How had it come down to this?

 Louie wanted to take the blame. Maybe he just talked too much to Sunny. After all, they spent every waking day together and it was hard keeping anything from her.

He told her about Chewy and Hart while in the kitchen one night getting ready for the next day.

Well, she didn't say that much then, like she was OK with it, but then with Chewy on the couch every night, evidently Sunny got to thinking.

"I don't think he's OK," she started a few nights later when the dishes were soaking in the sink.

"What? Who?" Louie didn't think she would be talking about Chewy and then he shrugged with, "He's fine."

"He is not."

It could have been a spat for all he knew, but she said Chewy's hours were being cut back at the coffee shop. "He always got more hours than me, he's practically a manager."

This was news to Louie. Yes, they'd known Chewy forever but he didn't know how much money he made.

"But..but he likes where he is," after all he was just next door in his grandmother's place.

"He could rent it out and live with us," Sunny looked at him as if they needed to help.

"Is this about finance or because of Hart?" Louie looked at her wide-eyed as he went back to the dishes. It had been so simple, just the two of them living together.

"A little of both," Sunny had made her decision. "I'll just sleep with you."

Louie gave her a double take.

"Unless you want to sleep with him." Her lopsided grin was just a tease.

"NO." His voice was like thunder. Louie sighed as if she wasn't giving him a choice.

"He's your best friend," Sunny was serious.

"Yeah, but-" Louie wasn't sure he could share his room. Sunny had her stuff and he didn't. The walls were empty. It had never been a home. Only a place to sleep. It could have been a roadside hostel and she wanted to come in and make it her own.

"It'll be easy," she smiled. "We'll make it our room."

Louie winced. He didn't see it like that. It felt more of an infestation of some kind. He liked being away from people. What had ever gotten into him to let her in in the first place? Oh, it was Hart. Not knowing what to do with his stuff. He cringed at the thought, but Sunny was so adorably cute.

But he could see her as a woman now. A woman who wanted to rule his domain.