Page 59 of Love U Down II

“He’s been drinking again,” she offered. “And I don’t mean two beers after work or something. He’s been seriously drinking and gambling, Myome, and it’s getting hard to navigate things with him.”

“So, what? You’re thinking about divorce?”

“No!” she said quickly. “Of course not! I just… I was hoping we could maybe have a loan while we figure things out.”

“A loan?” I repeated.

“Just for a few months. His gambling has put us behind on the mortgage and you know how he is when he drinks. He won’t listen to reason. Even when he agrees to a limit when he’s sober, he just forgets about that once he’s drunk.”

My mom even having to ask me for money was insane. She and my father had been doing well financially my entire life. If she’d sat back and let my father run through all of their savings, she was just as dumb as he was.

“And you think he’s going to pay me back?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Well, I don’t and I don’t feel comfortable loaning money I can’t afford to lose to someone with an addiction.”

“Myome, you’re not hard up for money. I’ve seen your music doing well from that little group and your husband is everywhere these days. He was just on television showing off some headphones.”

“Yeah and my husband is also starting a record label which takes money to run and function. I’m also not performing currently and my old label is getting a percentage of everything I touch, so the money coming into our home is doing so because of Drix’s back catalog.”

“But you’re married, so his money is your money.”

“Except it’s not when he’s the only one working really and I don’t feel comfortable taking money from his account for people who told me to divorce him and just tried to make it seem like he was cheating on me and lying to me about the paternity of a baby like an hour ago.” I forced a little laugh. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. I bet you are.” She scoffed. “After everything we’ve done for you and your brothers and you can’t loan us a measly little seven grand?”

“Seven grand?” I repeated. “Girl, I wouldn’t give y’all seven thousand pennies right about now. Why don’t you ask Zamir and Major for the money?”

“We have!” she answered quickly.

“And they said no?”

“Major has a baby on the way and Zamir…”

“Said no?” I pressed.

“He said he’d think about it.”

“Well, I hope that works out for you.” I turned toward the waitress as she walked my card and the receipt back. “Thank you.” I shoved them in my purse and pushed my chair back.

“Myome!” my mother hissed, leaning in and grabbing my hand.

I jerked my head back and looked at her like she was stupid. My free hand twitched. I knew for a fact that if this woman hadn’t birthed me I would have already gone across her head.

“Let go,” I warned.

“Your father and I are four months behind on the mortgage, so legally they can start working on foreclosure and…”

My brain drowned her out. Four months.

That meant when we’d all gotten together and played happy family, they were already behind on their bills.

They were playing the long game and getting ready to use me. I should have known better than to think my parents would actually want to be a part of me and Drix’s life. They never cared about anything I’d had going on before. Of course they didn’t give a fuck about my marriage or music unless it was beneficial to them. I scoffed at the realization and leaned into her.

“I’m not giving you the money,” I reiterated. “And if you don’t let go of me, I’m not only going to cause a fucking scene in here, I’m going to start swinging.”

“Excuse me?”