Thrive (Addicted, #4)(35)

Daisy rises off my bed, and the four of us stand in more awkward silence.

We’re all living together.

This has never ever happened.

It’s new and weird and something the production company wanted so badly. It’s a big reason why we moved to this townhouse. The six months filming Princesses of Philly just got a lot more interesting.

Daisy breaks the quiet. “I’ve never lived with a guy before,” she exclaims, just putting it out there with more confidence than I would have. She’ll be in the same house as Lo, Connor, and Ryke. I’ve spent most of my time living with Lo, so it’s not so different for me.

Ryke and Lo share a look that I can’t decipher, and then Ryke says, “It should be similar to what you’re used to.”

“I doubt that.”

“Why?” he asks.

“I’m not used to six-foot-two guys sleeping two floors above me.” Daisy chose the basement, of all rooms. She said something about coming home late from modeling shoots and not wanting to wake up everyone. The stairs are creaky. And she’s nice. That combo led her to the darkest room.

I’d rather have her up here.

It smelled like cat pee in the basement, and since Sadie, Connor’s feline, is now living with us too—she could have been the culprit and already chosen her first target.

Sadie is a born criminal.

“I’m six-foot-three,” Ryke corrects with hardened brows.

Daisy shrugs. “Same thing.”

“No,” Ryke says a single word.

Daisy tries not to smile. “I’ve also never shared a shower with a guy before.”

Lo and I frown together. He beats me to the question. “Don’t you have your own shower downstairs?”

Daisy’s smile fades, and she exchanges a look with Ryke. Okay, everyone is sharing looks without me. I feel like the kid picked last for dodge ball.

“You don’t have a shower?” I say, trying to find the answer here.

“Um, maybe you both should come check out the bathrooms,” Daisy says, having to step over a box and squeeze past Brett to reach the door.

We follow her.

“Is the shower gross?” I wonder.

Lo clutches my hand as we walk. “Maybe they found mold or something.”

Good theory. “Maybe a turtle had babies in the bathtub.”

Lo considers this and then says, “And the shower is definitely full of snakes.”

“Monkeys,” I add. “There’s a monkey nest in the cabinet.” I picture Jumanji, a full out zoo inside the bathroom with ivy and deadly plants. Killer bees come next.

“Monkeys don’t have nests,” Lo says. Where do monkeys live then?

“You two are fucking weird,” Ryke says. Our imaginations are vast. It doesn’t help that we love comic books more than reality.

Ryke and Daisy abruptly stop in the middle of the long narrow hallway. I almost bump into Ryke’s chest, and when I take a step back, I knock into Brett’s camera.

“Sorry,” I mutter. I clearly don’t do well in confined spaces.

Voices from the main level below trickle up the staircase.

“Traveling somewhere, Scott?” Rose snaps. “Hopefully to California where you’re actually needed.” Rose sounds more ticked off than usual.

“Who’s Scott?” Daisy asks in a whisper.

I think she’s the only one without this info. Someone should have told her sooner.

“The producer,” Ryke says, “for the show.”

I consider edging closer to the staircase to see if I can catch a glimpse of him. Rose has spent plenty of nights complaining about the misogynistic producer. She has to deal with him though, for the sake of the reality show.

My feet stay glued to the floorboards, too anxious about the bathrooms to move just yet.

“I’m needed here,” Scott says. “It just takes people time to realize what’s good for them.”

Ryke crosses his arms over his chest, listening intently with Daisy and Lo. They’re all eavesdropping while I internally freak about the bathrooms.

I don’t actually think monkeys are in our cabinets.

I don’t discount the turtles though.

Lo whispers, “I already hate this guy.”

“Same,” Ryke says. “If he fucks with one of the girls—”

“It’s not going to happen,” Lo cuts him off. “Connor already ran a background check on him.”

“I don’t have as much faith in Connor as you do,” Ryke whispers.

Lo actually pats his brother’s back and says, “Then have faith in me.” He’s known Daisy, Rose, and me almost all his life. Lo wouldn’t let Scott harass us without a major fight.

Ryke lets out a tense breath and just nods.

I count five doors along this hallway. Daisy has her hand on a brass knob to one of them. Is that the hall bathroom then?

I catch the tail end of Scott’s comment. “…showing your tits would increase the ratings.”

My jaw unhinges. What?!

“So would shoving my foot up your ass,” Rose refutes.

Lo clenches his teeth.

“I’m going down there,” Ryke whispers.

“No,” Daisy says, grabbing Ryke by the forearm. She stops him before he heads down the hallway. “We need to show Lo and Lily the bathrooms. And Rose won’t appreciate you coming to her defense.”