Page 5 of Stealing Sunshine

“Touché.”

“You were stomping pretty loud when you passed our room,” he says, and I pick up on the smallest hint of a slur in his words.

“Sorry. I didn’t notice I was doing that.”

“Nah, I’m sorry for not . . . uh . . .”

“Not remembering you aren’t living alone right now?” I finish for him.

“Yeah. That.”

“It’s okay. It’s your house. I’m just tired.”

“’Cause of me. I’m sorry, Daisy. So is Rory.”

“It’s fine, really. I’ve cooled down since coming out here. But I think I’m going to find somewhere else to stay. Hopefully, I’ll have better luck with my search soon.”

The porch creaks under his weight, and I assume he’s shifting around. “You’re not being forced out because of my inability to be considerate for the little while that you’re here. I’ll keep myself in check. I want you here, Daisy. Missed you a whole lot.”

“I missed you too. But I don’t want to feel like a pest. And I’m not saying you’ve been making me feel that way. It’s just the way I feel, all on my own. You and Rory deserve space foryourselves. I don’t want to cut into that. And I have been,” I say.

They may have been together for a year already, but somehow, they’re still in their honeymoon phase.

Opening my eyes, I take in his frown and smile at him reassuringly. The crickets chirp in the fields around the cabin, and suddenly, I’m already missing the peace that comes with this place after only a month here. Despite the events of tonight, I really do like this plot of land my brother’s got.

I stayed here a few times before Johnny met Rory and even a couple nights after that, but living here . . . that’s completely different from a random sleepover.

“I don’t want you to stay somewhere else,” Johnny admits, almost pouting in his attempt to convince me to stay.

“I have to find somewhere else first. And it’s impossible to find a place to live in this town.”

He gnaws on his lip before sighing and saying, “What about Rory’s old place?”

“The haunted one?”

“It’s not haunted,” Rory says, stepping onto the porch dressed in silk shorts and a massive sweatshirt. She crosses her arms and looks at me shyly. “If you want to stay there, I can talk to the owner. It’s fixed up and liveable now.”

“Thanks to me,” Johnny boasts, chest puffing up as he sets an arm on her shoulders and pulls her into him.

I quirk a brow. “Are you aware that your favourite topic is yourself?”

“Not true. My favourite topic is Rory,” he coos, planting a kiss to her cheek as it flames red.

There’s a sharp sensation in my gut as I watch the look they share before dropping my eyes to my knees. It’s envy brought on by the love and bond they share. I’ve never experienced one that strong before. Only dreamed of it. Wished that every relationship I entered into would be my final one, only to be heartbroken when each one ended.

“I appreciate the offer, Rory, but I’m terrified of ghosts. And that house gives me goosebumps. The bad kind.”

“Despite what Bryce believes, it’s not haunted,” Johnny says.

Right. Bryce, the woman who’s dressed up as a Ghostbuster every Halloween besides last. One of my brother and Aurora’s friends, Bryce is always around. And despite my being Johnny’s twin sister, she can’t stand me.

I’ve spent too many nights keeping myself up over what I possibly did or said to offend her but have never come up with anything. From what I’ve put together, she just simply doesn’t like me.

“Bryce would summon a demon to snatch my soul in my sleep,” I say, pushing to my feet. It’s getting chillier at night now that we’re getting closer to September, and I’m underdressed in my nightgown.

“She wouldn’t dare. I’d trade hers for yours,” Johnny declares before curling an arm around me so he’s sandwiched between Rory and me. “If you’re serious about wanting to stay somewhere else, I’ll ask around, ’kay? We’ll figure it out.”

I nod and pat his stomach. “Thank you.”

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