Page 116 of Stay Dangerous

“Don’t be too put out, Fredo. I still love you, even if you love Auty more now.” I winked at him and stood to gather my purse.

He stood too, and pulled me to him. “Promise me if you need me you’ll call.”

“I won’t need you, Fredo.” I squeezed him tight before I walked out of the section with more confidence that I felt, right into the bathroom.

It was empty, thank God. I wasted no time getting to a stall. I needed another bump.

Fuck him.Fuck him.

How foolish was I to think I ever meant something to Rico, after all the times he showed me otherwise.

He never fucked a girl he knew I was cool with. They were the only girls he turned down, granted, but still. He never crossed that line.

I thought it was because he cared.

I thought that meant that even though we weren’t shit to each other now, once upon a time, we were everything. And he honored that.

Clearly not.

Every woman knew if your ex’s friends tried to get at you, that means he either gave the go ahead, or you overestimated your place in their life. Rico was secretive before, but after they took over the Birch, all of them were thick as thieves.

He would have told him. If it mattered.

And yet, I’d been tucked beside Set the whole night.

I dipped my nail into the baggie and gave myself two more bumps. If there was enough room, I’d do a line, but alas.

Besides, I didn’t wanna be too blitzed.

I was fucking Set that night.

I checked my makeup and when I saw I was good, I left the bathroom. Set saw me and dapped everyone up before throwing an arm around my shoulder and leading me out of Paradise.

“You good to drive?” he crooned.

“I don’t have no license, boy,” I chuckled.

“Just don’t get on the freeways. I know yo ass can drive. G-Pops taught all of us before like ten.”

He handed me the keys before opening the driver side for me. I was happy I did do a little pick me up, because my nerves were acting up bad.

I knew I needed to get my license, but I hated driving. I really hated being in cars, period, after that whole ordeal, but I kept myself from thinking about that.

“Where are we going?” I asked as I adjusted the mirrors for myself.

“I moved back home a few weeks back, so we can go there. It’ll give me time to sober up, too.” He chuckled to himself as he entered the address into the GPS. Without the freeways, it was over a forty-minute drive, so he settled in, while I prayed we made it in one piece.

By the time I finally crawled into the long driveway, Set was snoring loud as hell, and my knuckles were white.

I didn’t know if it was the car stopping or his snoring, but Set jumped up, hand on his gun.

“We’re here, fool,” I grumbled, taking off my seatbelt.

“Rude ass.” He followed suit, and I had to hold his drunk ass up to put the code in to go inside.

The house was new, like it still smelled like paint. My heels clacked across the marble floors as he led me deeper inside, until we got to his room.

It was sparsely decorated, with just a huge bed, a dresser, and a tv as big as I was. We stumbled in, and I dropped him into his bed.