MUFFLED GROANS

chapter 16 | Sweetened

He will never get sick of doing it.

I glare at him, not even knowing what to say since this is useless to argue with this brat.

"I'm joking, it's his. You'll sleep on the floor," he goes even further, surely to get a reaction from me, but no time for me to even shoot back, Mister Jeon does it instead. "Keep talking to her like that, and you'll be the one sleeping on the kitchen floor for a whole week, my boy."

Finding it funny this time, I smile and taunt the one who was provoking me by sneering, but he looks daggers at me and mouths a 'little shit' in order for his father to not hear him.

"I saw you, dumbass," Mister Jeon gets me to laugh a little too loud, and the embarrassment covers Matteo's face, forcing him to walk away. "I'm leaving. Stay with your pet after hurting your loving son's feelings."

"Jeez..." Mister Jeon does not take this dramatic young man seriously but scoffs, and he glances up at me. "You can go and do something else if you want. Don't feel obligated to do this task."

"I'm fine, I don't mind doing it when I'm with someone," I do not cease but notice that he is done, and he turns the faucet. "Does that mean you have to do it all by yourself at your house?" he does not take a break but now puts the dishes and utensils where they have to be. "Yes. My mom doesn't like to do any tasks."

Without even expecting it, I read some surprise upon his features. "Isn't she the one cleaning and taking care of the tasks at home?"

"She's not," I do not lie, hoping for him to discover another bad side of this woman. Both of us stare into each other's eyes, and his eyebrows raise as he froze for a moment. "Well, that's a bit sad and disappointing. You must have a lot of things to do," he closes a cabinet, and I put the dish towel down. "No, I don't even pay attention to it anymore."

"Call me if you need help one day," he smiles, effortlessly putting the same expression on my face. "I'll come and do it for you while she's away. She won't know anything."

"No, I'd never do that," I do not even think about agreeing with this, even if this would be an amazing opportunity to have him near me. "You already have so much stuff to do. I'd rather do it myself."

"I wouldn't mind, to be honest. I'm not even that busy, and Matteo will probably go and do it for me if he knows you called for that," he turns his back to me to get a drink out of the fridge, and I look at him lean over. "You think so?"

"Yes," he closes it to lay his eyes on me and take a sip of water. "Matteo wouldn't mind doing an annoying task if it's to be with you."

I wonder if he is truly telling the truth or emphasizing it. From his point of view, it seems like Matteo enjoys his time with me, but from Matteo's point of view, it seems like he does not care that much.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," I say the only answer that comes to my mind, not knowing how to react the right way. As if everything that I was doing or saying was making us awkward, he smiles and glances away.

"Anyway," he ends this topic. "I'm gonna be in my office to do some work while the food is cooking, so call me if you need anything, alright?" he grabs hold of the glasses he took off earlier, and he puts them back on. "Alright," I do not hold him back, having no good reason to do so. He smiles at me for the last time, touching my heart with a mere look of his deep brown eyes, and he walks away.

What am I going to do now that Matteo is back in his bedroom? I should just wait at the table and draw until someone comes back to me.

•••

2:40 pm.

"Hey," after remaining quiet for some long minutes, Matteo leans towards me to use the table as an armrest, so I peek up at the screen that he is showing me. The picture of a guy that I have never seen before. "Rate him," he tells me.