Free Riss by Kathi S. Barton

have ghosts, and you’re not living with me.” She was putting the cornbread on the plate when he moved closer to her. “What are you doing?”
    “ Look, this is just stupid. Let me show you what a big help I can be. You’re going to have to let me stay with you until we can work something out anyway. I’ve already got my things in the car, and once I take Mom’s car back to her we’ll sit down and think this through.” Dan took the plate from her. “Man, this smells really good. And I love cornbread. If you keep cooking like this, I might have to wear my jammies around here just to not have to unbutton my pants after every meal.”
    Kala stood there staring at him for several seconds. He , however, just simply sat down and dished himself up a bowl of chili and half the cornbread. When he asked her where his drink was, she gave him another glass and the water she had chilled before she could think to tell him to get it himself. She sat down across from him and glared. He really thought she was just going to roll over and let him do as he wanted. Well, not today , she thought.
    “ There will be no talking this over. I’m not going to support you, and there is no way you’re going to move your things in here until you have someplace to live. You will not be bringing your things here either.” He nodded and smiled at her, and she had a feeling that he was humoring her. “I’m dead serious. I have to find me a place to live and a job. I will not have you living here with me. Nor in the new place. I like you, but I won’t let you move in.”
    “ Yeah, you will.” She got up to pace as he finished off the food she’d hoped to share with a good friend. This was out of hand. “What mix do you use for this bread? This is amazing.”
    “ I don’t use a mix. What do you plan to do tonight for a place to sleep?” He looked at her couch and nodded toward it. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not living here. How many times do I have to say that to you before it sinks into your thick head? I’m not your maid, and I’m certainly not your mom.”
    When he leaned back , she thought he was going to argue with her, but he pulled out a gun and laid it on the table. He didn’t say a word as he picked up his spoon and continued eating as if he hadn’t just threatened her. Kala stared at it for several seconds before it dawned on her that he would get his way or he’d kill her. This was a nightmare.
    “ Sit down, Kala, and eat. We’ll talk about this while you finish your meal. You’ll need to get out tomorrow to get a job and a place for us to stay. I don’t know how much longer you have to live here, but I would think it’s not long beings how you’ve already packed up our things.” She shook her head, and he nodded to the chair. “If you don’t sit down, you’re going to piss me off. And I’m in no mood to fuck around with you tonight. Mother is mad enough at me. And now that you’ve tried to ruin my good dinner, we’ll just eat quietly for the rest of this meal. I don’t like arguing with anyone. It gives me a headache.”
    Fear made her sit down , and she thought if she had to put one bite of food in her mouth she’d puke. There was no way she was going to let him stay there. Kala had a sudden thought. “Did you kill your mother because she asked you to move out?”
    “ What kind of person do you take me for? I would never shoot my own momma. I’d hit her a few times when she deserved it, but I’d never kill her.” He took another hunk of cornbread and shoved it in his mouth. He continued talking around his food as it spilled from his lips. “Now you, on the other hand, I just hit a little. It’s only fair, I think. It’s not really right of you to save all that money up and not let me have a bit of it. Especially how we feel about each other. And now I find out you’re looking for a new place and you’re not planning to share that with me either. After all I’ve done for you. And the love