Hearts of Deception
Serena
“So you’re just going to up and leave? What about the rent?”
It was not what Serena had expected. After Jason’s date with Avalar, he had come home in a good mood and ignored Serena for the rest of the night. She awoke to the sound of him rummaging about in his room packing his stuff. The morning had not gotten off to a good start.
Jason went over to his nightstand, opened the little drawer, and pulled out a wad of cash. “This is for this month, after that you need to find a new roommate or move out.”
“Are you freaking serious? You can’t just move without giving me a thirty day notice!”
“I’m not kicking you out.”
“No, you’re breaking the lease!”
Jason shrugged and resumed his packing. “Sue me. I don’t care.”
“You hardly know this chick! After one date, she wants you to move in. Don’t you find that to be odd?”
Jason turned his attention to back to Serena. He was slowly becoming annoyed at her questions and tone but continued to ring it in, as he was soon no longer had to put up with her. “I mentioned it and she said I could move in. Besides, you brought this on yourself. Your condescending attitude and anal nit picking over trivial shit was annoying as hell to deal with.”
“Bullshit! You’re leaving because I won’t go out with you.”
Jason let out a full belly laugh as he threw his head back and shook his head. He put his hands on his hips and regarded her with amusement. “It’s true I wanted to go with you before we moved in, but after I saw the kind of woman you were, you quickly turned me off. Avalar is different. She’s laid back, nice and kind and doesn't nitpick over stupid shit. Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re just not my cup of tea anymore.”
Serena stared at Jason with shocked eyes, snatched the money, and walked out of the room. Twenty minutes later, Jason came out with his bags and stood outside as he waited for the taxi. Avalar was at work and could not pick him up and Serena had wanted to keep the car which sat just fine with Jason as he believed she would use it as a reason to continue harassing him in some way and he wanted to be as far from her as possible.
Serena stood by the window and waited. Once Jason had gotten in the taxi and left, Serena began to cry. Jason’s words had struck a core with her and if she were honest, they actually had hurt her feelings. She hadn’t meant to drive him insane and out of the house with her constant nagging. She had been taught that everything should always be clean and not just clean, but not a crumb or a speck left anywhere, her mother had always been the type to want to impress everyone and always felt that her house was never clean enough when someone caught sight of even one dirty spoon. If Serena had a toy left out of a sock dangling from the hamper, then her whole room was dirty.
It had drove Serena insane when her mom had done it to her and in the end Serena had moved out at seventeen, but by then the damage was done and Serena herself would always feel like her space was not as clean as it should be. She knew it was an annoying habit as it had annoyed those around her in the past, but she never would have expected her habit would drive someone out of the house. It was seventeen all over again and what Jason had said about being interested in her but her then turning him off had been another blow.
She liked him a lot, but he at times was just too immature, too laid back and not serious. Maybe she needed someone like that. Someone who wasn’t afraid to cut lose.
Serena, so wrapped up in her thoughts, did not realize someone was ringing the doorbell until they started knocking on the actual door itself. Sniffing and wiping away the last of her tears, she stood up and made her way over to the door.
It was Don Lothario. Serena had met him when she had moved in and he had been over a few times when Jason was not around. He was nice and seemed interested in Serena but she would always giggle it off and change the subject whenever he would start to flirt.
“Don, hi. Come in.”
“Thanks.” He stepped in and turned around after he heard a sniffle. “Are you okay? I saw Jason leaving with suit cases, did you kick him out?”
Serena closed the door and rubbed her temple as she walked back over to couch. “He left on his own. Apparently I drove him away with my annoying and over the top habits.”
“Oh yeah, I believe you told me about that before. It could be OCD.”
“Maybe…” She trailed off as she sat down, hanging her head and picked at her fingers.
Don sat beside her and put an arm over her, hugging her to his side. “He’s a douche. Ig he can’t and won’t try to understand you then he isn’t worth it. You know you deserve better than him.”
A light smile appeared over Serena’s features and Don returned it before kidding her temple. “That’s better. Tell you what, how about we go out for dinner, there’s this great place that just opened up. It’s just what you need.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Serena nodded. “Thanks, Don.”
It was not what Serena had expected. After Jason’s date with Avalar, he had come home in a good mood and ignored Serena for the rest of the night. She awoke to the sound of him rummaging about in his room packing his stuff. The morning had not gotten off to a good start.
Jason went over to his nightstand, opened the little drawer, and pulled out a wad of cash. “This is for this month, after that you need to find a new roommate or move out.”
“Are you freaking serious? You can’t just move without giving me a thirty day notice!”
“I’m not kicking you out.”
“No, you’re breaking the lease!”
Jason shrugged and resumed his packing. “Sue me. I don’t care.”
“You hardly know this chick! After one date, she wants you to move in. Don’t you find that to be odd?”
Jason turned his attention to back to Serena. He was slowly becoming annoyed at her questions and tone but continued to ring it in, as he was soon no longer had to put up with her. “I mentioned it and she said I could move in. Besides, you brought this on yourself. Your condescending attitude and anal nit picking over trivial shit was annoying as hell to deal with.”
“Bullshit! You’re leaving because I won’t go out with you.”
Jason let out a full belly laugh as he threw his head back and shook his head. He put his hands on his hips and regarded her with amusement. “It’s true I wanted to go with you before we moved in, but after I saw the kind of woman you were, you quickly turned me off. Avalar is different. She’s laid back, nice and kind and doesn't nitpick over stupid shit. Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re just not my cup of tea anymore.”
Serena stared at Jason with shocked eyes, snatched the money, and walked out of the room. Twenty minutes later, Jason came out with his bags and stood outside as he waited for the taxi. Avalar was at work and could not pick him up and Serena had wanted to keep the car which sat just fine with Jason as he believed she would use it as a reason to continue harassing him in some way and he wanted to be as far from her as possible.
Serena stood by the window and waited. Once Jason had gotten in the taxi and left, Serena began to cry. Jason’s words had struck a core with her and if she were honest, they actually had hurt her feelings. She hadn’t meant to drive him insane and out of the house with her constant nagging. She had been taught that everything should always be clean and not just clean, but not a crumb or a speck left anywhere, her mother had always been the type to want to impress everyone and always felt that her house was never clean enough when someone caught sight of even one dirty spoon. If Serena had a toy left out of a sock dangling from the hamper, then her whole room was dirty.
It had drove Serena insane when her mom had done it to her and in the end Serena had moved out at seventeen, but by then the damage was done and Serena herself would always feel like her space was not as clean as it should be. She knew it was an annoying habit as it had annoyed those around her in the past, but she never would have expected her habit would drive someone out of the house. It was seventeen all over again and what Jason had said about being interested in her but her then turning him off had been another blow.
She liked him a lot, but he at times was just too immature, too laid back and not serious. Maybe she needed someone like that. Someone who wasn’t afraid to cut lose.
Serena, so wrapped up in her thoughts, did not realize someone was ringing the doorbell until they started knocking on the actual door itself. Sniffing and wiping away the last of her tears, she stood up and made her way over to the door.
It was Don Lothario. Serena had met him when she had moved in and he had been over a few times when Jason was not around. He was nice and seemed interested in Serena but she would always giggle it off and change the subject whenever he would start to flirt.
“Don, hi. Come in.”
“Thanks.” He stepped in and turned around after he heard a sniffle. “Are you okay? I saw Jason leaving with suit cases, did you kick him out?”
Serena closed the door and rubbed her temple as she walked back over to couch. “He left on his own. Apparently I drove him away with my annoying and over the top habits.”
“Oh yeah, I believe you told me about that before. It could be OCD.”
“Maybe…” She trailed off as she sat down, hanging her head and picked at her fingers.
Don sat beside her and put an arm over her, hugging her to his side. “He’s a douche. Ig he can’t and won’t try to understand you then he isn’t worth it. You know you deserve better than him.”
A light smile appeared over Serena’s features and Don returned it before kidding her temple. “That’s better. Tell you what, how about we go out for dinner, there’s this great place that just opened up. It’s just what you need.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Serena nodded. “Thanks, Don.”