Page 58 of Chasing Home

Swooped nose, strong cheekbones, and the same arch in their brows. Even their chins curve the same. Yet despite all that’s similar, they’re distinctly different. For one, I’d have attempted to count all of Johnny’s freckles already if he had nearly the same number of them.

Clearing my throat, I collect myself. “You must be Daisy.”

“So, he does talk about his sisters, then. I was beginning to worry we’d meet and you’d have no idea who I am,” she says, approaching me to offer her hand. “And you’re Aurora, right?”

I nod, something warm filling my belly at the knowledge that she knows who I am. “He talks about you guys a lot.”

When I shake her hand, she swings her other arm awkwardly, as if she would have preferred to hug me instead of something so formal.

She beams at my words and takes a step back before rocking forward on her toes. “Everyone will be happy to hear that.”

Times like this, I wish I was better with human interaction. This isn’t the time for my mind to go blank, unable to come up with something to say. I could cry with relief when Daisy opens her mouth to speak, seemingly unbothered by my silence.

“So, what are you doing back here? Are you hiding from the guys? I wouldn’t blame you if you were. They’re like yapping hounds when women are around. You can treat them like it, by the way. A swift kick between the legs, and they’ll be leaving you alone,” she says, the pep in her voice as she speaks about kicking a guy in the balls a bit . . . interesting.

“I’m not hiding, per se.”

“Just taking a minute?”

“Yeah,” I say on a weighted exhale. “Yeah, a minute that’s turned into quite a few.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she offers.

I think about my answer twice before saying, “I need to make a phone call but can’t get myself to press the button. Could you do it for me?”

Her nod is instant. She bounces a step toward me and holds out her hand. “You’ve got it, babe.”

Giving my phone to her feels like a true test of my sanity. But thankfully, she doesn’t hesitate to grab it from me, making the decision to give it willingly a lot easier.

“Count to three or something first?—”

The sound of the dial tone has my muscles and joints locking up. Fear shackles me as ice water floods my veins, freezing me from the inside.

Daisy slides the phone back into my hand and rubs my shoulder in a soft, soothing motion. “Whatever this is about, you’ll be fine. It will be fine.”

I don’t believe her and don’t bother saying otherwise. Or anything, for that matter. Daisy gives me a squeeze and then shifts back, giving me room to breathe.

“You’re beautiful, by the way. I knew you would be—Johnny said you were—but I definitely concur with him. I’m glad I got a minute with you without him hovering. Hopefully, we’ll see each other again soon.”

I jerk my head in a nod and watch her skip off, with my phone clutched so tight in my fist I’m shocked it hasn’t crumbled to pieces by now. It continues to ring, even as I force my stiff arm to raise it to my ear. I gulp down a breath and wait.

It rings three more times before cutting off.

“Hello?”

I almost burst into tears at the first sound of her voice. My sister’s voice. The half doesn’t matter right now.

Clearing my throat, I lift a hand to my throat and say, “Hi. Is this Wanda?”

“That depends on who this is.”

I flinch at the blunt tone but don’t let it deter me. As the daughter of a famous public figure, I assume she deals with random people calling a lot.

“Are you sitting down somewhere? If not, you might want to.”

“How about you just tell me what this is about.”

“Alright,” I mutter. Jumping right into it, then. “My name is Aurora Bennett and?—”

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