Page 3 of Rush the Edge

One

PRESENT

DAISY

“What are you doing?”My older brother has one eyebrow raised while he stares at me in my lotus position.

“Meditating,” I answer before closing my eyes again.

Deep breaths.

In through my nose, out through my mou–

River snickers. I peek one eyelid open and see that he’s smirking.

“Stop it,” I hiss. “You’re ruining my calm aura.”

River chuckles and rubs a hand over his scruffy face. “Sorry, but since when do you meditate?”

On steady legs, I hop to my feet and cross my arms. “Since I had to drop out of college and pack up my entire apartment and move to the arctic.”

I’m tempted to kick the half-packed cardboard box at my feet just to prove a point.

“Chicago isn’t that bad,” he says. “They have…”—he thinks for a second—“hot dogs.”

“I can’t even have hot dogs,” I argue.

River makes a face. “Oh, right.” He shrugs. “Sucks to be you.”

I huff. “Jerk.”

He grins, and I feel my lips wanting to turn up at the sight.

River and I are close in age, and though we’re in our twenties now, we still act like we’re children. If we ever go anywhere with Mom and Dad, we’re forced to sit in the backseat together where he pinches me, and I punch him.

It’s our little bit.

Despite continuously arguing and teasing one another—usually him teasing me—we have a great relationship. If I’m ever in a sticky situation, it’s him that I call, not our parents.

Mom is anxious most of the time, but Dad is as chill as they get. That’s probably why they’ve been married for so long—they’re perfect for each other.

“Mom has called me three times today.” I place some more books into the box and start to close it.

River takes over, shoving my hands out of the way. “She’s called me four times, so I win.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t know why she’s so worried about me moving up there. You’d think she’d be happy.”

“You know how she is. She worries about you.”

“Maybe she should meditate,” I joke.

River laughs as I toss him the packing tape.

“How did you get her to calm down?” I ask.

I wince at the sound of packing tape echoing in my empty apartment. River taps the box a few times before resting his arm on it. “I reassured her that I have friends in the area that can watch out for you and help you if I’m busy with my residency.”

Silence fills my tiny apartment before I smile. “So you lied? Because I know you don’t have friends.”

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