Page 184 of The Storm Boys Series Collection

God, he made me laugh.

Then we sat there for a little bit longer. Jeremiah chewed his bottom lip, and when he started to tap his foot, it got the better of me. “Maybe we could check the app, just real quick, and see what records we need to beat.”

“I’m certain each reading isn’t a personal best to beat every time. That’s not why I bought it.”

“Hm, personal bests. I like the sound of that.”

He smirked. “Well, I think the sprint across the yard to collect those two girls, sprinting back, and almost getting hit by lightning will be hard to beat. My heart was beating out of my chest.”

I met his gaze. “Is that a challenge, Doctor? Because I do like a challenge.”

He glanced back toward the kitchen to see if Ellis was listening. He wasn’t, so Jeremiah looked back to me. “Well, a little competition could be fun.”

“I’m going to make a chart,” I proclaimed loudly. I didn’t care if Ellis heard. “With gold stars and everything.”

Jeremiah’s eyes went wide. “Oh god, please don’t.”

“Yeah,” Ellis chimed in as he stirred a pan. “Please don’t. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it involves a chart and gold star stickers and he’s trying to whisper, so I can only assume he’s getting his freak on. Believe me when I say I don’t wanna fucking know.”

I burst out laughing. “Jeremiah, quick, get your phone. We need to check the app so I know how much stamina I’ll need tonight.”

“Oh my god,” Jeremiah hissed. “Tully, stop it.”

Ellis let his head drop with a loud groan. “Staying here was such a bad idea.” He turned the stove off. “Pasta’s cooked. Come up and get your own, nut sac.” Then he rolled his eyes. “Not you, Jeremiah, obviously. I was talking to the six-foot talking haemorrhoid sitting next to you.”

I burst out laughing and even Jeremiah tried not to smile as he put Mr Percival back in his box. We dished up our own pasta, and sitting on the couch eating Ellis’ terrible cooking just made me so freakin’ happy.

Having Jeremiah in my life and having my shithead brother live with us made me so unbelievably happy.

Granted, these weren’t ideal circumstances, with the cyclone and all. But even after everything Hazer threw at us, with all the devastation and the loss, to still be able to sit around and joke and laugh with each other, we were pretty damn lucky too.

“Cheers,” I said, tapping my bottle of water to Ellis’. “To surviving cyclones.” Then I tapped Jeremiah’s. “And to more storms in the future.”

Ellis shoved a forkful of pasta in his mouth, then spoke with his mouth full. “You’re both crazy.”

I laughed. “Maybe. But he’s my kind of crazy.”

Ellis ignored my sappiness and shook his head at Jeremiah. “I still can’t believe you saved those kids from that lightning strike.”

“I’m not surprised one bit,” I said. “We have footage of him running a hundred metres in the rain and sliding under the wall at the bunker like an action-movie hero.”

Jeremiah’s cheeks were now a vivid pink.

Such a contrast, from the hero to the shy guy...

“About the footage,” Jeremiah said.

“The footage from the bunker?”

“No, the footage from your balcony, looking at the cyclone.” He shrugged. “Maybe we could take a little look.”

I grinned at him.Hell yes, we could.“We could hook it up to the TV and watch it on the big screen!” I ditched my pasta and stood up. “I’ll go get it.”

Ellis groaned. “Oh my god, I’m living with storm nerds.”

“Shut up, nut sac,” I yelled out.

“Grab me a beer on your way back,” he replied.

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