Setting Up For a Fall

Chapter Nine - Liefde

"What are you doing, S?" he laughed.

"Are you in a serious relationship?  A relationship so serious you're thinking of moving in with this woman?  Why haven't you told me anything?  Are we keeping secrets from each other now?  I need to meet this girl, maybe I can still knock some sense into her," she babbled on.  "Or maybe congratulate her for doing what I thought was impossible...straightening you out!"

"Well, you better get yourself checked out at a mental hospital then, because the woman I'm talking about is you, silly."

"What?  Me?"

"Yeah, you.  You're the only woman I'm in a serious 'relationship' with," he air quoted the word relationship.  "You're the only woman I can imagine living with and the only one I know who will be willing to put up with my crap."

 "Jer, you do realize that we go to school 30 miles apart, right?"

"Right, that's why I found this perfect two bedroom apartment right in the middle.  Or if you want, it could even be closer to Malibu, I'll keep looking."

"No, don't do that."

"I remember you telling me that you wanted to move out of the dorms, too.  So why not now?  And why not together?" he told her honestly.

"Okay, but I just don't want to inconvenience you.  LA traffic is the worst thing in the whole wide world, and I just don't want you to move far from Westwood just because of me."

"S, it won't inconvenience me.  You won't inconvenience me.  It was my idea, after all, so how could you possibly inconvenience me?  School's getting tougher now that we're upperclassmen, so I actually need your help in my classes," he winked at her.

"Uh huh, your dirty, devious plans come out."

"No use hiding the truth," he shrugged jovially.

“I guess it’s okay with me…it would be nice to split the rent with someone…”

"Sweet!" Jeremiah slung an arm around Skye's shoulder and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"But this doesn't mean I'm going to be running around after  you, picking up your dirty clothes, that you will NOT throw any which way all over the house, by the way, doing your laundry, or doing your dishes."

"Yes, mom," Jeremiah chuckled.

"And if you bring someone home, please let me know ahead of time.  I don't want to hear things I have no business hearing, you got that?"

"Yes, mom," he repeated.  "Same rules apply to you."

"Don't worry, I will abide by my own rules."

She picked up one egg roll and stuffed it in his mouth before he could say anything more.