I'm in the kitchen drinking a protein shake when Yemi slowly walks in holding her phone.

"Good morning," she smiles. I nod as I finish my drink, never taking my eyes off her. I love how my shirt sits on her curves. I knew she had 'em, but damn... They're looking real good, right now.

She giggles. "You're a man of few words."

I put my empty glass down and sit on the bar stool next to her. "So, who's Jonathon?"

"I don't wanna talk about him. Are you ready to take me home?"

"So you have a home, now?"

She furrows her eyebrows. "What?"

"Last night, you told me you didn't have one. Now you do?"

"I probably said a lot of things I shouldn't have said."

"I'm not comfortable taking you home after what you told me. He didn't rape you, did he?"

"No."

"Good. I'll be in my room when you're ready to talk."

"I'll just call an Uber." I gently take away her phone.

"I'm not playing with you."

She sighs. But I don't care about her being annoyed, or whatever she's feeling, right now. I know I just met her, but I can't ignore that some man is doing some fucked up shit to her. I start to walk away, still holding her phone in my hand.

"-He hasn't raped me. But he touches me inappropriately."

I look back at her, pissed. The way her expression changes lets me know that I probably look like I want to kill someone. She looks away from me, so I try to soften my face.

"Please take me home."

"I'll take you anywhere but there."

"I don't have anyone else. Briana is all I have left. I pay her a little bit of rent to sleep on the couch, but I'm in my car most of the time. But at least I have a place to shower, you know."

"So you're telling me that you pay rent, yet you don't have a bed to sleep in and you have to run away from a muthafucka who's trying to fuck you? Why the fuck is he staying there? Who is he?"

"My cousin's husband." She looks down, embarrassed to look at me.

"Please look at me." She side-eyes me. "So, I take it your cousin doesn't know. 'Cause if she did, she would've kicked him out, right?"

"She wouldn't believe me if I did tell her. She's crazy in love with him. He blows their portion of the rent on gambling, and then she wants me to cover it. I told her how wrong that was, but then she threatened to kick me out."

"Alright, look. You can rent the guest room from me for however much you're supposed to pay rent there. I'll take you to get your stuff."

"I can't rent from you. We just met."

I'm not trying to hear that bullshit. "I know you rather sleep on a bed than in your car. So come on. I'll meet you at the front door in 10 minutes."

I walk away, not letting her debate.

__

"Turn left here," Yemi directs.

I make a left down a street with a bunch of duplexes on the block.

"It's this..." She's pointing at a small complex, where I see a lady running up to the street, carrying a duffel bag. "What the hell?" I look over at Yemi squinting out the window as I park my truck. "I know that's not my stuff." Yemi swings the door open and jumps out. "Briana, what are you doing?!"

Briana whips her head over at Yemi. "Oh good, just in time. Come get your shit, bitch!" Briana flips the bag around and shakes all the clothes out.

I shake my head. Her cousin is a cold piece of work. I glance over at Yemi, and she looks like she's about to cry. "Why are you doing this? Stop Briana!"

"You wanna fuck my man?!" Yemi looks at her in shock as Briana runs to their apartment. A husky dude stands at the door, holding another duffle bag. Briana swiftly grabs the bag from dude and marches back to the street. I can't believe a grown ass man is helping her throw Yemi's stuff out.

Yemi runs over to Briana and pushes her, causing Briana to fall to the ground. I see the guy coming towards them like he's about to do something. Damn, now I gotta get involved. Briana jumps up as myself and 'ol dude approach them. "Whoop her ass Bri!" Are you kidding me?

Briana looks like she's about to knock Yemi off the block, so I pick Yemi up just before Briana's fist almost connects with Yemi's face. The cousin hits me instead, but it feels like a little thump. She must've read my thoughts, because now I'm getting my back pounded as I'm carrying a kicking Yemi to the truck.

I open the passenger door and slide Yemi inside. I block her from hopping out and her cousin from fighting Yemi. "Sam, let me out! She's going to throw all my shit out." Now I'm starting to get pissed.

"Fuck all that shit. Stay inside." I still feel her cousin hitting me, trying to get to Yemi. In my peripheral, I see 'ol dude mean-mugging, standing in the same spot.

Yemi's voice cracks, "But that's all I had."

"I'll buy you everything. Lock the door." I slam the door closed. I hear her lock it just when her cousin tries to open it. As I'm power-walking towards the driver's side, 'ol boy dashes towards me. "Aye! Who the fuck are you?"

I open my door as he gets closer, and then look at Yemi. "That's Jonathon?" She quickly nods. I turn around and punch the shit out of him. Yemi and her cousin gasp right before he drops to the ground. I hop in and drive off.

"I'm sorry I got you in my drama."

I put my hand up, silencing her.