Rhodes parks the car downstairs in the largely abandoned car park underneath my apartment building. I do worry about it; it's a very nice car in a not so nice neighbourhood, I really hope it's still here when we get back.
"There better be food in your fridge," Rhodes mutters under his breath as I unlock the door to my apartment. I giggle slightly as I allow him to enter before me. He makes a beeline to the kitchen, and I hear him open the fridge as I shut the door.
"Good girl," he says as I remove my bag from my shoulder and turn to see him staring into the mostly stocked fridge. Thank god I did a shop; I don't know if I'm in the mood for a lecture from him.
"No more Red Bull and instant noodles for me," I grin as I place the mail I received from my letterbox onto the counter. "And I only got things from the list of foods from the contract." He shifts a little in his place once I mention the contract. Maybe he's a little embarrassed about having me eat foods from a prescribed list? Once I actually read through the list, I didn't mind a whole lot; it was basically just foods that I normally eat anyway. But I haven't forgotten the way the list made me feel when I looked through it, especially seeing our initials at the bottom where we agreed I'd adhere to it. I felt controlled.
"Are these your parents?" Rhodes breaks me out of my thoughts and is holding a small black frame from my hallway table in his hand. I wander over and check the contents of the frame before I reply.
"Mhmm," I nod my head and confirm. My mum and dad sit on the edge of a fountain somewhere in Europe. I always forget where. "It's from before they had me, on their honeymoon. Must have been 20 years ago," I inform him. I found the photo a few years ago when I was going through our attic to find my birth certificate. They both look so happy and content, so lucky in love, before all the shit started to go wrong.
Rhodes simply nods his head and places the photo frame back down on the counter. I'm not going to bore him with my family woes, not right now at least.
"Come on, you can help me pick a dress for tonight," I smile and lead the way to my bedroom, sliding back the doors of the wardrobe. Rhodes leans against the door frame and watches me slide back the doors, a soft smile playing across his lips.