Linger

3.

"Baby wake up."

Maya shook Lakeith, waking him with a slight groan. His face twisted up before he opened his eyes, landing them over on the clock on his nightstand.

5:00am

"It's Saturday babe." His voice a low raspy mumble.

"Noooo, it's Friday and you need to get up or you're gonna be late to work. I already made you breakfast, you can eat it on your way there."

Maya caressed his patchy face.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Go get ready."

Lakeith closed his eyes as he stretched, reaching for Maya in the process. He pulled her back down in bed with him.

"What if we just ran away. Take all our shit that we need and just flee to like Mexico or something."

Maya laughed at him, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know nearly enough spanish, how we gonna work down there?"

"I don't know. We can figure something out..."

He flashed a big smile at her before getting out the bed and heading to the bathroom.

"Hurry up you got 45 minutes!"

"Oh shit!" Maya heard him run and barge through the bathroom door.

She shook her head at him before getting up to fix the bed up and clean anything else up that was out of place in the room.

30 minutes later

"Alright, I'll see you when I get off."

"Have a good day baby. Love you."

Maya gave him a quick kiss before pushing him out the door.

"Love you too."

As Lakeith made it in the car, Maya went to check the mailbox.

She grabbed the stack of envelopes and ad papers and shuffled through them as she made her way back up the stairs.

Medical insurance...

Electric bill...

Rent.

Maya made it inside and opened the envelope.

$1,968.62

"Ain't this about a BITCH!"

Maya threw the rest of the mail down and ran down the hall, making her way to the landlords apartment.

She knocked and waited for him to answer the door.

"Maya. What you here to complain about now?" He stood with a disinterested expression as he awaited her response.

"The rent. Why is it raised?" Frustration apparent in her tone as she shook the bill in the slumlords face.

"Because I need more money to keep this building up to par. You got a problem with that you-"

"What are you talking about!? You barely fix ANYTHING in this muthafucka!" Maya shook the rent bill in the air as she motioned around the building.

"You can pack your shit and go if you really have a problem!"

"Where the hell else will we go? We don't have anywhere else to go and we damn sure don't have the money to pay this. We still playing catch up-"

"It's not my fucking problem." The landlord slammed the door in Maya's face before she could get any more words out.