Page 101 of K.I.N.: Karma Is Near

“Give me my child before you disappear with her.”

“Fine.”

I handed Carter back.

That’s when I noticed Xay.

All the way across the fucking room.

In the corner.

By himself.

I stared at him.

Really?

I grabbed my plate off the table where I’d left it and walked across the room.

“What?” he asked before I even said anything.

“Nigga, the least you could do is congratulate Heather.”

“I am.”

“When?”

He looked at me.

“You been standing over here in the corner acting mad fucking rude and standoffish.”

“What the fuck you want me to do, Sam? Dance for her like a court jester?”

I stared at him.

“Nobody asked you to dance, stupid. I want you to be respectable. That’s it. Heather is my cousin.”

“I know who Heather is.”

“Then act like it.”

He looked across the room.

Heather was surrounded by people.

“Look. When she get free—” he pointed toward her, “—I’ll go talk to her. Aight?”

“Whatever, nigga.”

I turned around.

I wasn’t about to spend Heather’s baby shower arguing with his miserable ass.

A few minutes later, I was back by the food because whoever made those little cheeseburger sliders deserved their ass ate.

I put two more on my plate.

“You clean up nice, Sam.”