Page 85 of Stealing Sunshine

By the time I’m sinking completely into the water, I’m battling exhaustion again. All sexual thoughts have floated back to where they came from, too far to call upon them without risking passing out.

“Is the temperature okay?”

I make a noise of agreement in my throat and rest my head against the pillow slung over the back of the tub. The water slooshes up over my tits and against my collarbones, and I let my arms hang loose beneath it.

When I tilt my head to look at Daisy, I find her sitting on herknees beside the tub with her arm draped over it, fingers playing in the bubbles.

“My parents,” I mutter.

She twists her mouth in distaste. “What about them?”

“How did you find all the shit you gave me?”

“I found it.”

“You searched through the house on your own?”

“Would you have a problem if I had?”

I smirk sleepily. “No. Not at all.”

“I found your mom in the kitchen. She told me where to find most of the supplies, and your father gave me the bucket,” she reveals, almost cautiously, like she still doesn’t believe that I don’t give a shit what she did here.

She could have set the house on fire, and I’d have probably thanked her for taking away a place full of so many upsetting memories from me.

I bring my knee up and rest it against the wall of the tub she’s perched over. “How was that?”

“As great as you’d expect. I kind of chastised her.”

“Chastised how?”

She takes the fingers running through the clouds of bubbles and swirls them over my exposed knee, igniting another round of raised skin. “I did what we were here to do.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Anyway, she deserved a piece of my mind. Dinner was uncalled for.”

“Don’t remind me.”

She giggles, propping her chin on the tub. “Sorry.”

Looking up at the ceiling, I say, “I made you your playlist.”

“You did?” The excitement in her voice speeds my pulse.

“Yeah. It’s not just rock. I kept getting sidetracked.”

“I can’t wait to hear it. I’ve started yours, but I’m not quite done yet.”

I jostle my shoulder. “No rush.”

There’s not a chance I’m telling her that I stayed up until 4:00 a.m. finishing it the same night she said she’d like one.

“Do you want to get your hair wet? I don’t have shampoo, but we can at least scrub it a bit.”

Of course, my mother has the bathroom stocked with bubble bath but not shampoo.

“I’ll fall asleep.”

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