Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)(84)

“Understandable,” Lisa says. “Have you told any of them what you told me?”

“That I want out the set? Not yet.” I run my hand over my durag. “I gotta work my nerve up to that, Lisa. It’s gon’ cost me. I already owe King that money.”

“Yeah,” she mumbles. I told her everything. She the only friend I got left. “It’ll work out.”

“Fa’sho. I’m gon’ make sure it do.”

Lisa get a small smile. “Look at you, believing in yourself.”

“Well, you know.” I pop my collar.

Lisa crack up.

“I’m home!” Ma call from the living room. She come down the hall, taking her heels off. “Whew! My feet say, ‘Yes, Lord.’ How was the appointment?”

What she really mean is, “What y’all having?”

“Lisa won the bet,” I say.

“Yes, yes! I knew it!” Ma hug Lisa at the table. “I was scared we’d have to deal with three Mavericks.”

What the— “Ma!”

Lisa laugh. “Nope, baby girl is coming to the rescue.”

“Hallelujah!” Ma rub Lisa’s belly. “Grandma already bought you some of the cutest outfits, Pooh Bear.”

“Dang, Ma. She ain’t out the womb yet. Let us give her a name before you give her a nickname.”

“Hush, Stinka Butt.”

“Oh my God. Stinka Butt?” Lisa says.

“Ma, you said you’d stop using that name! C’mon!”

“You’ll be all right.” Ma step around me to get to Seven. He buck in his high chair, reaching for her. Ma scoop him up. “Do y’all have a name picked out yet?”

“No, ma’am. We were gonna name her Andre if she were a boy,” Lisa says. “We could name her Andrea, I guess.”

“You could, but we already have an Andreanna in the family,” Ma says. “Baby girl should have her own name. Something that’ll tell her who she is.”

“We could name her after me.” I cheese. “Mavericka.”

“What?” Ma says, and Lisa go, “Oh, heck no!”

“Dre named his daughter after him!”

“Andreanna is cute,” Lisa says. “Mavericka is a mess.”

“The biggest mess,” Ma adds. “Sounds like a damn spice.”

How they gon’ gang up on me? “Y’all some haters.”

Ma hand Seven over to me. “Keep telling yourself that. I’m gonna go take a bubble bath and drink a little something-something to wind down from the day I had. Those folks at the hotel almost made me lose my mind.”

“You not going to your other job?” I ask.

“Nope, I’m taking tonight off. I’m actually thinking of quitting altogether. With Moe moving in and bringing in more money, things won’t be as tight.”

I feel bad, man. Me and my son are the main reasons things get tight in the first place. My money looking funny again since I’m not slinging. Ma and Moe shouldn’t have to help take care of us.

“One day, I’ll get my own spot, Ma. That’ll make it easier for you and Moe.”

Ma set her hand on her hip. “Who said you have to move out? We’re making it work, aren’t we?”

“My son is my responsibility. So is my daughter. I’m gon’ get on my own two feet and take care of them.”

Ma cup one of my cheeks. “Focus on getting that GED and that landscaping certificate. We’ll worry about the other stuff later.” She kiss that same cheek. “Dre would be proud of you.”

It don’t hurt as much to hear stuff like that no more. I can actually smile.

Ma grab a bottle of wine outta the fridge and take it her toward her bedroom. “Night, y’all!”

“Don’t you need a glass?” I ask.

“Not after the day I had,” she calls. She close her bedroom door.

I shake my head. That wine gon’ have her knocked out.

I settle Seven in my lap. He watch Lisa every move as she eat. “Sooooo . . . where should we live?” I ask.

“What do you mean? You want some, Punkin?” Lisa put a little barbecue sauce on one of her fingers and hold it toward Seven. Boy grab it and put it in his mouth like it’s a rib.

“You heard me. I told Ma that I’m gon’ get us a place. I’m thinking we oughta get that mansion on a private island, with the elevators and the Bentleys.”

Lisa get a little more sauce on her finger and hold it toward Seven again. He open his mouth wide. She laughs. “Somebody likes barbecue. Who says we’ll be living together, Maverick?”

“I say so. I bet that one day, you’ll be Mrs. Carter.”

Lisa scoff. “Here you go, making bets. Didn’t you learn from the first one?”

“I got no doubt this time.”

“Umm, we’re not even a couple, sooo . . .” Lisa shrugs. “You have a ton of work to do to make that happen.”

“I’m up for the challenge. I got a plan.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. A wise, beautiful girl told me I oughta have one. Don’t tell her I complimented her. She’d let it go to her head.”