Page 39 of Stealing Sunshine

Out of every reaction Poppy could have had, I wasn’t expecting the belly-deep laughter that explodes out of her. She curls over and wraps her hands around her stomach, as if her laughter is so strong it’s started hurting.

“Fuck off, Poppy,” I huff, using my foot to push away from her and the desk.

Her eyes widen as she watches me roll away, laughter slowly dying. “Cut the shit, Bryce.”

“You’re not supposed to know yet.”

“Stop lying to me.”

I itch the back of my hand. “I’m not.”

When she reaches for both of my hands and uses her hold to roll me toward her, I know I’m fucked. She narrows her eyes and thins her mouth.

“The truth. Now.”

“You sound like a parent.”

“I’ll punish you like one, too, if you don’t explain yourself. And I’ll add that I’ve known you way too damn long not to be able to smell a lie a mile away. And right now, you reek,” she scolds.

“You’re such a pain in my ass.”

She ignores me. “Explain, Ice.”

I pull my hands free of her tight grip and run them down my thighs. My clothes are too restrictive for me to relax, and I’ve never hated them more than right now.

“She is my girlfriend. But it’s not that simple,” I begin, replicating her glare with one of my own. “You’re not supposed to know anything more than that, Poppy. And I swear to God, I will lose my shit if you share this with anyone. Even Garrison.”

She worries her lip. “What about Anna?”

“No. No one else can know. I mean it. Even just you knowing makes this all the more complicated.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell me anything else. I don’t know if I can lie to everyone,” she says in a rush, standing tall before starting to pace the office.

“That would be easier.”

She shakes her head furiously, the slick ponytail whipping through the air. “No, now I have to know. I won’t be able to let this go. But goddammit, Bryce! What is this? Some task from the FBI?”

“Not quite.”

With a long exhale, she comes back to my side of the desk and props herself against the edge. Her eyes are so focused they make me queasy.

“Tell me everything,” she demands, and I don’t make her ask again.

With a look around the office to make sure I haven’t missed anyone else entering, I say, “Daisy is my fake girlfriend. She’s going to help get my parents off my back with all of the blind dates by showing them that I’m content with a woman. Once they realize I’m not looking for anything they’ve been offering, we’ll fake a breakup and go our separate ways,” I explain, hating how devious it all sounds.

There’s so much that can go wrong here, and with my family involved, I’ll never live any of this down if the truth gets out. I’ll be a complete laughingstock to them and everyone in town, and the last thing I want is to drag Daisy down with me.

Poppy doesn’t say anything for a long moment. Her lashes flutter as she blinks furiously. I bury my head in my hands and groan.

“She offered. I should have turned her down,” I speak into my palms.

There’s sudden warmth on my back as Poppy starts rubbing my spine. “Maybe it isn’t such a bad thing.”

I whip my head to the side, staring up at her in disbelief. “Be serious.”

“I am. I was shocked at first, but I know you, and you’ve liked her for a while, right?”

I put my face back in my hands in hopes she’ll drop this. “You’re wrong.”

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