How to Love.

Chapter Nine.

The next day I couldn't even focus, they were up arguing all night and I hardly got any sleep.

"Israel, you good?" Danny questions as I nod. "I'm straight, long night." He nods his head stepping behind the counter with me.

"What happened?" He raises a brow and I exhale slowly. "My fuckin' roommates boyfriend moved in! They were up arguing all night and I hardly got any sleep—!" I take a moment to collect myself as I place my forehead on my arms.

"Think we have a customer?" Danny points to the entrance as Aaliyah walks through the door. "What time are you off?" She questions

"I close." She looks at me like she's hurt and I shake my head because I know the feeling.

"You can't get off earlier?" She looks like she's pleading for me to do something and I shake my head.

"No, what's the problem?" She sighs before looking between me and Danny.

"Well, it's kind of an emergency, you're going to be pissed." I take a breath before she can even tell me what's going on.

"What is it?"

—-

"Israel—! Calm down! You're overreacting." I couldn't calm down, I was livid, like smoke was actually coming from my ears.

"No," I grumble lowly storming up into my apartment, She's one step closer to getting kicked out, I swear.

"Lai!" I shout busting through my front door, and there she was, Aaliyah wasn't lying. "You told her?!" Lai shouts at Aaliyah as she looks between the two of us.

"He's got to go." I shake my head pointing to the front door with my thumb. "Why?" She whines, but once I snap my head in her direction she shuts it up immediately.

"Why I need to go shorty?" He looks up at me as he sloppily lays on my couch with his feet on my coffee table.

"She already owes me rent for the last month, she's behind on her half of the utilities and on top of that, you have yo dirty ass feet on my coffee table—!" I scream almost out of breath.

"I think you need to watch who you talking to like that shorty." He sits up and my demeanor doesn't change one bit.

"Or what?" I hear a masculine voice behind me and see Justin walking into my apartment with Alex trailing behind him.

I feel relieve that I won't have to actually be the one getting locked up.

"Look at my fuckin' house—! Lai what the hell?! What happened?" She looks a little scared, like she doesn't want to even let out a peep.

"It got a little heated." She says barely above a whisper. "A little heated? There's plates and shit all thrown around—! I worked my ass off to get what I have and this is how you people do me?"

"You people?" Nick questions standing up as he walks towards me slowly. Alex steps in front of me causing him to stop in his tracks.

"You people, she said." Alex doesn't look intimidated in the slightest. He had her in height by about 5 inches.

"Y'all need to get out." I blurt and Lai looks as if her heart has been broken into a million pieces. "But-" "Out—! I didn't say it was permanently, for you." I glare at Nick who nods his head with a chuckle.