Surviving (Surrender 2)
“Sweetheart, I’m so happy for you! Have you called the other guys?”
“Not yet, I wanted to share with you first. It looks like things are going according to Mike’s plan. And now we eat then celebrate.”
I push our dinner aside and decide to start the celebration first.
Chapter 20
House Rules
I’ve been living with Declan for three weeks now, so it was bound to happen. Even though we practically lived together last year, we still had our separate places, so I guess it was easy to overlook some of our habits. But now that we’re in the same house full time it’s probably time we discuss some house rules.
“Declan, what’s wrong with the dishwasher?” I ask trying to hurry to class but notice the sink full of dishes
for the fourth day in a row.
“Nothing that I know of, why?”
“Well, I’m wondering why there are still dishes in the sink from your breakfast an hour ago.”
He looks at me with a confused look on his face and shrugs his shoulders. He turns his back to me and starts gathering his things to leave.
“Don’t ignore me, it drives me crazy that you leave dishes in here. Now I have to rinse them again and load the washer. It’s so much easier if you do it immediately after finishing your breakfast.”
“Leave them, I’ll get to them later or do it tonight.”
“No! Have you not noticed I’m a clean freak? I can’t go to school with a mess in here.”
“Babe, I said I’ll get to it later. Let’s go.” He answers me annoyed.
Sighing, I start rinsing his dishes and loading them. I’m the one who is annoyed that he blew me off.
“Raven, I said let’s go.”
“No, I refuse to leave a dirty kitchen.”
He comes over and pulls me to him. Using his free hands, he drops the silverware I’m cleaning into the sink.
“Sparkle, you upset about something. I’m pretty sure the dirty dishes didn’t put you in this bad mood.”
“It not just this morning, Dec, it’s the last few days. I don’t like a mess, and lately you’ve been leaving shit everywhere, not cleaning up after yourself, and watching me as I run around the house like a madwoman. I didn’t move into your house to become a maid.”
His eyes darken and he glares at me. “First of all this is our house– for the millionth time. I didn’t know the dishes bothered you that much so I’ll try to remember to put them away. But let’s talk about the other stuff bothering you.”
It’s been two weeks since we returned from Vegas and our lives have been hectic. The demand for Sayge has grown locally, and they are playing sometimes five nights a week. Along with their studio time during the day and my schedule, we haven’t seen each other very much. I don’t mind doing the household chores, even though I liked it better when Abbi, Ella, and I split them, but I know he is busy, and I’m the one who is OCD. But every morning when I get up before him, I’ve found clothes strewn around the house, beer bottles left in the living room and all sorts of messes on the table from his notes at the studio. I explain this to him as calmly as I can trying not to start a fight this early in the morning.
“Okay.” He says.
“That’s your answer to my rant? Okay?”
“Yes, Okay. I haven’t lived with anyone for a very long time so if it upsets you, I’ll try to do better. No promises, but I’ll make an effort.”
“That’s not really an answer honey. I think we need to have some house rules.”
“House rules?”
“Yes, maybe even a cleaning schedule. I don’t mind all the laundry and general stuff, but maybe you could help me out.”
“Help out how?” he asks with humor.