Finally We're Done Playing Games

Chapter 12: Hauteur

I walked into my house seconds after Dinah, closing the door and heading towards what we dubbed my office. It was the first time in two weeks that I had been here, only being here now because of the award show I couldn't miss. Not only because it was the Grammy's but because it was our debut live performance of Drunk in Love.

I was in the city for a couple days because of my mom. So for the time being I was back, but it didn't change the partial silent treatment we were going through. And the performance a few hours ago didn't do anything really except make it worse.

Walking the carpet was like reliving the carpet we walked down over three years prior, just with role reversal. Rumors were clearly circling about me being arrested (luckily only having to pay the maximum fine and having a suspended license for 30 days) and about the pieces of arguments that the few people in the precinct lobby got along with hearsay. Me being in New York the last few weeks only making it look worse. Then, they found out Briannah was in the same precinct and they lost it again. But with everything going on, the last thing we needed was to look like we were actually struggling with this.

So the entire carpet we were smiles and small gestures like they knew us for. The only thing that was different was that usually I always had my arm around Dinah's waist as we walked and interviewed, but because I wasn't making the initiative to do it, she intertwined our hands together and rested her other hand on my wrist. Some interviews she let me do most of the talking, instead leaning her head on my shoulder.

Even once we got to our seats she didn't release her hold on me. Not even when we were subject to applaud. And if I was able to get my hand away long enough to clap, she would reach over and grab it again. Knowing I couldn't make even a little bit of a scene because there were cameras everywhere.

The hardest part about the whole night was the actual performance though. Falling into the mindset for the performance wasn't the hard part. The memories of us recording the song together and how much we loved it even after was all I had to think of to make my anger disappear for the two minutes I was on stage. The part that made it hard was walking off the stage, the rush from everything still there, then looking back at Dinah and remembering exactly why I felt like the few minutes of happiness seemed so random to me.

I fell back silent right as the thought crossed my mind, Dinah immediately noticing as well. She was on the same high I was but seeing the look on my face changed her entire demeanor as well.

The rest of the award show was just like the beginning. Because of the dates of my released music, Dinah's lack of music, neither of us were nominated at this years awards. So as soon as the show was over, we both decided to go home. We were invited to almost every after Grammy party but neither of us were in the mood to go. So instead we took the awkward silent ride home and I was trying to wait out the time Dinah was awake so I didn't have to deal with her trying again to talk to me.

So I was doing as many nonsense things in my office that I could even though I had absolutely nothing to actually do. So my haphazard plan barely lasted a half hour before I walked back out. Although short, I hoped it was at least long enough for her to have gone upstairs already.

My hoping failed though when I walked into the kitchen and found Dinah sitting in the counter eating what I assumed were leftovers.

I sighed, continuing on my already set mission to get a two mangoes from the fridge. It was silent besides my constant movement to get a cutting board, bowl, and knife and Dinah's fork hitting her plate. I tried to be as quick as possible because knowing Dinah, she would use my being in the kitchen just to try and spark a conversation. I put the cut mangoes into the bowl, rinsing off the cutting board and knife right after.