The Stepfather (MxM) ✓

Chapter 9

The punishment of being grounded for two weeks didn't come without some kind of catch. The idea of lazing around and keeping to myself that length seemed too easy.

Day one of grounding - I sat through a lecture with Violet about if I was going to be a part of this family, I had to play by their rules.

So I'd play by their rules, no excitement for the time being.

I started by cleaning the floors - thankfully not with a tiny toothbrush. It was a big house, and because I didn't feel exactly motivated to rush doing this, it took most of the day.

Especially because Alice kept wandering inside in her bare feet, leaving dusty little footprints in her path. I couldn't yell at her to keep out of the way in case I upset her. Having an upset child on my hands was not something I wanted to deal with.

Shit, I'd be a terrible parent.

The second day, I made dinner. But after I added demonstrated my pathetic cooking skills to the on looking Alex, I was cheerfully dismissed of that job as he took over. Which was probably for the best, considering the fire hazard I posed while working by the stove.

The third day, I was sorting out laundry. That was confusing as hell, and if someone ended up with a white-turned-pink shirt - then that wasn't my fault.

Until, finally, I got to a job that I actually enjoyed doing. Painting the renovated rooms. There was something about painting that was relaxing. Not doing any designs, granted (I wasn't that artistic), but the methodological movement of the paint brush. Up and down, up and down.

It was kind of relaxing.

When I was done, I stood back with my hands on my hips and paint on my nose - congratulating myself on a job well done. The room wasn't going to be ready for another week while they were getting the air conditioning sorted out, but at least it was a damn good colour for whoever was going to move in here.

But it did mean putting up with Kelly's snoring for that bit longer. I was going to end up murdering someone.

Kelly had stayed out of my way for the whole two weeks, she didn't say a word to me. And in a way, I thought that as her way of being nice. She wasn't sending daggers in my directions or commenting on how weird I was, she kept it all to herself.

Most days Alice went over to friend's houses, but occasionally she'd be in the same room as me – quizzing me on the karate lessons I'd yet to enroll her in.

As for Alex? Well, Alex was Alex. Everywhere I went, he seemed to be. After a few days of failed attempts at trying to start a reasonable conversation with me, he settled for comfortable silence. So really, whatever I was doing he would either watch and observe, or sit nearby on his laptop.

Which meant one of two things. Either Violet had asked him to keep an eye on me, or he just liked the company of being near someone.

One of the days into the second week and I finally asked him what his job was, something I had been trying to figure out since I got here.

He looked up from the screen, seemingly surprised that I had spoken to him - and that that was my first question. "I'm a videogame designer," he answered with a smile, placing the laptop down and picking up a brush to help out with the finishing touches on the room.

"So what does that entail? You sit at a screen all day and create games?" I dipped the roller into the can of paint, watching the blue drip back in.

"Basically," he admitted with a shrugged nod.

And I left it at that.

There were times throughout the two weeks that I was itching to ask him more about his job or, well, just about him.