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Aight, ma. Keep talking your shit.

BYE, CASSIAN!

I shook my head, laughing to myself as I placed my phone facedown on the counter. That man was something else. We had only slept together once, and he was already talking about getting some more like he couldn’t get enough. The crazy part was, I couldn’t even act like I hadn’t thought about that night myself. But I damn sure wasn’t about to tell his ass that. His head was already big enough, and knowing Cassian, he’d take that little bit of information and run with it.

“Baby, everything alright?” my mama asked once we sat down to eat.

“Yeah, everything good.” I picked up my fork and started eating.

“Good. So, how that man treating you?”

“He treats me good, Mama. Better than I expected, considering how I ended up here.”

My mama stopped eating and looked at me. “Kaylen, baby, you know I ain't agree with none of that mess your daddy did.”

“I know, Mama. I'm just saying.” I took a sip of my drink. “Cassian makes sure I'm straight, and he don't play when it comes to somebody bothering me. Now, he gets on my damn nerves with that controlling shit, but other than that, he's been good to me.”

“Well, I'm glad to hear that. I just want you to be happy, baby.” She went back to eating, and for a minute, I thought we were done talking about my relationship. “So, y'all sleeping together?”

I damn near choked on my chicken.

“Mama! Why would you ask me something like that?”

Beside me, Kayla started coughing after damn near spitting her drink everywhere.

“Mama!” she hollered, grabbing her napkin. “You can't just ask her that!”

“What?” My mama looked between us. “I'm just asking a question. Ain't nothing wrong with me wanting to know what's going on with my daughter.”

“Yeah, but you don't have to know everything,” I told her. “Some stuff is personal.”

“Well, excuse me for asking.”

Kayla started laughing, which turned my mama's attention toward her.

“And what you laughing at, Lha'Kayla? You need to be worried about finding you a man and getting out of my house.”

Kayla's smile disappeared. “Wait, Mama. How I get brought into this? I ain't even said nothing.”

“You sitting over there laughing at your sister, ain't you?”

“Because you asking her about her sex life! I wasn't expecting you to come out and ask her that.”

“Well, maybe if you had somebody to occupy your time, you wouldn't be so worried about what I'm asking your sister.”

“Mama, I don't be in your business like that.”

“And I ain't say you was. I'm just saying you getting too comfortable living in my house.”

“But I thought we were talking about Kaylen and Cassian. How we end up talking about me moving out?”

I couldn't hold my laughter any longer. My mama had really found a way to turn the conversation around on Kayla, and judging by the look on my sister's face, she wasn't expecting that shit either.

My mama looked at me. “And I don't know what you laughing at, Shakaylen.”

“Because, Mama, Kayla was just sitting here eating her food, and now you telling her she needs to move out.”

“Well, she's grown. Ain't nothing wrong with her getting her own place.”