Page 88 of Buy Back My Love

“So?”

“So it’s his shit.”

“No, it ain’t. Your name on that lease too.” Maisie leaned back in her chair and looked at me. “I’m not telling you to go back to Jabari. I’m telling you don’t let that nigga run you out of the place you’ve been living in by yourself anyway just because he got mad and started running his mouth.”

I stared at her because I ain’t really have an argument for that.

My phone buzzed against the table, and when I flipped it over, Van’s name was on the screen.

You good?

I stared at the message for a minute. I ain’t even know what the hell to say to that. No, I wasn’t good, but I damn sure wasn’t about to start explaining all of that over a text message either. I locked my phone and tossed it back down.

“First thing you do is change them locks,” Maisie continued like she ain’t even notice my phone. “Then get you some cameras. Front door, back door, all that shit. That nigga come over there cutting up, don’t stand around arguing with him. Let his ass act a fool right in front of them cameras, then call the police.”

I looked at her. “You done planned my whole damn day.”

“I ain’t finished.”

“Of course you ain’t.”

“And get you a gun.”

I damn near choked on my coffee. “A gun? Mama, I don’t even know how to shoot no damn gun.”

Anika looked at me like I had just said the dumbest shit she’d heard all morning. “How you been with a thug fifteen years and don’t know how to shoot?”

“Because he ain’t never had me around none of that shit.”

“Exactly,” Maisie said.

I frowned at her. “What?”

“That man kept your ass green.”

“I wasn’t green.”

Maisie looked at me. “Lee, you did five years for that man and still came home not knowing what the fuck he really been doing.”

Damn.

I looked down at my plate because I couldn’t even argue with that shit. Anika reached over for a piece of bacon off my plate, and I slapped her hand away.

“Get your own.”

Anika sucked her teeth. “Well, since your scary ass don’t know how to shoot, I guess we know what girls’ night finna be.”

I frowned. “What?”

“Shooting range. Me, you, Nina, Wren. We all going.”

Maisie nodded. “Good.”

“Why you agreeing with her?”

“Because for once she said something that makes sense.”

Anika stared at her. “Damn. I don’t know whether to say thank you or be offended.”