Page 90 of Buy Back My Love

She shut the glove compartment. “Come on.”

We got out and headed up the steps together. I unlocked the door, but before I could walk inside, Anika put one hand out in front of me.

“Stay behind me.”

“Girl, this my house.”

“And your ass don’t know how to shoot. Stay behind me.”

I rolled my eyes but let her go first. She checked the living room and kitchen before disappearing down the hall while I stood there feeling stupid as hell.

“Clear,” she called from the bedroom.

“You watch too many fucking movies.”

Anika came back down the hall. “And yet ain’t nobody hiding in your closet. You’re welcome.”

“Girl, put that damn gun up before you shoot something.”

She checked the back door too before finally putting it away, and I locked the front door behind us. Then I stood there and looked around.

Same quiet-ass house. My purse was where I had left it. My blanket was still thrown across the couch. A pair of my slides sat near the hallway where I had kicked them off and forgot about them. Everything looked exactly the same as it had yesterday.

That was the fucked-up part. The house hadn’t changed. I had just found out what JB had really been doing every time he wasn’t in it.

Anika looked over at me. “You good?”

“No.”

She nodded. “Aight.”

I caught the little look she gave me. “Don’t start.”

“I ain’t say nothing. Just glad you ain’t lie this time.”

“Shut up.”

I pulled my phone out and searched how to change a deadbolt.

Anika looked over my shoulder. “Girl, we can do that shit ourselves.”

“You know how?”

“No, but YouTube do.”

I laughed despite myself. “Aight. We need new locks.”

“And cameras.”

“I heard my mama.”

Anika grabbed her keys. “Come on. Home Depot.”

I looked back at the front door. By the end of the day, if JB came back, his key wasn’t gonna do shit.

Lee

Afew days later, Anika made good on that shooting-range plan. The place smelled like hot metal and strong cleaner. The second one of those loud gunshots went off somewhere behind the wall, my chest tightened, and I immediately regretted letting Anika talk me into coming.