Page 22 of Stealing Sunshine

I’ve done far worse to make others treat my friends with respect than simply stare at them. I can appreciate her effort. As weak as it may be.

Daisy stops beside the bed and lays a hand on the mattress. Five sparkling, yellow nails gleam beneath the ceiling light. Her twin follows behind her but doesn’t stop at the bed. He comes right up to me and flattens his massive hand on the top of my head before moving it around.

I pinch the underside of his arm, and he squeals like a pigbefore yanking his hand back. “Don’t do that again, or I’ll shave your hair off in your sleep.”

“Aurora wouldn’t speak to you again if you did that,” he tosses back with an arrogant lift of his voice. “She loves my hair.”

“She would get over it.”

“You don’t have the face for a bald head,” Kristen tells him.

Daisy fails to hide her amusement. “She’s not wrong. Don’t risk it.”

“You know what? I’m leavin’. First, I’m on tampon duty, and then this? I need to go home to my woman,” he says.

Smile drooping, Daisy asks, “You’ll come by soon?”

“’Course, D. Whenever you want.” He side-eyes a look at me. “Bryce won’t have a problem with my surprise visits, right?”

My brow twitches. “Even if I said yes, it wouldn’t matter.”

“Great. I’ll take that as approval. Walk me out?” he asks.

Once again, he isn’t really asking me, so I just nod and lead him out of the room. We don’t make it three steps before Daisy’s stopping us.

“I’ll come too!”

I glance over my shoulder and see Johnny shake his head at her and lightly push her backward into the bedroom.

“Nah, you unpack with Kiki. Call me tomorrow. Love you.”

He kisses her head and then nudges me forward. I tilt my head and watch the two of them, intrigued with what this is about.

“Johnny,” Daisy says, his name spoken with obvious warning.

“Are these all thongs, Didi?” Kristen asks loudly. “Ooh, a strapless bra. And a?—”

Daisy loosens a sigh and then leaves. “Yeah, I get it. Stop going through my intimates.”

“Intimates? How very modest of you.”

Johnny settles at my side as we continue down the hallway.The longer he waits to speak, the more intense my curiosity grows.

“Did you get piss on my toilet seat or something? What’s up with you?” I ask once we’ve made it to the entryway.

“I’m not a dog, Bryce.”

“Depends on the circumstances.”

His laugh is more snort than anything else. “Alright. You know I like you, Bryce. Wouldn’t have let Poppy suggest Daisy stay here otherwise.”

Leaning back against the wall, I cross my arms and nod. “Alright.”

“Be nice to her while she’s here. Drop the ice queen act a bit.”

“Ice queen?”

“Yeah, ice queen. I know better than to tell a woman she should smile more, but just . . . warm up a bit around her. Try to have a conversation every once in a while. Get to know her.”

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