Page 17 of Love me Like XO

“I don’t think she’s seeing him for his money, Irish.”

“She should be. The fuck she out here looking for love for when love had her laid up on the couch puffy eyed and embarrassed because our fight went viral? What the fuck love ever did for her?”

I cackled. I couldn’t help but laugh at how wounded he sounded when he was for sure the nigga out here doing all the wounding.

“What’s funny? I’m dead ass serious and that’s what I’ma teach my daughter.”

I shook my head. “Then I guess what I needed to ask you about doesn’t need to be discussed.” I sat my purse on the table and went into his kitchen.

“Nah, lay it out. Since I can’t be out with Rev nem’ on the lituation spree, I might as well play Dr. Phil.”

I couldn’t help but laugh before I finally spilled my guts to him. I told him everything because I needed him to tell me what he honestly thought.

“You say yeen fucked that nigga, right?” he asked after I was finished talking.

“Nope.”

“All bullshit aside I’on fuck with that nigga Hadees like that, but you knew he was still on his mama’s titty when you met him. He deserve for you to be up front with him at least, but don’t be too quick to do that either. Don’t be too quick to give another nigga that you don’t know like that your energy though. Niggas will give one vibe but be on some whole other shit later on down the line.”

“You now yeen half bad when you feel like being like it.”

“I ain’t bad at all. Now who is this other nigga my sister is with? I think that’s who she’s with right now to think about it.”

“Zero. She met him at Wa?—”

“Yo, ain’t that Pops’ future wife’s people?”

I nodded. “She didn’t know when she met him.”

“That’s close as fuck, but she knows what she’s doing.” He shrugged. “Matter of fact she doesn’t. That nigga Benson is straight up salty that she been dodging him.”

“Can you blame her though? Nigga is dusty. I know that’s your boy and all but he likes the drama, and she doesn’t. He fucked up with her when he tried to drag her out of the function like he was her nigga.”

My brother nodded. “True. What we about to eat?”

“I’on know, let me pull up the app.”

Chapter 3

Rocket

EMPRESS -A WEEK AND A HALF LATER...

After I left Zero’s house this morning, the last thing I wanted to do was come back out hours later to go to my grandmother’s Sunday dinner, but I’d missed last Sunday and had to get to this one. I’d missed it for the same exact reason I almost missed it today. The dick was too good, and something similar to the most potent mix ofNyQuil and Benadryl.I didn’t mean to keep having sex with Zero, but it happened and then it kept happening. I wasn’t about to stop it and he wasn’t either. The dick was just too bomb, and the vibe was lit. My siblings had been getting on my ass about going MIA, but I really couldn’t help it. In less than two weeks I was sexually content with this nigga, and it was nothing serious, we were just chilling.

The last thing I wanted was to be going to my grandmother’s house today, yet here I was. It wasn’t giving for me, especially because she coddled Fiona and low key perpetuated the bullshit. Instead of nipping the bullshit in the bud, she always told us to hear one another out. The funny thing is I never had a problem with any of my other siblings, shit all of us actually got along, butFiona was the issue. She was a grown ass woman who never took accountability for her issues.

When I walked in the door of my grandmother’s house, I could smell the pressure in the kitchen. That and not hearing her mouth were the only reasons I didn’t raincheck this shit. I was always able to get a hearty to-go plate.

“You came just in time. Yo’ sister is seconds from taking her hat off and asking for fucking donations.” Rev gave me a hug then continued with his plate into the living room. My brother, Rev, spent most of his time in the streets, so it was rare that we saw him. Then when I did see him, it always felt like it had been too long.

“That’s good for her as long as she doesn’t pass that shit my way.” I continued toward the kitchen. Upon entry I spotted my sister sitting at the kitchen table with her lip poked out and her youngest on her knee. Then my eyes bounced onto my grandmother who was sitting at the head of the kitchen table with a toothy smile.

“Hi, my baby.” She smiled as I approached.

“Hey y’all.” I went and hugged my grandmother while my sister scoffed. I wasn’t about to try to hug her musty ass anyway.

“You ain’t speaking to your baby sister, Fiona?” my grandmother’s messy ass asked.

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