Stealing Sunshine (Cherry Peak, #4)

by Hannah Cowan

It wasn’t the start of my annoyance with all things men, but it did spark a deep-seated hatred. The good for fucking nothing, shit for brains, goddamn assholes have brought me nothing but headaches since I was a teenager.

The crush I’ve had on Daisy Mitchell for the past three years should have made me turn this idea down and build a permanent wall between us. Instead, it’s encouraging me to go along with this.

For three years, I’ve successfully hidden my affection for the sunshine girl beside me. Every blunt, cold reply and blank expression were my only ways of keeping my cards hidden. I’ve never reacted to someone the way I do her, as if she’d somehow already burrowed herself into my life without my knowledge by our first meeting.

“Yellow,” she answers. “Really?” “Black would be too obvious.” I twist my lips to hide a smile. “I’ll admit that I thought it would be black.” “It’s been yellow for a while now.”

“I’ve felt that way for a while now. I was waiting for Daisy to catch up.”

I’ve heard the term Rottweiler boyfriend before, but in this case, it’s Rottweiler girlfriend. While fierce enough to appear mean to those who don’t know her, she’s actually a giant squish ball that would roll over onto her back for some affection from those she trusts.

“Yeah, I think the present is a pretty fucking good place to be right about now, Sunshine.”

“This is just one of the many things I’d do for you, Daisy.” “Because it gives us something to use as proof?” I stroke the corner of her mouth with my thumb, aching to tug it up just so I could see her smile again. Poison slithers up my throat as my lie builds, leaving a sour taste behind. “Yeah, Sunshine. Just proof.”

Who doesn’t have a family puke bowl? Geez, we are from completely different tax brackets.

“Every time you look at me, touch me, or speak to me, this is what I feel, Daisy. Sometimes, it beats so fast that I’ve imagined it giving out because there’s no way it should be able to keep up with such a fucking disbelieving pace for hours on end.”

Bryce is a giver. She’s the kind of person who makes up for her blunt words and sometimes cold demeanour with thoughtful actions in a space she deems safe. But even considering her cold for one moment feels wrong after getting to know her these weeks.