he’d left her and that her kitchen, for the most part, had been packed up. Riss went through the rest of the house and saw that nearly everything had been put into bags and boxes, and she now sat on the couch watching the blank television screen. He wanted to go to her and hold her, but knew that Michael would do just what he said he would. Riss watched her until someone knocked on her door.
~~~
“You shouldn’t have.” Kala took the bottle of wine from Dan and sat it on the counter. “I just made chili. I’m afraid that wine will be too much for such a modest pot.”
“ Naw, I love wine, so if you don’t want it, I’ll drink it.” Kala tried to think what sort of glass to give Dan, as she’d already packed up the other glasses. She had no idea why she’d bothered. There was nowhere for her to unpack them.
“ I’ve not heard from any of the places that I’ve applied. Have you had any luck?” When he didn’t answer her, she turned to him. He was staring at her like he was pissed about something. “Dan? What’s wrong?”
“ Mom kicked me out.” Kala raised a brow at his tone but said nothing as he continued. “She said the only reason she let me stay as long as she did was because of the cable. Now that it’s gone, she said I had to be too. She made me really mad, if you want to know the truth. We argued a lot.”
“ I’m sorry about that. Do you have a place to stay?” She handed him the wine opener. She hadn’t packed it because she never used it and was planning to leave it behind. “I have to find a place to live, too. My apartment is being renovated, and everyone has to leave for the new owners. Your poor mother will be all alone. Is she going to be okay?”
“ You don’t have a home anymore either?” She shook her head suddenly, slightly afraid of him. “Well, shit, Kala. I was hoping to move in with you and have a roof over my head. You really fucked that up for me, didn’t you? Now what the hell am I supposed to do now, I ask you?”
She looked at him to see if he was kidding and realized then that he wasn ’t. Kala started to tell him that he should have been saving his money all along when the timer sounded for the corn bread. Instead of saying what was on the tip of her tongue, she excused herself and went to the kitchen. He actually thought she would let him move in with her? The man was as looney as they came.
“ Hey, Kala, where you moving to?” She looked up at him from the stove. He’d moved into the kitchen, and was so close that she looked around for something to protect herself with. “I was thinking with our unemployment and all we could afford something much better than this place anyway. We can share your money and I can take care of things.”
Anger surged through her , and she felt her heart pound. She was never one to get mad, but when she did, it was never pretty. Kala had a feeling that if she didn’t nip this in the bud now, he’d think he could walk all over her. And Kala had had enough of people walking over her.
“ You’re not moving in with me.” He laughed. “I’m serious. I don’t know where I’m going, but it’s going to be something that I can afford. And I plan to live alone. I’ve no intentions of having a roommate, and I most certainly don’t want someone who plans to sponge off me while I work.”
“ You’re not going to leave me on my own, are you? You’d never be able to do that to me. And even if you did, what the hell am I supposed to do all by myself? I need you to take care of me like I always thought you should. I don’t have any money saved up like you do. I lived at home, for Christ’s sake. I don’t—” Both of them looked at the glass that shattered on the floor. Neither of them had touched it, and as far as she could tell, the windows were closed and there was no fan on. “What the fuck was that? Ghosts? Do you have ghosts here? When we live together, you’re not bringing them with you.”
“ I don’t
~~~
“You shouldn’t have.” Kala took the bottle of wine from Dan and sat it on the counter. “I just made chili. I’m afraid that wine will be too much for such a modest pot.”
“ Naw, I love wine, so if you don’t want it, I’ll drink it.” Kala tried to think what sort of glass to give Dan, as she’d already packed up the other glasses. She had no idea why she’d bothered. There was nowhere for her to unpack them.
“ I’ve not heard from any of the places that I’ve applied. Have you had any luck?” When he didn’t answer her, she turned to him. He was staring at her like he was pissed about something. “Dan? What’s wrong?”
“ Mom kicked me out.” Kala raised a brow at his tone but said nothing as he continued. “She said the only reason she let me stay as long as she did was because of the cable. Now that it’s gone, she said I had to be too. She made me really mad, if you want to know the truth. We argued a lot.”
“ I’m sorry about that. Do you have a place to stay?” She handed him the wine opener. She hadn’t packed it because she never used it and was planning to leave it behind. “I have to find a place to live, too. My apartment is being renovated, and everyone has to leave for the new owners. Your poor mother will be all alone. Is she going to be okay?”
“ You don’t have a home anymore either?” She shook her head suddenly, slightly afraid of him. “Well, shit, Kala. I was hoping to move in with you and have a roof over my head. You really fucked that up for me, didn’t you? Now what the hell am I supposed to do now, I ask you?”
She looked at him to see if he was kidding and realized then that he wasn ’t. Kala started to tell him that he should have been saving his money all along when the timer sounded for the corn bread. Instead of saying what was on the tip of her tongue, she excused herself and went to the kitchen. He actually thought she would let him move in with her? The man was as looney as they came.
“ Hey, Kala, where you moving to?” She looked up at him from the stove. He’d moved into the kitchen, and was so close that she looked around for something to protect herself with. “I was thinking with our unemployment and all we could afford something much better than this place anyway. We can share your money and I can take care of things.”
Anger surged through her , and she felt her heart pound. She was never one to get mad, but when she did, it was never pretty. Kala had a feeling that if she didn’t nip this in the bud now, he’d think he could walk all over her. And Kala had had enough of people walking over her.
“ You’re not moving in with me.” He laughed. “I’m serious. I don’t know where I’m going, but it’s going to be something that I can afford. And I plan to live alone. I’ve no intentions of having a roommate, and I most certainly don’t want someone who plans to sponge off me while I work.”
“ You’re not going to leave me on my own, are you? You’d never be able to do that to me. And even if you did, what the hell am I supposed to do all by myself? I need you to take care of me like I always thought you should. I don’t have any money saved up like you do. I lived at home, for Christ’s sake. I don’t—” Both of them looked at the glass that shattered on the floor. Neither of them had touched it, and as far as she could tell, the windows were closed and there was no fan on. “What the fuck was that? Ghosts? Do you have ghosts here? When we live together, you’re not bringing them with you.”
“ I don’t
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