Not a Valentine

Chapter 20

February 6

Sunday is spent cleaning the house.

Somewhere along the way, I took the initiative to deep clean the house on the days that I'm never out. If I were to spend time with someone on Wednesday, which is usually only Quincy and sometimes Mason, it'd be on Saturday. And then on Sunday, I can't go out anymore.

I need the extra day to get ready for school. That is why I wear my oldest pajamas the whole day and am in a cleaning mood. Today morning, I decided to get a workout in at the gym and get back in that mood.

So, when my mom finds me on my hands and knees in the kitchen, scrubbing on the floor, she isn't surprised. "Thea," my mom calls out to me, and I look up at her, my flyaway hairs coming into my face even though I had pulled them back. I give her a weak smile and say, "You let your kids get to the floors this week."

"You say your kids when they are your siblings as well," my mom says with a laugh, and I only stare at her as if there were a point. My mom only laughs harder as she maneuvers around the kitchen in an attempt to grab milk for my brother.

"You know," my mom starts as she opens the refrigerator. "I really appreciate you doing this, baby."

"I know," I say as I go back to scrubbing the floor. "It makes me feel good as well."

"What kind of demons are you trying to get rid of?" my mom asks with a laugh as she examines the milk inside the bottle.

"I just kind of have these feelings," I say with a shrug. "Who knows where it stems from?"

"Only you would feel emotions and not know where they come from," my mom says with a shake of her head as she heads out of the room. I blow a breath out of my mouth and continue to scrub the floor.

I'm done with cleaning the floors, one of the last steps in my cleaning routine, and take a seat on the couch to rest for the day. Since Quincy is going to be busy with her family today, I know that texting her right now would not be good on my part. I would probably get a reply from her in the late evening.

I move on to my website instead and press on my messages with Ranger.

Hey, Ranger.

Hi.

I laugh at his response for some reason and continue to text him back.

What are you up to today?

It seems like I text you during my breaks.

You're working again?

Double shift.

Is that safe? For you to be taking shifts almost every day?

Turned eighteen a few months ago.
Also, the places where I work are low on employees, so it really works out.

Oh. You should definitely take a break one day, though.

And do what? Watch my parents wreck their lives and themselves all at the same time?

You can go enjoy a day out.

Mhm.

Seriously! You can spend a day with me.

Then I bite my bottom lip and hide my head in the pillow when I realize I mentioned wanting to meet him. We were barely even friends now, and I had told him I wanted to spend a day with him. That wasn't good.