Chapter 16: The Homecoming

24 hours earlier...

Dylan Windell's POV

I was looking at the watch as I was waiting at the airport. Cam should be here now as I was looking at the familiar redheaded man that I have been spending my time with since childhood. Not everyone knows that I was Cameron Hayes' cousin. Only Alex and Brad knows. And of course, my brother.

And everyone that has family ties with the four of us.

I sighed as I was leaning against the railing before I was sighing. I was waiting for my cousin that should be arriving right now. I don't think that I would be waiting for him but here I was.

"Well, it's nice to see that my cousin was waiting for me," Cam said as I turned to look into his familiar green eyes. I rolled my eyes before I went to hug him.

"How are you?"

"I have been better but right now, I think I cannot wait to start my career as a Ph.D. student," he said as I laughed at him.

"That's one thing I know that you like. You're not easily pleased, Cam," I said as we were walking toward the garage where I parked the car. I opened the trunk before Cam was putting his luggage inside it. I arched my eyebrow.

"Just one luggage?" I asked him. I thought he was coming back to NYC. I think it might be more than just one luggage for his move.

"I have asked my sister to take care of the rest and the house that my father bought when I was settling in Seattle. I think he might rent it out. It was not easy to have that kind of house in that neighborhood," Cam said as we were inside the car and I was driving off from the garage. I have paid the parking ticket and I was going through the ticket counter before we were on the highway.

"Say, this is unusual for you to get out of the lab. I thought you said that you almost got it right," Cam said as I shrugged at him.

"Well, uncle booked me today a month ago so I have to come and pick you up. I cannot wait for the family reunion this time around," I said as I was smiling at him. Cam rolled his eyes at me before I was driving to the Hayes' mansion that I have known the route by heart.

Present time

I was looking at the readings that I have gathered from the meteorite that I was looking under the mass spectrometer. It should come with the same proximity to the older papers that I have found. And of course, I was comparing my result to my father's as well.

I was stretching as I was looking at the empty room which Daisy would accompany whenever she was around. I smiled as I was thinking about that night when I was staring at the ceiling every night.

If she was that responsive by my touch, I wonder what happened when we did share the bed. I sighed as I was looking at the table. I rubbed my face before I decided maybe it was time for my lunch.

I could get some beef pho at the cafeteria, I thought as I went to get my phone and card before I was out of the lab. I was walking out of the department when I was looking at the familiar figure.

Cameron Hayes.

"Well, hello there, Mr. Hayes. How's your first day?" I asked Cam before he was smirking at me. I think something good had happened to him to smirk like that.

Because Cam was hard to smile or smirk.

"I might have found something that would make my university life even more interesting," he said as I was laughing at him.

"Are you serious?" I asked before Cam was still smirking. Now, this is something that I would love to know.

"Alright, who was it?"

"What?" He asked me as I was smirking at him now.

"Come on, I know you, Cam. You would not be smirking or smiling for that sake if it was not for a woman," I said before Cam was laughing genuinely now.

Yup, definitely a woman now.

I was looking at him as he was coming from his laughter as Cam was shaking his head. I was waiting for his answer before he just patted my shoulder.

"You will know, soon enough," he said before he was out of the way again. I looked at his retreating figure before I shook my head.

If I was to be besotted like that, God helps me.

I was making my way to the cafeteria as I was looking at the menu. There were not many people in line for the beef pho. I made my way there when I saw that Daisy and her friend, Ella I think, were eating outside. I can see that Daisy easily smiled when her friend was talking.

Then, I was smiling as well.

I was looking at them before I was making my way to the counter to order my beef pho. I was smiling at the student assistant and she has been kind enough to help me out. I thanked her after I got the merchandise and I was making my way to the cashier before I paid for my meal.

I was looking at the table that has been Daisy and her friend was sitting just now. And just like a fool I was, I went to sit there, imagining that I was sitting with them.

I think I might need to reassess my mental health right now because I was smiling like an idiot on some medicine.

"I wonder when I will be seeing you and just the two of us together," I mumbled before I was eating the pho while thinking that Daisy would smile when she was looking at me across the table.

After my lunch, I got an email from Lucia that she wanted to meet us. I was sipping on some water that I refilled from the refilling station and I was making my way to the Geology department. I was smiling when I know I will meet Daisy there.

It has been a long time since I was meeting her. I think she was avoiding me after that night in the garden. I think I would love to remind her again.

I was knocking on the door before Lucia called me in. I opened the door and I saw that Daisy was talking with her. I think she was getting more beautiful in weeks. I don't think I might miss her brown eyes but I was.

And when she turned to look at me briefly, I was holding my breath.

"Ah, you're here. Finally. Come, I have some important news to say in the span of our research will be going," Lucia said as I was taking my seat beside Daisy. She was focusing on her notes before I was looking at Lucia and smiled.

"Okay, so I got a word that there might be more meteorite in this one specific area in the Midwest. If we can get some funding, we can make our sport on the expedition that our own Chris Yang will be supervising. Isn't that awesome?" Lucia said as I was smiling at her.

"That sounds perfect. When we will be departing?" I asked her as she was giving us a pamphlet to us for more information.

"Here, why don't you guys take a look first, and then we can discuss one by one tomorrow? I think that would be enough time for you to decide, right?" Lucia asked us as I was nodding. I saw that Daisy did the same thing as well.

"Good, now I wanted to know about the progress that you guys made. Daisy, why don't you go first and tell me what you got so far?" Lucia asked before I turned to look at Daisy. She was gulping before she turned to look at me then Lucia.

"Can we make it one on one as well? I don't think I want to talk about it in the open. I think someone might get hurt by it," she said as she was eyeing me from the corner of her eye. Lucia laughed.

"What do you mean dear? Of course, someone will be jealous if you discovered something that will put your research in the good grace of NSF first," Lucia said as Daisy sighed.

"I just…do not feel confident, that's all," she mumbled before Lucia nodded.

"I see. I understand. Well, we might as well discuss that tomorrow. So I wanted you guys to think very hard about the expedition and get back to me tomorrow. Now, dismiss," Lucia said as we were out of the office. I called for Daisy but she was off from me again. I was looking at the figure that was retreating before I smiled at her.

I think I am besotted by one Daisy Dyer, the daughter of my father's accused murderer.