tried to bully her into this, she might have admitted that she found Woods interesting and enjoyed talking to him. But after the past few minutes—and after their last conversation, which had only been more of the same—Daisy knew better than to give an inch.
“I love you,” she said with exasperated fondness, “but you’re really pushy, you know.”
Helen laughed. “Isn’t it the role of the big sister to be bossy?”
“I’m gonna hang up on you now.”
“Fine, just call me tomorrow. So you can tell me what you saw when you kissed him.”
Daisy sighed into the phone even more loudly than before, and let that be her only answer.
“All right, all right,” Helen said, and while Daisy could still hear a smile in her voice, she didn’t sound as teasing as she had been just a second earlier. “Just call me, okay?”
“I will,” Daisy promised. “Around three?”
They usually talked once a week, just to share news and keep in touch. Daisy was still a little miffed Helen hadn’t told her about the pregnancy, and she intended to take her revenge by being very annoying.
As she finally hung up the phone and dropped it on the seat next to her, she focused her gaze on what was going on outside. She had been too distracted to notice while she was talking with Helen, but now she realized that Woods and Rachel were done. Rachel was leaning forward on her chair and talking quietly to Woods. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, and Brett’s jacket seemed even larger on her than it had been before.
Across from her, Woods was resting his ankle on top of his knee, leaning back with his hands cupping the back of his neck, the very image of relaxation—and yet something felt off. Daisy had watched him emerge from six visions, and every time, he had seemed a little cautious, as though observing how the other person would react. Now, he looked like he thought Rachel was observing his reaction and he wanted to project a casual attitude. It felt very strange to see this, as though Daisy was watching him put on a play. She wondered if Rachel was fooled.
After a few more seconds, they both stood. Woods started to hold out his hand to Rachel, but she shook her head and offered him an awkward hug instead, even kissing his cheek lightly before she stepped away. Daisy went to open the window for Rachel and received a tentative smile in reply.
“Is everything okay?” Daisy asked.
Rachel nodded, rubbing two fingers against her neck with an absent expression. “Everything’s fine. I… I need something to drink. I’m parched. Do you have orange juice?”
“In the fridge, yes. I’ll get it for you.”
Rachel rested a hand on Daisy’s arm. “I’ll find it, thanks. I think I need a minute to myself.”
Daisy patted Rachel’s shoulder lightly and watched her go into the dining room. She barely paused to answer something Joan said before she continued into the kitchen. Daisy turned back to the balcony and joined Woods. He was sitting again and blinked up at her as she approached.
“How’s Helen?” he asked with an absentminded smile.
A little surprised, Daisy sat across from him. “You heard?”
“Yeah, I did. Sorry, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”
Daisy’s surprise only grew. “I thought… Didn’t you say that when you were in a vision it’s like a movie?”
Woods nodded jerkily. “And like a movie,” he explained, “I can sometimes pull away. For most visions, I can connect to what I see somehow. But sometimes it’s just too far from my own experiences, and my mind drifts away.”
She frowned, imagining what in sweet Rachel’s life could possibly have been too strange for Woods, but she knew better than to ask, especially after Rachel had made it so clear that she cared about her privacy.
“Helen wanted to talk to you,” she said instead. “She has some news…” She squinted at him, suddenly wondering… “How much did you hear, exactly?”
Woods tilted his head, and his smile seemed less strained now. “Enough to know you’ve got something wrong. I studied history and anthropology. Art was just a minor.”
Daisy breathed out a sigh of relief, and only then did she realize she had been holding her breath. She also wasn’t quite sure why she felt a little relieved. No, more than a little. Very relieved. Thinking back on what Helen had said—what Woods might have heard—she quickly found where her worry stemmed from. She had been afraid he knew that her sister had tried to set them up. Worse, he could have said that Helen was wrong about him being interested in Daisy. Not that Daisy wanted him to be interested, not at all.
Maybe she should leave the wine alone for the rest of the night; she wasn’t making any sense, even in her own head.
It made no sense either for her to blurt out, “Did you love her?” and yet, she did just that.
Woods’ slow blink made it clear that he was confused. He scratched his neck with a finger as he peered at her and asked, “Love who?”
Daisy cringed. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t go asking near strangers that kind of personal question. But having started, she figured she might as well finish.
“Helen. I just wondered
… Were you in love with her, before you kissed her and you both realized she was meant to be with Eric?”
Shrugging, Woods sat back in his chair. He looked at Daisy intently enough that she felt even more uncomfortable—as well as sorry she had asked. “Does it matter?” he asked. “Why do you ask?”
Daisy didn’t know how to respond, so she kept quiet.
When he realized she wouldn’t reply, Woods surprised her by answering her question. “I think I could have loved her,” he said slowly, almost absently. “We went on a few dates, and we had fun. I guess…” He shrugged again. “I always try to get a kiss before I let myself really fall for someone. So if it’s not supposed to happen, I’m not too disappointed.”
“I’m sorry,” Daisy murmured, and she had rarely meant the apology more than she did now.
Woods gave her a surprised look. “For what?”
“For asking.” She wrapped her arms a little more tightly around herself, but this time it had nothing to do with the cool night air. “It was none of my business.”
Woods started to shift, but his expression suddenly changed, and he grinned mischievously. “Well, you know how you can make it up to me.”
His raised eyebrow completed the thought. She rolled her eyes at him. “What language do I need to say it in so that it’ll sink in? I’m not giving you an all-access pass to my future. Period.”
She stood from the chair and headed for the door to go back inside. Before she reached it, he followed and stopped her with a light touch to the shoulder. Even through the shawl, she could feel the warmth of his hand. She wondered what it would have felt like to hold it.
“Hey. You’re not mad, are you?”
He sounded genuinely contrite, but that wasn’t enough to appease Daisy’s annoyance—with him, but also herself, although she had trouble admitting the latter.
“Mad?” she repeated with a light snort. “Why would I be mad? Because you keep insisting when I already said no?”
Or because she was thinking of doing something she had promised herself she wouldn’t do. What was wrong with her?
Woods lowered both his hand and his eyes. “I was just teasing,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you or—”
Daisy’s sigh interrupted him. “I know. It’s fine.”
And it was, really. She didn’t mind their banter, she even enjoyed it. But coming after she had talked with Helen, his renewed insistence had pressed on a tender spot.
“Are you coming in, then?” she asked, hoping to show she really didn’t bear a grudge.
“No, I’ll stay here, wait for the last one.” He looked at her with a very serious expression etched on his face. “I just didn’t want you to go away thinking I’ll keep pestering you when you come back. I won’t ask again, I promise.”
He held his right hand out to her and smiled a little goofily. “Want to shake on it?”
A pang resonated through Daisy. Forcing a grin to her lips, she shook her head, then touched his arm to soften the refusal. “That’s not necessary. You can ask if you want, but the answer isn’t going to change. Let me go see if Brad still wants to do this, and then you’ll be done for the night.”
Only one more vision, she thought as she stepped back inside. Half an hour left before the New Year. Would she ever see Woods again after this night?
Just as importantly, would she resist temptation until he left?
Eighth Vision of Destiny - Brad
Midnight was less than an hour away, and with its arrival, the New Year would ring in.
Fireworks would erupt all along the bay, glittering over the ocean, and the people on the cottage’s balcony would then have the most amazing view.
At the moment, though, Daisy was alone on the balcony with her party’s guest of honor, Sam Woods. As reluctant as she had been at first to follow her friends’ wishes and invite the seer to read their futures, she was now glad she had. Her friends had been offered visions that showed they would find love and happiness and she had had the opportunity to get to know Woods. Far from being the charlatan she had once believed him to be, he had proved to be a pleasant man; funny at times, dead serious about what he did and confident that he helped people. It was his sadness that had surprised her the most, each time it peeked from behind his warm smile.
It was this same smile she was looking at now, as Woods contemplated the ocean at their feet. Daisy’s friend Rachel had returned inside a few moments earlier after receiving her vision. She had surprised Daisy by pressing a kiss to Woods’ cheek before leaving. Rachel was usually shy and reserved, especially with people she had just met.
“Are people always grateful like that?” Daisy asked, drawing his attention to her and pulling him out of his reverie.
His eyes were dark, and suddenly it seemed he could see right through her, down to the parts she didn’t care to share with anyone. She tightened the shawl over her shoulders as though it might shield her from his gaze as well as the cool December night.
“Hmm?” he said distractedly.
“Kisses on the cheek, the ‘thank you’s, is that normal?”
Woods shrugged. “You’ve seen your other friends tonight. Usually I get a handshake. Sometimes a hug.”
“But they’re always happy?” Daisy insisted, remembering what her friends had said about being glad they had done this.
“Not always, no,” Woods conceded with a slight grimace. “Remember how Brett reacted.”
Daisy couldn’t help shaking her head dismissively. “He was just confused,” she pointed out. “Or surprised. All he did was talk too much about it. I meant, is it ever worse than that? Are people ever truly unhappy about what they see? Or, I don’t know, disappointed?”
Until now, every time Woods had hesitated before answering, Daisy had known he was wondering how much he could tell her. This time, his expression was different when he paused, as though he were thinking of less than pleasant memories.
“A couple of times,” he finally said, “I had some really unhappy people. And I had to duck punches.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. After a second, Daisy realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut. She had wondered about unhappy people, but she hadn’t imagined those he read would have confronted Woods physically.
“Punches?” she repeated. “You’re exaggerating, right?”
Woods’ chuckle held no amusement. “No, I’m not. How would you react if I showed you a future with your best friend’s spouse?”
Was that a hypothetical case, Daisy wondered, or was that a scenario he had once seen play out in a vision? Even if it was, she doubted he would confirm it.
“I think I’d be just as confused as Brett was,” she said after thinking about it for a moment.
He nodded. “Some people are confused. Others are angry. Even people who were excited about the vision beforehand sometimes think it’s a trick if they don’t see what they expected. You called me a charlatan, but I’ve been called a lot worse.”
“I’m sorry,” she offered, truly apologetic. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes you did,” he cut in, softening the interruption with a smile. “But that’s okay. You were hardly the first one to be skeptical about what I can do. Nor were you the first one to think people shouldn’t know about their future.” His smile deepened into a teasing grin. “And you wouldn’t be the first one either to change your mind about asking for a vision.”
She let out an exaggerated sigh and looked up to the sky as though taking the stars to witness. “I didn’t say I changed my mind, did I?” she pointed out, her voice more acerbic than she meant it to be. “I’m just…curious.”
Woods merely smiled, undaunted by her tone, and said confidently, “Curiosity is just the first step. You will ask, in the end.”
Daisy crossed her arms and raised her chin. “Don’t count on that.�
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“Do you want to bet?”
“Bet what?”
“A kiss?”
Daisy couldn’t help laughing. He didn’t know when to give up, did he? “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t ask anymore?”
“I’m not asking.” His grin widened. “Just…offering a game.”
“You offer a bit too much,” she said, as sternly as she could manage. “Desperation isn’t all that attractive.”
In a blink, his smile turned a little bitter. “Yeah,” he replied, with no trace of humor left in his voice. “I know.”
Before she could apologize—she had certainly not been trying to hurt him—he looked behind her and made a welcoming gesture.
“Hey. Come in. Or out, I guess. You’re Brad?”
“That’s it, yes.” Brad approached, holding out his right hand to shake Woods’. His left arm was curled around Joan’s waist at his side. “Are you ready for me?” he blurted out. “I mean, I just couldn’t wait.” Excitement radiated from his face as he shook Woods’ hand almost exuberantly. “I want to see our boys too!”
Daisy glanced at Woods, wondering what he thought of Joan sharing what she had seen but his expression revealed nothing. Joan’s thoughts were much easier to gauge as she covered her ears and said very quickly, “Don’t talk about it! I don’t want to forget like Brett did.”
Brad ran a hand against her side and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Sorry.”
“Have you ever read couples before?” Joan asked, resting her cheek against Brad’s shoulder.
“A few times,” Woods said with a nod.
The interest on Joan’s face was unmistakable. “Do people see the same moment?”
Daisy could tell that Woods wasn’t sure whether he ought to answer or not. After a moment, he did, keeping his reply general so that he wasn’t betraying anyone’s vision.
“It has happened, but it’s not usually the case. What makes a decision the one important moment for you is very personal. It’s all about your past experiences, how you feel now, things you take for granted and things you can’t compromise on.”