Chapter 2
2
DAISY
I’ve never been more grossed out by my brother than I have this weekend.
I don’t know why I thought staying with him and his girlfriend would work. Not with how every encounter I’ve ever had with them this past year has just been me third wheeling and listening to their sloppy kissing noises.
Johnny is my twin and, in turn, my best friend. But he’s still gross as hell. Only now, it isn’t because of the lack of showering or burping loudly in silence but because he’s a stage five stalker obsessed with his girlfriend to the point of near insanity.
Still, Aurora is a good match for him.
They might be complete opposites, but she keeps him grounded and makes him happier than I’ve ever seen him. So, when she agreed with his offer to have me stay with them for the last couple of weeks and foreseeable future until I can find a place of my own, I accepted, not wanting to turn down their generosity.
That was my first mistake.
I should have said no, thank you and hurried up in my search for somewhere all to myself because now . . .
Another groan sounds from the room directly behind my bed, and I squeeze the edges of the pillow harder against my ears. My breath is hot against my face as I consider suffocating myself before I have to hear my brother make another one of those noises.
“Are the walls made out of paper?” I whisper to myself.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they were. This cabin is old as balls. Johnny’s renovated almost all of it, moving room to room to make it feel more like a home instead of a creepy shack in the woods.
The guest room that I’m staying in is bright in the daylight, painted in soft greens and beige, with a shuttered window and sheer curtains. My bed is soft and cushioned, with a thick comforter that makes the bite of the relentless air conditioning not as noticeable. I always run cold, and even with this blanket, I’ve doubled up with socks to keep from freezing.
Moonlight streaks into the room through the curtains, keeping it from growing as dark as I’d like, so I add that to the tally of why it’s past two in the morning and I’m still awake.
I should be grateful that I wasn’t left with no option but to move back into my moms’ house until I’m sorted in Cherry Peak, but as of this moment, I’m feeling grumpy. Sleep deprivation, stress, and cringe have turned my usual sunshine mood into a stormy one.
With a sigh, I grab my phone from the side table and wince at the brightness when I click it on. After lowering it until I don’t have to shield my eyes, I’m opening the conversation I had two hours ago with my other best friend. The non-twin one.
Kiki: Sleep tight, babe. Imagine you’re alone on a boat or something
Me: Oh perfect. Because we both know how much I love being on the water, right?
It’s the opposite.
I’m terrified of bodies of water. Doesn’t matter if it’s a lake or the ocean, I get full-body shakes. It took me until I was five to stop screaming every time my moms put me in the bath. I’ll admit that the ocean scares me more than a lake does, which makes complete and total sense. We’re not meant to be in the ocean, period .
Kiki: Smart ass.
Me: Being alone on a boat scares me more than hearing my brother having sex with his girlfriend.
Kiki: Well that backfired then. Oops.
Me: Now I feel sick all over again.
Kiki: Night night, Didi *kiss emoji*
There’s a slam against the wall, and I shoot up in bed, huffing my breaths. I whip my pillow across the room and hightail it into the hallway. If I didn’t like Aurora as much as I do, I’d be slamming my fist against the door and telling them to keep it down, but I don’t want to embarrass her.
The two of them were out at Peakside tonight and didn’t get home until late, both sounding like giggling drunks. I should have known this was where their night was going and left earlier.
Not bothering with shoes, I unlock the front door and step outside. The porch is sanded to perfection, so I walk to the rocking chair in the corner without a worry of anything cutting into my feet through my socks.
With a long exhale, I sit and close my eyes, letting myself rock in silence for a few minutes. The house was built on Steele Ranch land but is far enough away from the ranch itself for any of the noise there to carry over. It also doesn’t smell like cattle.
I’ve never liked the ranch much. Or animals, for that matter. My brother loves them and the ranch enough for the both of us. The only time I go there at all is to see him, considering he’s been working there since he was a teenager.
It’s been months since I’ve been back over that way. After graduating from the University of Calgary with my teaching degree this summer, I came back home with a new focus and drive. It was different passing the town sign this time around, knowing I’m here to stay .
I didn’t rush to spend as much time as possible with my family out of fear of not seeing them enough before heading back to Calgary. Everything has been a bit calmer, and I feel steadier. Well, despite my nervousness about starting my new job in two weeks.
I went to the K-12 Cherry Peak Public School, and now I’m here to teach second grade.
The creaking of the porch door swinging open has me cracking one eye open. My brother offers me a soft smile and comes to lean against the railing. His hair is a mess, and he’s wearing a pair of flannel pants and fuzzy slippers that I’m pretty sure belong to Aurora.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” I ask softly, closing my eye again.
“Why aren’t you?”
“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 for yourselves. 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.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, Daisy,” Aurora apologizes, her voice revealing her embarrassment.
I shake my head and reach for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t apologize. Comes with the territory of living with a happy couple.”
She appears reluctant to agree but doesn’t push it any further. Rory is a closed-off person, but she feels just as deeply as the rest of us do. I wear my emotions on my sleeve the way my brother does.
“We’ll do better,” she declares.
“Thank you. I’m going to grab a glass of water and head back to bed.”
My brother keeps me in his sights as I stand and reach for the porch door. He has a tendency to worry about me and our two older sisters a bit too much. It comes with the territory of being the only man in a family of five women, so I don’t bug him about it too often.
Only when he steers toward unbearably protective.
“Night, guys,” I say before stepping inside.
The porch door swings shut as they wish me good night. I wander into the kitchen and fill a glass up with tap water twice and then get back to bed.
Once I’m tucked in, I lie beneath the comforter and stare out the window, wishing that I’d chosen to sleep beneath the stars instead.