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Though he should watch his words because now that he’d been on two dates and was trying to figure out another, maybe he wouldn’t want to have guests all the time.
“Are you moving your bedroom upstairs?” Harmony said. “So that Dad can have his room back?”
“No,” he said. “Dad said no. I’ve offered a million times and he always says no. He’ll stay in my old room and then you have to share a bathroom with him.”
“Must be nice to live free with that fancy job of yours and all,” Harmony said, laughing.
“Don’t be stupid,” Erica said. “Theo is paying the taxes and the expenses here.”
“No reason to be snotty over it,” Harmony said. “How would I know that? And I was only joking anyway.”
Theo lifted his eyebrow to his sisters’ bickering. He wanted to say this wasn’t new, but some part of it was. The testiness of it from Erica for sure.
“There is no mortgage,” he said. “But I do pay the property taxes and all expenses to live here. I know it’s still cheaper than anything else. Which is why you guys are welcome anytime. You know that. It’s not my place.”
“I’m going upstairs to put my stuff away,” Erica said with her bag over her shoulder.
He looked at Harmony. “What’s going on with her?”
“I don’t know. She’s snotty lately. It’s better when she’s traveling. She normally apologizes, but today it’s like she got up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“I’ll go see what is going on. At least you each have your own room,” he said.
“Thankfully,” Harmony said. “I’m going to put my suit on and go sit in the sun. I can’t believe it’s eighty and sunny out and it’s perfect. That is all I want to do while I’m here. That and maybe take some videos for my social media. Are you okay with that?”
“I don’t care,” he said. “Just don’t get me in them.”
“I never put you guys in them. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t even say this is a family house, just a getaway. It’s better that way.”
“And smarter,” he said.
“I’m not as stupid as everyone says I am,” Harmony said. She grabbed her bag and ran upstairs. He followed behind her and watched as she went in her room.
He knocked on the open door to Erica’s room. “Hey. How are things going?”
Erica let out a sigh. “I’m a bitch and I know it.”
“Yes, you are,” Harmony said from the hallway, “but I still love you.”
“Love you too, brat. Sorry.”
“Apology accepted,” Harmony shouted back and then they heard her feet pounding down the stairs.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Is it big brother to the rescue time?” Erica asked.
“No. Just talking. You two always bicker, but this is different. Harmony doesn’t mean any harm.”
“No,” Erica said. “She doesn’t. She’s just so...I don’t know. Cheerful. Makes me want to puke.”
He laughed. “It does. But she’s always been that way. Why is it bothering you so much now?”
“Probably because I’m surrounded by so many assholes at work. Everything and everyone is negative. It gets to me after a while. Then I find myself acting the same way.”
“I can’t tell you what to do, but if you’re that unhappy, why stay?”
“I have to decide if it’s worse listening to Mom and her displeasure with me leaving this job since I’ve only been there two years, which is one year less than my last job, or sticking this out some more and hoping it gets better.”
