Page 24 of Read the Room

It wasn’t surprising to find out that Alexi didn’t cook. She didn’t come across as a female that knew how to melt butter in the microwave. With that being said, there was barely anything in the house outside of water, liquor, and beer. We walked out of the grocery store with two carts. Ethan and Joey had nothing to say because their asses were throwing stuff in the cart too. They spent their day at the house unless one of them had something to do but left at night.

I was able to tire Lucas out on the playground so that I could put him down for a nap while I cooked. Yeah, this food was going to be good as hell. Since Lo seemed comfortable with adjusting his home to make me feel at home, I would convince him to buy a small deep freezer. When I left, I would just take it with me wherever I moved. My heart was completely broken when Lo, Sully, and Joey told me that my home was destroyed. I worked so hard to get the things that I did in my home, and for someone to come in and say fuck all that shit was devastating.

Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

I was in the middle of cooking when the doorbell rang, which was weird to me. No one ever came here. Sully, Joey, and Ethan had the door code to get into the house. I heard one of the guys get up to open the door. There was a camera, so I was sure they knew who it was. Seconds later, I heard a loud female voice.

“Lo’ak! Lo’ak! Where the hell are you?”

I looked up from the counter where I was cutting the green beans.

“Lo… Oh, so that’s what it is? He got this broke sandwich shop bitch in here cooking in the kitchen like she lives here.” Alexi’s face was red and tight.

Joey stepped in front of her. “Aye, you got to get the hell out of here!”

He grabbed her forearms to walk her back. She wasn’t having it though.

“I’m not going a muthafuckin’ place! I live here,” she hollered. “Someone needs to tell me why this ho is in here. What is she, the new maid ho?”

This girl got on my last nerves. I put the knife down to stop myself from sending it in the direction of her head. “Alexi, actually, you don’t live here, but I do. Why would Lo’s ex-girlfriend live here? Now, could you please keep your voice down? My son is napping in his room. We don’t like strife in our house.”

Ethan snickered from the side of the kitchen island, and Joey outright laughed. Alexi didn’t think anything about the situation was funny at all. She started to jump around like she wanted to do something, but I wasn’t worried. Why? Because one, by the time she finished jumping her stupid ass around she’d be tired. Also, I was in the kitchen with weapons. She’d be stupid to run up on me. I was not above stabbing a bitch.

“Bitch, I will beat your ass. Who the fuck are you playing with? I’m not Lo’s ex anything.” She moved side to side attempting to get around Joey.

I took a moment to take her in. Alexi was really a beautiful girl. She just had an ugly attitude, heart, and personality. I could go out on a limb to say that she had what my mama called light-skinned syndrome. My mama felt that people with a lighter tone of melanin thought they were better than others by default. I wasn’t sure if I bought into that way of thinking, but Miss Alexi might have changed my thinking.

I turned around to grab the pot to put my cut green beans inside. This girl was not about to have me moved to the point that dinner was not on the table when I anticipated it to be. I didn’t deal with malarkey.

“Alexi, I think you have a fuckin’ death wish.” Lo’s voice boomed through the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder at him, then turned back to the task at hand. I didn’t even have time to entertain him.

“Nigga, this is what you’re on! You have this bum bitch in the kitchen cooking like she belongs here!” Alexi shouted.

I heard her feet moving, but my back was still turned.

“If you wanted a downgrade that was all you had to say.”

There was the sound of some shuffling before I heard Alexi let out a loud shriek before there was a thud.

“Flat face Martian! I wish you would put your damn hands on my grandson.”

At the sound of Mama Bee’s voice, I spun around.

“Mama Bee!”

She was worth me aborting my task. I missed her so much. I ran around the island into her open arms.

“I missed you so much.”

She took my face into her hands. Like a mother, she looked me over as if she expected to see bruises.

“You know I had to put eyes on you when my lopsided head grandson told me that you were here. I thought somebody snatched you up.”

Alexi was still on the ground rolling around and whimpering. I wasn’t sure what happened because my back was turned. I gawked at her.

“Girl, can you be quiet? We’re having a moment here.” I rolled my eyes. “Well, technically, I was, but it was a nice-nap, so it was all good.”

“You and that nice-nap shit.” Lo tittered. “Aye, get the hell up, and get the fuck out of my house. You don’t live here. I sent all your shit to your mama’s house. I’m sure you know that, though, since that’s where your ass more than likely has been staying.”

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