Dark Paradise - Joel Miller x OC

The kitchen

Loud voices greet Tommy as he sticks his head through the door. He has knocked for several minutes, without getting any response. He and Joel are supposed to be working together on a construction site this afternoon. The community is slowly growing, it's time to rehabilitate some of the houses inside the walls. He decides to call.

"Joel?

-In the kitchen."

As he walks into the room, he notices the annoyed look of Chloe, who is tidying the lunch dishes with abrupt gestures. Breaking the tense surrounding silence, Tommy decides to clean the air, hoping to defuse the conflict.

"You guys ok?

-Yeah, she's just mistreating me.

-Oh my God cut it Joel! I didn't cook meat in two days, it's not like I tried to cut your throat in your sleep."

She turns on the tap water to begin washing the dishes, running her nerves as she rubs the plate. She doesn't see the discreet wink her lover gives to his brother. He just teased her a bit and kept going, noticing how she took the bait. He knows that an argument every now and then helps to straighten things out ... and to make up later. Tommy decides to get in the game.

"Chloe you can't do that, he a Texan, he needs his meat.

-Really? You guys spent 20 years in QZ eating rats and you're complaining about the food in your plates? Gimme some slack.

-Technically, rats are meat."

Of nervousness, she drops the dish she has in her hand, which falls with a thud on the other objects in the sink. The shock breaks it and she can't help but swear. Frustratedly, she unties her apron and throws it at Joel.

"I'm done. Do it yourself."

She hurries out of the house, slamming the door. She has work to do too after all, there is no reason she finds herself doing everything. The two brothers wait for her to be out to share a knowing laugh. Joel grimaces, biting his lip, wondering if he has pushed a little too hard. Tommy laughs even more.

"I think we pissed her off for good.

-Yeah, it's alright, I'll find a way to apologize later.

-Bring her some steak.

-She'd beat me up with it."

----

"What do you think you're doing Joel?"

He lifts his hand from her body, surprised. He just turned off his light, after only a few minutes of reading. He couldn't concentrate, in too much of a hurry to find the feel of her skin against his. Some make-up sex, as he imagined all afternoon. She had her back turned to him, so he came closer in the hope of turning her around. But it was her cold tone that greeted him.

"Are you still mad?

-Off course I am. Did you really think that taking me out for dinner was going to be enough? I don't know how it used to work, but offering me something against my silence won't miraculously fix things."

He remains astonished. How had he not noticed how upset she was? It's true she had been rather silent during the dinner, but he had put it on her busy day, as she had back-to-back shifts at the bar to replace someone, only returning home for an hour to make them lunch. An hour in which he hadn't stopped complaining. Yeah, he has been a dick to her. She resumes, saying these words that had weighed on her heart all day.

"Look, I know I'm not really useful around here and that I must do my part. I don't mind taking care of house, I love to cook. And I know I often joke about being the perfect 50's housewife. But the thing is, I'm not. And sometimes, all of this just too much.