Free My Married Boyfriend by Cydney Rax

white bow. A cute floral hat topped her braided hair.
    â€œDada,” Hayley shrieked.
    Rashad couldn’t believe his eyes.
    He rushed to lift his daughter from Alexis’s hip and gave the girl a kiss.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    Rashad set her down and Myles led Hayley to the corner of the room; she eagerly watched him while he showed her his video game.
    â€œIt’s your turn to watch Hayley,” Alexis replied. “Remember, you said that starting this year, you’d want to keep her during part of the Thanksgiving holiday. I guess you were so busy, you must’ve forgotten.” Alexis casually strolled through the living room, checking out the furniture and decorations. She openly leered at an empty wedding photo album displayed on the coffee table. Then she noticed a large canvas painting on the wall; it was a sketch of a lion, a lioness, and a baby cub snuggling together in the grass.
    Someone had taken a black marker and written “Nicole” under the lioness and “Rashad” under the lion. “TBD” was scrawled next to the cub.
    â€œHow utterly tacky,” Alexis said with a laugh. “What’s all that about?”
    â€œIt’s about me and my man’s business,” Nicole answered as she quietly appeared in the room. “And I suggest you mind your own.”
    â€œActually, what’s in this room is my business. Rashad is supposed to hang out with Hayley,” Alexis explained.
    â€œHow’d you know where I live?” Nicole demanded.
    â€œThat’s between me and Rashad.”
    Nicole quickly eyed the children and suggested that Myles take Hayley to his room. When the kids were out of hearing range, Nicole addressed Alexis. “When it comes to a chick rolling up into my house uninvited, you are treading on dangerous territory.” She left the room and soon returned, waving a forty-caliber like it was a flag.
    â€œFirst thing someone told me to do when I moved to Texas was buy a gun.”
    â€œNicky, what the hell are you doing?” Rashad asked. “Why do you have that?”
    â€œDon’t worry, it’s just for show. But if I have to use it, I will.”
    â€œYou don’t have that gun for show,” Alexis replied. “There are only two reasons people obtain a gun: to kill an animal or to kill a human being.”
    â€œGuess which one you are.”
    â€œNicole, one thing people should have schooled you on about Texas,” Alexis said in anger, “is that you cannot wave or point weapons at anybody. Not jokingly. Not even for show. You’re about to catch a case.”
    â€œAnd you’re asking for trouble rolling up at me and my man’s place unannounced, especially when everyone knows you and I have had beefs. I don’t care if you do have a kid together. It’s all about respect.”
    â€œ You want respect?” Alexis set her purse down on the couch.
    Nicole lowered the gun to her side. “I know how to get respect.”
    â€œCrazy-ass woman. Put that thing away. Don’t play like that.”
    â€œI’m not playing,” Nicole said. “Trust me.”
    â€œI’m not bothered,” Alexis replied. “Trust me.”
    â€œWait, hold up you two,” Rashad said, stepping in between them. “We need to seriously sit down and talk. We have kids; kids that I love, with more on the way. I-I blame myself for not handling my business like a man. And I apologize, Alexis. I did forget about the visitation.”
    â€œI guess this is another thing that comes with the territory?” Nicole said to Rashad mournfully. She loved him so much and was afraid of anything that could come between them.
    â€œYou already know I have a daughter and I’m serious about having a relationship with her.”
    â€œYeah, you’ve told me,” Nicole admitted woefully.
    Rashad wished there wasn’t so much conflict regarding the women and