Page 36 of Love me Like XO

“How did you meet her? At least tell me that.”

“At the bar and your auntie is marrying her daddy.” I drank from the water, closing my eyes momentarily. I talked about shorty being tired after our night, shit my ass was, too.

“Zero!”

“What? Why the fuck are you in here yelling? What the fuck is wrong with you?” I nearly dropped my glass thinking she saw a spider or something with that high pitched ass tone of hers.

“That’s too close.”

“How? We don’t share no fucking blood, and it ain’t like I met her through them. The world is just small shorty.”

She shook her head. “Well she must be something, since you are like this, and you’ve been smiling ever since I brou—” her sentence was interrupted by the notification of my door opening.

When I looked up Malik’s stupid ass was stepping through the threshold. He was the only nigga I knew who used his spare key like he was my fucking roommate and not like a spare.

“Yo, I’ma take my fucking key back.”

He chuckled. “Come physically take this motherfucker off my ring. Until then shut the fu—What’s up sis’?” He hugged Asha seconds after he entered the kitchen.

“Nothing much, I was just checking up on this fool, but since you’re here let me check up on you, too.”

“Awh shit, I came at the wrong time. Lemme go see what I left in the car.” He acted like he was about to go back out of the door.

“Nah, bitch. You trespassed, now let her nosy ass into your life.”

We all laughed.

“So, Malik. You seeing anybody seriously? Or are you still playing with these hos?”

“Ro ain’t told you?”

“Told me what?” She looked confused.

I already knew what this dumb ass nigga was about to say and couldn’t help but grin. He was serious about this marriage shit. “Don’t get this fool started.”

“I’m getting married soon.”

My sister looked immediately taken aback. “Say what now? You’re marrying who? What woman did you kidnap and ascertain this with?”

“Now why the fuck I gotta do all that?” He screwed his face up.

“Because you know you. When is the wedding?”

“Soon. Right now I’m tryna secure err’thing.” He walked around and went into my refrigerator like he filled this motherfucker up every week.

“Secure what? I’m confused.”

“Don’t listen to this nigga. She still ain’t even paying his ass no attention.”

My sister stayed in the room and talked with us for a while longer before leaving to go talk to her husband on the phone in the other room.

“How was that nigga Henny? Everything went well?” He peered at me for an answer.

“Shit yeah. We gotta figure out the cash side. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

He nodded. “Sup.”

“You gotta open a shop. Niggas ain’t saying you gotta work in it or anything like that, but we need a business that makes sense and makes money.”