Page 152 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

She takes a huge bite of her shit then turns to me. “Sounds fun,” she says, her mouth full.

“You’re so gross,” I chuckle. She opens her mouth to show me more of the melting ice cream before choking it down.

“Did you plan for them to be out here?”

“Nah. I posted the lake and he hit me. Why?”

Snow shrugs. “You and Nut are like Ty and Reem, or Set and Turkey. I always thought a big reason you kept me a secret was because he wouldn’t approve.”

Scanning the area and seeing we’re still semi alone, I pull her into my chest. My arm rests across hers and I take another bite of my ice cream. “The Patrick back then wasn’t capable of liking anyone who had a pussy. He never approved of anyone I brought around him, and I never gave a fuck. I told you, Snow. You my most precious thing. And I was always taught to keep your precious things to yourself. Now, I gotta be different. If muthafuckas gon’ take us seriously, and if we gonna be serious, we gotta figure out how we fit with each other. And I guess… a good place to start with that is with him and Dal.”

“Why them?”

I finish off my treat and place the stick on the table before hugging her closer to me. “Because thirty-something year-old Patrick Rivera actually lets his second wife breathe and have a life without him. They relationship the healthiest one I know. So while I’ma keep you close regardless of how he feels, if he thinks we got a good thing going, that’s a good stamp to have.”

“You only think that because he’s your bestie,” Snow snorts. She gathers my trash and stands. “Newsflash; every single person you’re cool with is batshit crazy, which means the women they somehow snagged are also batshit crazy. And you can’t go five minutes without getting on my last nerve, so I doubt we’ll pass whatever test that asshole has for us. But I’ll go, just so I can beat him in air hockey. Just remember, I’m the one riding your dick at night, not Peanut.” She punctuates her point with a kiss on my cheek and switches off.

I make a note to bring in my backpack so I can take this fucking cock lock off. Her attitude be having me on brick and I’m over feeling trapped and still not getting no pussy anyway.

“So, you batshit crazy then?” I ask as I stand.

“Well, I am Lady Luney,” she grins before taking off toward the car, shrieking when I beat her to her door.

“Cute,” I huff, opening the door for her. She graces me with a peck before sliding in my whip, and I start to think the double date won’t be so bad.

And I’m right. Nutty gets his jokes off, but Snow gives it as good as she gets, keeping Dal and I entertained while we run through all the arcade games. After two hours, he’s high fiving her before pushing her after they beat me and Dal in the basketball shoot-out game, and I admit to myself that maybe, just a little bit, his approval of who I’m with matters.

Not only because my bro is as misanthropic as they come, but because of the time we rode out late at night to bring the girl he was stalking some food. And the other time, he sent me the social media profile of one of Brina’s friends, and asked me if I knew her in any way, shape, or form.

So yeah, seeing them actually get along makes me smile easier.

Until Snow pulls out her phone, and Nutty’s nosey ass looks at her screen. Whatever he sees makes him scowl at me, so I move closer.

“Where you at, Twin? I need you,” a familiar voice rings out from her phone. Snow lights up at her screen, giving this nigga an open mouth smile like I’m not standing right the fuck here.

So much for our good day.

“I’m out, Red. I’ll be back through there tomorrow–”

I snatch her phone from her and grill the muthafucka on the other line.

Tronzel Rhodes, a nigga with sticky fingers when it comes to cars, and whose familial ties to Tripp Rhodes is the only reason he’s not hanging from the Pakhan’s gate for that he and his lil’ crew did to his warehouse a few months back. Even if the First Nations smoothes it over with them, the lil’ nigga has a target on his back and is reckless as fuck, on top of him flirting with my woman any chance his young ass gets.

“On Baby, don’t use this fuckin’ number again,” I grit.

Red balls up his face before he cackles. “And who the fuck is you, cuz? Gotta be a Birch Bitch the way you acting like you something.”

“Yeah aight. I’ll send yo young ass back to yo brother in pieces. Ask about Luney.”

Red sits up in his seat. “Nigga, you’ll be pushing up daises by summertime. And you know what they say about a shoulder to cry on?” He winks at me before disconnecting the facetime, and only then do I realize I been blocking Snow with my back.

Turning around, I hand her the phone, and block her slap.

“Don’t be taking my fucking phone and talking crazy to my friends. I am not your bitch.”

“You defending a nigga that just said out loud he wanna fuck?” I get in her face, but she doesn’t back down. “But you like that shit huh? Just said you be fucking ya friends anyway.”

She tries to push me away, but I’m not budging.