Page 34 of Trust Issues
“It’s not Herbalife,” he frowned, knitting his brows together. At that point, I was honestly wishing it were Herbalife. Shit. “I need a place to stay for a few weeks until everything is final on my house. I was wondering if…”
I cut him off so quickly I made my own head spin. I held up my hand and laughed loudly. Austin’s mouth hung open in shock. Like he was actually surprised that I was laughing in his face.
“Let me stop you there. No. Absolutely not. Never in a fucking trillion years would I let you into my apartment that I worked hard to rent, furnish, and maintain. You think I want you in here on my fucking couch? Or let me guess…you thought you would sleep with me?Me.” I tipped my head back and roared with laughter. Austin shifted around on the couch glowering like a toddler.
“You have lost every iota of intelligence you ever had asking me some stupid shit like that. Allegedly, you have a place to live. Stay there. Goodnight.”
“My mother said I have to find somewhere to go and…” I turned my head to the side and narrowed my eyes. I thought maybe that would help me hear better.
“Mother? As in the woman who gave birth to you? As in the woman who should absolutely be living in her own goddamn house and not having her pathetic son living with her? I thought you said you lived alone!” My voice jumped up at the absurdity of everything I was hearing. My ears were offended.
“I know. I may have misspoken.”
“Misspoken? The fuck? Boy…” I rubbed my forehead and stood to my feet. The room wobbled a bit but I wasn’t too drunk to put him out. I searched for my professional voice because it was clear that Kyle from Prince George’s County was about to emerge and lock Kyla Bradshaw attorney at law in the closet until she left shoe prints on Austin’s face. “Austin, you’re absolute trash and you’re starting to make me itch. You gotta go.”
“I can fix that. Let’s go to the bedroom.” He stood to his feet and reached for me like touching me would make it better. What world did he live in?
“You really think sex is going to fix this? Never in my life have I walked past a trashcan and thought about fucking it. I’m not going to start now. Out.” I wished with everything I had in me that Barkley was an attack dog.
“Kyla, give it some thought. You’ve been drinking so you’re not really in the right frame of mind to make decisions.”
“But I’m in the right frame of mind to fuck though? Get out!” I shouted, opening the door. I pointed to the hallway.
Not even one second later did Max’s door swing open revealing him in a white tank top and a pair of gray sweatpants. I wasn’t too drunk to see that shit. I tipped my head to the side and eyed him for a second, forgetting that Austin was standing behind me being a flaming bag of garbage.
“Everything okay, Kyle?” Max’s deep voice made my mind click back into place, bringing me to the present. I shut my open mouth and nodded. Was Max always that tall and brooding? He looked pissed like he could hear the entire conversation Austin and I had before I opened the door.
“We’re good, bro,” Austin stepped in front of me and I felt my face heat with anger.
“No. We’re not. You need to leave before I call building security, Austin.”
“I got this, Kyle. Go back inside before Barks comes out here.” Max pointed to my apartment and I looked from him to Austin. I started to fire back at Max but he gave me a look that shut everything down including my logical train of thought because I took my ass right back into my apartment.
I was tired of wasting energy on Austin so if Max wanted to handle it, I would let him. Austin looked like he shrank down a little after seeing him anyway. I guess seeing his six-foot-three frame took a little wind out of Austin’s sail. I watched the thick muscles in Max’s bicep flex from the couch while he pointed to the elevators down the hall and told Austin to see himself out.
“I’m a grown ass man. You don’t need to show me how to get to the elevator. Kyla isn’t your woman either so you can stop acting like she is. She’s mine.”
“Wait. Hold up,” I held up my pointer finger and stood up. Colors swam in front of me but I got my bearings quickly.
“She’s not my woman and she’s damn sure not yours. I don’t know what kind of drugs you’re on. It has to be meth. Is it meth?”
“That’s what I said!” I exclaimed, tossing my hand in the air.
“It’s absolutely meth. Man, get your ass out of this fucking building before I break something on you.” Austin hesitated like he wanted to say something but Max intimidated him to the point of silence. He rushed down the hall muttering under his breath like the bitch he was and Max shut the door to his apartment and walked into mine.
“You okay, Kyle?” When he sat beside me I smelled the lingering scent of soap on his skin. I nodded and tried to tell myself to move away. I could easily tuck myself in the corner of the couch. Something kept me cemented to my spot though.
“I’m fine.”
“I take it the dinner date didn’t go well?” Max stretched his long arms out across the back of the couch and Barkley took it as his cue to hop into Max’s lap. “Barks, why didn’t you bite that asshole?” He rubbed behind Barkley’s ears until he hopped down and went to lay on his bed. He’d had enough pets.
“I knew it was awful from the moment he walked through the door,” I groaned. “See, this is why Naima shouldn’t have left me alone tonight.”
“I told you I’d interfere, Kyle. You don’t fucking listen.” He poked my arm and I laughed a little.
“When the hell have I ever listened to you, Max. I mean besides when you bark and let everyone know when a kid has fallen down a well.”
“Haha, Kyle. Funny. You should have sent me a text. Or were you too drunk to function?”
