Book 2 [ The Untitled Series ]

Chapter Eight

Alexus

Three nights later, me and my mother were out getting dinner. She called out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to go to a steakhouse with her and I agreed. I've never been the type to have fast food often, but a treat every now and again is acceptable.

We met at the steakhouse a thirty minute drive away from my apartment and as soon as we saw each other in the parking lot, we were jumping on eachother. Ever since she'd adopted me, we'd been attached at the hip, but since moving out we didn't see each other as much. Yeah, she only lived a block and a half away from me but it still felt like a world away.

" you look so pretty, mommy!" I screeched, meaning every single word. She really did. Even though though she wasn't my biological mother, we had the same chocolate skin tone and natural hair. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she'd pushed me out her own vagina.

" well you know-" She took a step back, twirling slightly, allowing for the wind to swirl around her. " I do okay, I guess."

I laughed. " whatever."

" and you look pretty too, Lex." She cradled my face in her hands like she was inspecting me. " you're actually smiling this time."

" what are you talking about?"

" oh, honey, let's not even start the lying. When I saw you two weeks ago, you looked a mess."

" I did not!"

She rolled her eyes. " there you go lying like I'm not your mom and like I don't know you."

When we'd seen eachother last, Tevin and I had had another one of our huge arguments. This one in particular had been outside, right on the sidewalk and it had been embarrassing. The street had been packed. For so many people to witness the actual break down of my relationship was humiliating. I went right to my mother's place and cried like a baby.

" yeah, well," I shrugged. " I don't want to talk about Tevin or anything associated with him, okay? Just thinking about it makes me angry."

" Well it might make you angry, but it pisses me the hell off. And when I see that fucking bum-"

" mom, dont." I pleaded.

She looked at me like she was debating on if she should continue or not. Clearly, Leon had gotten his fiery temper from her. If my mother had of been the one to burst in on Tevin about to hit me instead of Leon, she would have thrown his ass out the window too. " okay, I'll drop it-for now. Let's go get fat."

I smiled. We hooked our arms together and entered the restaurant. It was one of our favorite places to go, but it was so damn expensive that we hardly ever went. Once every two months was enough.

We ate like pigs, stuffing ourselves to the brim before the conversation started back up. " so, who is it?"

" who is who?" I asked. The first thing that popped in my mind was that Leon had spoken to her, maybe telling her his suspicions about my feelings toward Tyrone. That fault was completely dismissed though because just like Leon, she wasn't the type the beat around the bush. If she knew something, she'd be the first to come right out and say it.

" don't even do this, Alexus. I remember when you were thirteen and you had just gotten your first cellphone. You would not put it down for anything, but every time you looked at it, you got this dissapointed look on your face. When I asked you about it you wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but I found out later through Leon that you were waiting on some little boy from the neighborhood to text you." She smiled like she'd caught me red handed. " watching you right now is like a replay of that all over again."

It was hard not to smile. " I don't know what you're talking about. I just got out of a relationship. How stupid would I be to get right into another one?"

" very stupid, but we all have our moments. Now, tell me who he is?"

I breathed deeply. " There's this guy that I like. I've had feelings for him for months now, even before I broke up with Tevin. It's not official or anything but I'm hopeful."

The goofy smile on my mother's face made me shake my head. " who is he?"

"a friend."

" A friend from the neighborhood, a friend from work, a friend that you met on one of your club visit?"

" just a friend, mom. I've known him for a few years but nothing has ever happened."

" so," She paused. " why is it that you won't say this friend's name? That alone has told me everything that I need to know. I know him, don't I?" I wasn't quick to say yes, but I did anyway. " and I wouldn't approve?"

" I don't know." I mumbled. I felt like a child all over again. When I brought my first boyfriend to the house to meet her, she kicked him out and then grilled me for an hour and a half about him before she told me to invite him over again so that she could talk to him. It was a good two hours before we were able to hang out, and by that time, he and I were both kind of over it. Needless to say, my mother can be an intimidating woman, but she's never steered me wrong.

" oh, you know."

" but mom- you just don't get it. You don't know the reasoning behind me not telling you who he is. If you did, then you'd understand."

" you know what, you're a grown ass woman, Alexus. You can be with whoever you'd like. You can hide him or lie to me about it right now or do whatever you feel is necessary...but we both know that you've never hidden anything from me for more than a few weeks. Just be careful, okay? I love you and I don't want to see you hurt."

I smiled. " thanks mom."

" and if he hurts you, I'm going to have Leon kick his ass."

Now that I found hysterical. If she only knew the truth she might think twice about that statement. Make no mistake, I'd seen Tyrone wrestle niggas down in the street. Forty-two had never been so young.

" okay mom."

We ordered dessert- despite being stuffed to the brim- before going out separate ways. Getting back to my apartment building, all I really wanted felt like doing was collapsing in bed. Despite the fact that I doubted it would work, I tried the elevator. Call it wishful thinking, but even that did not make that elevator start up.

Huffing softly, I started up the steps.