We can find somewhere else for him to stay if you need.
Lexi
Yeah like one of your brothers’ couches is way better than in your bed
It’s fine. I promise. His dog is proving to be a better roommate than Liam but he’s not horrible.
I love all of you but leave me alone.
*Calypso turned on Do Not Disturb*
Letting out a deep sigh, I throw my phone onto the mattress and pull the covers back over my head. Mondays are one of two days where I don’t have to be at the bakery until ten a.m. Sometimes, if I’m behind on orders, I’ll use the extra hours to catch up. As we come to the end of the summer, my order amount has dropped.
It’s normal, and will pick up again by mid-September, but I’m planning to enjoy each and every late morning I have for a few weeks. Especially since I don’t have to depend on Liam’s visits to Brighter Daze to see him anymore.
This past weekend was… a lot.
Not in a bad way, which is kind of the problem.
Liam is extremely clean. So much so that I’m reconsidering my stance about not being messy myself.He doesn’t seem to mind my clothes lying around or how much I hate dishes. He picks up all of the cups I leave laying around and unloads the dishwasher every night.
If anything, Liam has a lot of restless energy. I never would have guessed Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected hated sitting still so much. He’s not anxious, necessarily, but he always has to be doing something. Other than drawing in his sketchbook, he found an old puzzle I got in a white elephant exchange that Gavin planned a few years ago.
It’s one of those giant gradient color wheels. I haven’t offered him help—he looks content while working on it, and I fucking hate puzzles. I’d much rather watch Bravo with a glass of wine and offer him commentary along the way.
Liam knows his way around the channel too. I have to admit, I like hanging out with a man who has a lot of sisters. He’s not weird about normal things, like finding my tampons, and knows a lot of pop culture that saves us hours of me having to try to explain to him.
Even Rosie, the needy little gremlin, isn’t too bad. She has more to say than Liam when we’re watchingThe Real Housewives, always barking at the right parts. Obviously that’s won her a few brownie points.
That’s not the only thing she barks at. It would be easier to name the things thatdon’ttrigger her attack mode around the house. Plus, she constantly begs for scraps and sheds—not as much as I expected butstill. She’s housetrained, though, so we can coexist.
My morning routines are a little thrown off. I usually wake up with enough time to work out, get ready, and have breakfast before going to the bakery. On FridayandSaturday, I chose an extra hour of sleep next to Liam and Rosie over my virtual yoga class.
My routines are perfectly curated to my lifestyle, and I find a lot of comfort from them. I can’t let Liam change everything, but I selfishly want to enjoy his company. It’s about finding that balance.
Mondays are always meant for sleeping in though, and Rosie agrees. She is starting to wake up and peeks out from under the blanket. Tongue out and tail wagging, I think she’s trying to tell me she needs to go out. Or, maybe she’s hungry, but I’d rather avoid an accident first.
Pulling myself up, I quickly grab a pair of shorts and put them on before Rosie and I go downstairs.
I’ve never wanted a pet. Even as a child, I can’t remember asking my mom to get us anything. Vivi always wanted cats but my mom never let her get one. Their lifespans were too long, and she didn’t want to be saddled with it when we all left for college.
However, I agreed to let Liam stay here with his pet. I don’t think my responsibility as a host extends only to him, so I told Liam I would help on mornings when I didn’t work. We made sure she can’t get out of my small backyard area, so opening the door for her and feeding her is hardly an inconvenience.
She runs outside as soon as the door cracks open. I leave it ajar before going to the coffeemaker.
Smiling when I see that Liam set up a fresh pot for me, I press the start button and open the fridge. Along with the creamer, I pull out a jar of overnight oats and some of Rosie’s wet food. Liam mixes it with her kibble. I know Lexi does too with her pitbull, but she cooks Sage’s topper.
As I wait for the coffee, I mindlessly read the blurb on the back of her dog food. It goes over the company and nutritional value quickly. The ingredients are listed right next to it and my brow furrows. I don’t know a lot about dog cuisine or palates, but some of the listed preservatives are banned for human consumption.
Does that matter?
Maybe Liam would want to know so he can switch her dog food.
I startle when a soft knock comes from the front door. I’m not expecting anyone, and usually my siblings would just walk in.
I guess with my new houseguest they would give me more privacy but something feelsoff.
Ignoring the coffeemaker’s beep, I round the corner to the small foyer area and immediately stop in my tracks. Through the sidelight window, I see Stefan standing on the other side. He called multiple times over the weekend, probably from hearing the news about Liam moving in. I didn’t answer any of them and he hasn’t left any more voicemails. It adds to my suspicions that he has been privy to all the rumors swirling around town.
