“What do you mean, you rented out the place to someone else?” I growl into the phone. I loved the home close to Faith and Titan’s. It was perfect and the rent was pretty reasonable, though to be honest I need to get out on my own. It’s time I get my life back on track from the hurricane five destruction—also known as Linda.

“Don’t you raise your voice to me, Black Lucas. I mean exactly what I said. I rented the place to a nice older couple who are moving here from Atlanta,” Mrs. Hill announces.

“But why? When we spoke yesterday after the walk through you all but promised me the place,” I ask, upset and frustrated. I was hoping to have a quiet dinner with Addie. We need to talk—and hopefully a lot more than that.

“I said if your references all panned out.”

“What? Are you saying they didn’t?”

“Like you didn’t know,” Mrs. Hill says making a clucking noise with her mouth that annoys me to no end.

“That’s just it, I don’t know. So why don’t you explain it to me. I don’t see how you couldn’t rent it to me. You’ve known me my whole life, Mrs. Hill. I’m a cop for Christ’s sake. It’s not like I’m going to bring drugs and parties into the house every night.”

“I realize we know each other and honestly I thought you were one of the good brothers of that clan.”

“Hold up, one of the good brothers?”

“Yeah. Lord knows the devil is going to come calling one day for that brother, Cyan, of yours and I’m not too sure about Gray, though he seems to have calmed down since he met that woman.”

“Are you telling me I didn’t get the place because of what you think about my family?” I ask, pissed as hell.

“Of course not. I’m not that type of person. You didn’t get the place because your last landlord said you left the place so bad he couldn’t rent it out. He’s in the middle of having to pay contractors to come fix it all.”

“My last landlord…”

I got a sick feeling in my gut. I hold my head down, and close my eyes.

“He was a very nice gentleman too. I can’t believe you left the place in such a mess.”

“Mrs. Hill I haven’t lived there in a year. My ex has. I was just there a few weeks ago and the place was fine.”

“Well, it’s not now. He sent me pictures. There’s holes in the wall, stains on the carpet and it looked like you let the bathtub overflow and water stand on the floor for days. Poor man has to replace all of it. I don’t know what kind of crazy parties you throw, but I refuse to let you do that to my home.”

“I haven’t been there to throw a damn party!” I growl.

“I will not have you talking to me like this!” she gasps.

“I—”

I stop because a dial tone rings in my ear.

My hand chokes up on the phone in anger and frustration.

“I don’t want your damn place anyway, you old biddy!” I growl to no one, hitting the button to turn the phone off and tossing it on the bed.

“What’s got your tits all twisted?”

I look up to see my mother standing in the doorway.

“I had the door closed for a reason, Mom.”

“My house, I can open any door I want.”

“Well, if I could manage to find another place to live that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“You really are Mr. Grumpy Drawers today aren’t you?”

“Linda’s at it again. Apparently she demolished my old apartment and because she was only sub-leasing and the original lease was in my name, I’m getting the fallout.”

“That woman needs a come to Jesus moment…or the broad side of a 2x4 to knock some sense into her head.”

“I think that’s a hopeless cause,” I mutter, falling back on the bed. I’ve barely been asleep and now I can feel a headache steadily building.

“Probably so. That gal was always one acorn short of a squirrel’s mouthful.”

“I don’t understand why I didn’t see it. I can’t understand why my tastes are so far off when it comes to women,” I moan—more to myself than my mother. I’m just disgusted with everything, the apartment, Linda, not being able to find Kong… but mostly myself. It’s clear that I can’t be trusted when it comes to women.

Mom sits down on the bed beside me, her hand on my leg and I sit back up. I almost feel like a kid again, but at least right now it’s not in a bad way. Mom brings comfort and I might be a grown man, but right now comfort is appreciated.

“It’s not your judgment that’s off, son.”

“Can’t prove that by Linda. She was clearly a bad choice.”

“Pfft… you didn’t even like Linda, your willy did.”

“Oh God, Mom.”

“Well, it’s true and you might as well own up to it. Men let their willies do the thinking way too often. Linda was what I like to call a cotton candy vacuum.”

“A what?”

“She opens her legs and sucks a man inside—”

“Christ, I can’t—”

“Don’t go getting shy on me. It’s true. She sucks a man inside and it’s all sweet and light, so good a man thinks he found heaven.”

“I may be an idiot, but I don’t think I ever thought I found heaven with Linda.”

“Well you might not have but the part that was in charge at the time did. There had to be a reason you kept her around, so are you going to be stupid enough now to deny it?”

“I guess not,” I answer feeling dejected.

“But you know what happens to cotton candy when you take it out and try to keep it.”

“I’m afraid to ask…”

“It dissolves into a shriveled mess that ants and other disgusting creatures infest.”

“Jesus…”

“Speaking of which, did you ever get your willy checked after your break-up with that she-wolf?”

“I was never with Linda without protection, Mom.”

“Some of that shit can eat through whatever it is you cover your crayon with boy.”

“I got checked too, after I found out she was screwing my captain. My crayon is fine… just inherently stupid.”

“Good to know—”

Before she can go off on another of her tangents the phone rings.

“Saved by the bell,” I joke.

“Smart ass. I never spanked you enough as a kid.”

“Hello,” I answer, laughing at Mom.

“Hey Black,” Addie says into the phone. My heart kicks against my chest. God I love her voice. She makes my palms sweaty and my heart race like I was a young kid. Right now, however, I feel panic. The conversation with Mom and Mrs. Hill comes back to me all at once and it feels like my skin is itching everywhere. What if I’m just letting my dick think for me again? I’ve got so much trouble coming at me from Linda, I really can’t afford to be wrong with Addie…

“Hey, Addie. How are you?”

“I’m good. I was wondering if we’re still on for tonight?”

Shit. I was hoping to take Addie to my new apartment. That’s clearly not going to happen, but now I’m worried. I need to think about this before I make another mistake…

“I’m sorry Addie, I was just about to call you,” I lie. “I got called into work tonight.”

“What? I thought Luka gave you the night—”

“He was going to, but Daniel got sick and couldn’t fill in. So I’m going to be busy.”

“Oh… Well maybe I could meet you for dinner again?” she asks.

Guilt hits me, as well as indecision. My mother is standing now, looking down at me with a disgusted look on her face.

“I probably shouldn’t tonight. I have a lot of paperwork to get through and things.”

“Oh… Okay then,” she says, sounding unsure.

Inside my head is screaming at me to stop pulling away, to stop sending Addie mixed signals and just admit what’s going through my head.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Addie I promise,” I tell her. If I take today to get my head straight, then I’ll know what to do about Addie… I just need another day to think.

“Only if you want to. Goodbye, Black,” she says and that sounds way too final. Panic of another sort hits me.

“Addie—” It’s too late because she’s disconnected.

“I swear I think you have shit for brains, Black Horn,” Mom tells me as I put the phone down.

“I just—”

“You’re just fucking up. I swear I thought I raised smarter boys but each one of you just seems to get dumber and dumber when it comes to women. Lord only knows the hell I’m going to face by the time Blue pulls his head out of his ass when it comes to Meadow. I thought you might have at least been a little smarter by this time. Do you care for Orchid or not?”

“Her name is Addie.”

“Don’t get smart with me, Black Horn. It might take some work, but I could manage to spank that ass of yours raw and not in the kinky way your brother seems to enjoy while thinking I don’t know a thing about it.”

“Uh—”

“I didn’t stutter. Do you like my Orchid or not?”

“Well yeah, but what if—”

“There’s no what if, son. If you like her, you have only one decision.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“You are going to have to shit or get off the pot,” she says matter-of-factly.

We stare at each other for a few minutes. I rub the back of my neck at the tension I feel there. Mom finally shakes her head at me, clearly disgusted and walks out of the room.

I fall back on the bed, feeling just as disgusted.

Mom’s right in her oh so eloquent way. I’m either going to have to go all in, or walk away…