Sandcastles | Completed

17 | mixed messages

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Elijah Baker

I looked down at the body, then back up to Marc.

Then back down to the body.

"So....?"

He still looked agitated, "Why would she do this shit? What would make her do some like this?"

"Marc." I paused and closed my eyes, counting to 100 "You got a whole fuckin' wife and you won't stop cheating! That's what make her do some shit like this!"

Clearly, the counting didn't work.

Zion was in the corner trying to console Lauren. It wasn't going well at all so he looked in our direction, "Ion know what to say to her. You know I can't do the crying shit."

"I just...Call Christian. Ian in the mood for this."

"He told me to call you or ZI."

Zi sighed, "Ion know why he say that 'cause I got plans. You know that girl work inna place with Ken that stay flirting and shit? I'm finna try my luck."

"Maria?" I tried to remember, "You think that's flirting?"

"She asked if I had kids. What she wanna know for if she ain't tryna fuck with me?"

"Ion think that's flirting but you got it."

He laughed, "Yeah Ian taking no advice from nobody who stalked his girl at a sex party. Weird ass nigga."

I was about to respond but Marc interrupted, "Ain't no way y'all sitting here talking about bitches and sex parties while this woman dead on my living room floor."

The dead woman should've never been in the house in the first place, and this situation likely wouldn't have happened.

Marc was both bold as hell and stupid as hell to bring her over here. I guess he thought Lauren was going for what my mama put up with.

And now a lady was dead for no reason.

My eyes floated back to the corner to Lauren, "We all going to hell."

"Ain't no 'we'." Zi countered, "I was minding my business then I get dragged in some bullshit."

Story of my life.

I walked over to Lauren, sitting beside her on the floor. She laid her head on my shoulder, the tears dampening the shirt, "You gotta let this shit go Lau."

She nodded her head, but I knew she was just trying to get me to stop talking, so I kept talking, "What if Lani was witchu'? And you see Marc don't give a fuck. You gone kill everybody he cheat with?"

"She was in my house, Eli." The pain was evident in her voice, "My daughter lives here."

"Who brought her over here?"

Marc scoffed, "Aye shut up. You ain't no fuckin' marriage counselor. We gone work through it."

When I told my dad I'd help Lauren take everything from Marc, I meant that. She came in empty-handed, and he was the type to make her leave with nothing just to be a dick.

But she wouldn't even try to leave.

"Work through what?" I asked.

"Mind yo business bitch."

"Lauren." I started slowly, "Go pack some clothes or some, and let's go."

She didn't move her head from my shoulder, silently closing her eyes.