37. Endings or new beginnings?

Mateo walked into Jessica's as she sat pumping breast milk, with what looked like to be a sleeping Kaiden in the bassinet beside her.

She looked his way speaking as he spoke back walking into the living room. He took a seat as he sighed, his eyes focused on the TV that she was focused on before getting straight to it. "I talked to X today."

Him saying that automatically reminded her that she never told him about their interaction. "I never got to tell you how I ran into him." She stated with ease. He nodded his head, already well aware. "Yeah, he told me though."

Jessica roller her eyes, "and what did he tell you?"

"He told me he apologized, explained some bullshit with your sister."

"Exactly, straight bullshit." She rolled her eyes as she responded. "But the question is, why didn't I hear it from you? Why did I hear it from him that the two of you ran into each other?" Mateo questioned.

She sighed, annoyed that he clearly felt a way about hearing it from X. "I planned on telling you that night you came in here with a pissy attitude. But since we really didn't talk it slipped my mind."

He nodded as he brought his hand to his chin. "You're not seriously upset about that?" She questioned as she turned off her breast pump, removing the flanges from her chest and looking at how much milk she had pumped.

He shook his head no, "just crazy as hell that I'm basically staying with you and I hear it from him." She rolled her eyes as she got up to transfer the milk from the bottles into a bag. "It wasn't purposeful Mateo."

He didn't respond as she finished up what she was doing and then turned around to face him. She crossed her arms as he kept his eyes placed on his phone. She walked towards him, "Mateo!"

He didn't move his head, but just his eyes to look at her for a split second as he waited for her to talk. She sighed as she took a seat. "I feel like we been at each other's neck, like what's up?" She questioned.

He locked his phone as he shook his head, "nothing, I'm good. What's up with you? You been at my neck." He stated with his eyes truly focused on her now.

She rolled her eyes not liking his response, but realizing it had some slight truth to it. Today was the only day he had came at her and it was with valid reasoning. She was going to blame it on her hormones, she just had a baby not too long ago. A lot was changing. "I haven't been at your neck."

He laughed, "or you just try to make anything an argument."

"I do not!" She argued back. He shook his head deciding not to say anything before it really turned into an argument.

She leaned back as she crossed her arms, her eyes on him. "To be real, I feel like you've been acting different as hell lately. Like you have this vibe that I'm not feeling. So if it seems like I've been at your neck I'm sorry. I'm just trying to understand what's up with you and you make that hard to do when you close me off."

He sighed, "it's just been a lot going on that I'm dealing with."

"See, you're closing me off." She let out.

"Because I don't want to talk about it? When I'm ready to talk about it I will."

"Then say that!" She said louder than she meant to.

"I have," he let out with a much calmer tone. "We're still learning each other and sometimes I don't like to talk about things that upset me until I feel like I'm okay to talk about it without becoming super angry about it."

"And how long does that take Mateo? It's been days, like I get it. But leaving me in the dark and acting a way is —"

"I'm not acting a way!" He cut in, "you feel like I'm acting a way because I never told you what happened and you want to know."

She rolled her eyes, "alright Mateo, whatever." She got up heading towards the stairs as he lightly chuckled and stood up. "And then this is what you do when you don't like what I'm saying, storm away or find some way to avoid me. You don't know how to communicate if it's not what you want to hear."

She stopped in her tracks turning around. She pointed at herself, "I don't know how to communicate?" She laughed. "I'm the only fucking one trying to communicate!"

"Are you? Cause you failed to mention your conversation with Xavier."

She laughed, "and I just told you why! Are you serious right now?"

He sat down, "yeah! Cause your reason is straight bullshit, cause we weren't talking? That's not the case, you decided you didn't want to talk to me because of that bullshit. How fucking stupid do I look finding out from X that you two talked?"

"How was I supposed to know you were about kumbaya with that nigga?"

"It doesn't matter Jessica! You should have put your pride aside and told me."

She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, "you're making a bigger deal about this than it really is. It wasn't that serious."

"Just like you're making a big deal about me not wanting to talk about shit going on with me. It isn't that fucking serious."

She crossed her arms, "is that your point? Is that why you're doing this?"

"Doing what Jessica?" He yelled louder than intended, but he was getting frustrated with her Kaiden started to stir as he started crying. Jessica walked over towards him as she stuck the pacifier in his mouth catching him before he woke up fully. He settled down as he easily went back to sleeping.

She looked back over at Mateo as she saw his back, he had got up and was walking towards the door. "Oh so you're leaving now? Like you just didn't get here. Storming away like you claim I do."

He slightly chuckled before turning around, she was trying to be a smart ass he could hear it in her tone. He turned to look at her. "Yeah Jessica, I'm leaving. This shit is stupid and I don't want to continue to argue with you. I'm going to go clear my head and hope that when I come back we can find some common ground. But right now, it's clear that isn't going to happen."

Jessica just stood there looking at him, she wanted to be petty so bad but there wasn't much she could really say to what he had just said. He gave her a moment, but after realizing that she clearly wasn't going to say anything he walked out.

—

Sofia took a sip of her drink as she sat across from her cousin Marie who once again called herself talking some sense into Sofia. Sofia rolled her eyes before zoning back in on Marie, she had been tuning her out, questioning why she even agreed to get lunch with her knowing Marie and her had a difference of opinions when it came to her lifestyle.

"All I'm saying is, you can stay with me temporarily and since you don't want to work at my store you can work at Uncle Luis' restaurant."

Sofia scrunched her face up, "ew, no. I would work at your store before I work at a restaurant. What do I look like? That's a super downgrade."

Marie rolled her eyes, "and downgrading is something that you have to do right now."

"Why is this all you ever want to talk about?" Sofia questioned with attitude and she stirred her pasta up. "It's not." She responded, "but you're always bringing up some shit about how you are still dependent on a man and I want you to be good without one. My bad for wanting you to get on your own two feet."

"Besides," she continued. "Unless you find you another man with some money and quick, you're going to be ass out. X isn't checking for you like that, you've made that clear."

Sofia rolled her eyes, she knew her cousin was right. She couldn't continue to ride X's coattail, and Mateo had knocked her off his a while ago. She just wished she would have at least got an official apartment before she did something so dumb, she was sure there was no way he was going to pay her rent up now. She sighed thinking about it.

"Wait," she said aloud but was mainly talking to herself. She pulled out her phone remembering X telling her about a reality show gig, the message had came after the big blow up with Mateo so she didn't think anything of it at the time nor did he mention it again. She knew that it would at least start at a pay she was willing to work with.

"What?" Marie questioned as she took a bite out of her food. Sofia shook her head as she pulled out her phone sending X a quick message, hoping it wasn't too late for the show. She didn't even know what the show was but nor did she care. She needed money, and she needed it soon.

He quickly texted back letting her know they had already found the cast but she could go on as one of the cast members friends and probably get a couple of checks off of that if she brought some type of drama. That she didn't mind, it was all fake anyways.

She texted him back as Marie sat across from her curious about what was taking place. Sounds good, what show?

He quickly texted her back. Love and Hip Hop. They're starting a new one in this city.

She smiled knowing this could really be a good opportunity for her. "What are you smiling about?" Marie questioned as a small smile formed on her face.

"Just might have me a little gig that can bring me in some money that doesn't involve a man." Marie smiled wider, "I love the sound of that."