Page 83 of When The Noise Stops

"You heard me. They're nice to me because I bring food and I don't use children like their chess pieces. They're not nice to you because you show up after three years and start acting like you have a fucking right to run your lipless mouth."

"Lila," Knox said, standing. I smiled at him like I was drunker than I was. I waved him off. "She needs to hear this."

Maggie stepped closer to the table.

"You don't know anything about me," she snapped.

"I know enough. You cheated. You took his daughter after he helped raise her. You came back when the new man got tired of paying. You got dumped by the child's sperm donor. You ran all over the man willing to be there for her, and you ran to a motherfucker who thought she wasn't worth the cost of living. You should be embarrassed, but you don't even have the decency to be less annoying," I picked up my cards. "Sit down or go inside."

Tiny muttered, "Jesus, Lila."

"What? Y'all been thinking it."

Maggie looked at her—at Knox.

"Are you going to let her talk to me like that in front of your friends?"

"Yes, he is. It's my mouth. How he gonna stop me from running it?" I asked, staring directly at her.

Maggie reached for the table like she might flip it. Tiny stood up. Hawk stood up. Knox took a step to block me.

"Say it again," Maggie said.

I leaned on my elbow.

"You're annoying. Your pussy is probably trash too."

She came around the table, lunging. I was ready. I stood, getting ready to throw up my set.

Tiny got to me first. He lifted me clean off my feet like I weighed nothing and walked me toward my back door while Maggie's voice followed us into the kitchen; she was calling me all types of bitches. Knox was yelling for her to go inside and not wake Gabby.

Tiny set me on my feet in my kitchen and shut the door.

"Why would you do that with her?"

I straightened.

I winked.

"Because y'all too polite to say it, and I know y'all really wanted to say it."

Tiny stared at me.

Then he laughed once, against his will, and shook his head.

"You're a menace."

"And I'm wonderful, as already established."

Chapter 35

Knox

Maggie followed me into the kitchen after Tiny shut Lila's door and the yard cleared out.

"You're really sleeping with her?"

"That's none of your business."