Bitter

We walk back into the house and set his items in the guest room and then head back out to grab the rest. I glance over at him. “I’m hoping to hear back from a couple restaurants about a waitressing job. It’s the only thing I have experience with, so I’m hoping at least one of them will call me. If not, I should have at least a few months for my half in savings.”

He stops mid step and turns and looks at me. “Your half of what?”

I turn and face him as well. “The mortgage.”

He continues walking back into the house. “There’s no your half. You’re saving everything you make.”

Now it’s my turn to stop. “I can’t let you pay my house bill, Reed. You wouldn’t even be getting any equity.”

He raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m a renter.”

I follow him again. “Renters don’t have their landlord live with them.”

He shrugs. “Says who?”

“Says everyone! Those are the rules!” I shout.

He rolls his eyes as he sets the box down on the floor. He plops down on the bed and looks at me. “Okay. Well, we’re making our own rules. Rule number one. You aren’t paying the house bill.”

“Fine,” I grumble. “But then you’ll let me handle dinner and the housework.”

He raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m not going to argue that.”

I look down at the ground for a moment and thread my fingers together. “I need help with the yardwork. Jake used to handle that,” I whisper shamefully.

I peek my eyes up at him, and he is smirking back. “I can handle using a lawn mower, Wren.”

I let out a sigh. “Good.” Then I smile. “I wasn’t joking about the dirty socks in the bathroom though. I don’t mind helping with laundry, but only if it’s picked up. You can throw your clothes in the bin in the laundry room.”

He looks at me stunned. “Are you offering to fold my underwear?”

I pause to think. Is that inappropriate? I didn’t even think about it. “You worried about me seeing your Spiderman undies?” I joke.

He laughs, and then he looks me up and down. “I’m fine with this whole ‘I haven’t showered in three weeks’ look, but I draw the line at no pants.”

I make an offended sound. “Fine! If I have to wear pants, then you have to always wear a shirt!”

He smiles. He goes to open his mouth, but I stop him. “And don’t even think about saying I have to wear a bra because that’s not happening. Deal with it.”

He grins back. “Fine. Bra only when I have friends over.”

I lean against his door frame. “Male friends or lady friends?”

He cocks an eyebrow. “You will make yourself disappear if I have a lady friend over.”

I let out a small giggle. “This is still my house, so lady friends are only allowed in your bedroom. I don’t want to have to bleach the whole house down when you leave.”

He gives me a mischievous smile. The same smile he usually has when he’s up to trouble. Back when things used to be normal before my whole life flipped upside-down. “How would you know?” he asks.

I cross my arms. “Because I trust you,” I say pointedly.

He stands from the bed and starts walking toward me. His shoulder brushes mine as he walks by, but he stops before he continues walking out. “That’s your first mistake.” He winks and continues to walk back out to his car to grab the rest of his stuff.

Well, this will be interesting, but honestly, it feels good to finally have someone to talk to who knows everything that is going on with me. I just hope things don’t get too weird between us.