Page 18 of Stealing Sunshine

“Really? I’ve never met him.”

“I’ve only met him once, but he didn’t exactly leave the best impression.”

I huff, my nerves growing. “Great.”

“But it’s not like you’ll ever have to see her parents. Not unless you’re planning on being more than roommates,” she teases, looking toward me with a devilish grin.

“Don’t start with the matchmaking. You were just talking about her carving me up into an ice sculpture.”

“I was just joking about that.”

Pushing up on my hands, I glance ahead of us at the goalposts before meeting her green-eyed stare. “I’m not looking for anything more than roommates.”

“Boo. You never are.”

“You’re supposed to be grateful for that. It means you don’t have to share me with anyone.”

“Seeing you in love wouldn’t be too bad of a trade-off,” she says.

“I’m content being single.”

“For now,” she sings, sitting and pulling her legs into her body. “Don’t you ever feel lonely not having somebody?”

I soften my expression at the emotion in her voice. “Do you?”

“Honestly, yeah. It’s not just having a boyfriend that I want but the love, I guess. The emotional connection to someone. Does that make sense?”

“Of course it does. I think we all want that.”

“Even you?”

Exhaling, I lean forward and rip a handful of grass out of the ground. “Even me. I just don’t want to prioritize finding that right now. Not with everything else going on. I’m too busy trying to get ready for my new job and this whole roommate situation to handle much else, let alone another entire person.”

“I get it, Didi.”

She leans against me as I say, “Thank you for caring.”

“Shut up. I’ll always care about you. Even when you leave me behind and move away to Calgary for four years.”

“You’ll never fully forgive me for that, will you?”

“Nope,” she answers, popping thep.

“I’m here now.”

“For good.”

“For good,” I promise.

Two days later,I’m spending my Monday morning at my moms’ house, grabbing the rest of my things before heading to Bryce’s place. Her text came only yesterday, and while it left a lotto the imagination, I decided not to waste any time before moving in.

Bryce: Hi. This is Bryce. Monday is fine. Lock code is 1031. I left your bedroom door open. Mine is shut. I work til 4:30.

The address to her place was attached in a separate message, and I thanked her immediately before jumping into packing. The two suitcases in my parents’ living room, in addition to the one from Johnny’s, are all I’ve decided to bring, other than my laptop and all the paperwork and lesson plans I have for school.

Johnny’s off moping somewhere, more upset that I’m moving out of his place than I am. It wasn’t like I planned on staying there for very long, anyway, but I do wish I could have stayed a smidge longer. There’s no one that gets me the way my twin does.

“This is the last time I’ll ask, but are you sure you don’t want to just stay here, Daisy?” Mom frowns at me from her spot on the couch. “Is there a reason you aren’t?”

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