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Zurena looked from her to Pat, getting madder by the second. Her palms were sweating, and she was already on ten from Rico’s antics. Getting blown off by Forever in front of Pat was about to send her into a rage that would result in Forever lying on the floor with her shit leaking all over Pat’s house.

Pat’s raised brows and flat smile didn’t make anything better. He could obviously sense the tension and thought it was funny.

“Girl, just let me holla at you before shit gets ugly.”

Forever raised her head slowly, rolling her eyes the whole way. “See, that’s why I’m not talking to you now. You’re always coming at me wrong, expecting me to just take it, and I’m not.I’m tired of you. If you want to talk to me, then you will address me with some respect or not at all. I’m not some little ass girl that you’re about to keep bullying around. I’ve been nice to you for the sake of Zurich, but it’s really fuck you now. I don’t need another sister. I have my own.” Forever gave her a snotty look before blinking back down at her phone.

Zurena was shaking with fury by then, and if Pat hadn’t walked to her and ushered her back out of the front door, there was no telling what would have happened.

“Yeah, let her go cool off.”

She heard Forever say just before the front door closed. Unable to control herself, Zurena released a loud growl while balling her fists.

“Relax,” Pat sat his beer on the banister of his porch and grabbed both sides of her arms. “What’s wrong with you? Why you so mad?”

Overwhelmed with so many emotions at once, Zurena’s eyes watered again as she pulled away from him and began pacing the porch. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes to calm her breathing. The air was too warm to cool her off, but the fresh air did help her rising temper.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You good. Just relax.”

“I’m trying, but I can’t.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing.” Pat leaned against the bricks of his home with his arms folded over his chest and waited for her to get herself together.

Minutes ticked by before she was able to think clearly again. When she was okay enough to speak, she looked at him and smiled.

“I probably look like a raging bull, huh?”

“Raging? Yes, but a bull? Hell nah, never. Too pretty for that… more along the lines of a stallion. Hell, maybe even Beauty and the Beast,” he smiled, making her smile in return. “You’re a beauty for sho, but it’s a beast in there somewhere. I can see it.”

Zurena’s cheeks warmed as she fought the large smile threatening to surface. She didn’t want to be affected by his words, but they were so chill and seemed so genuine that she couldn’t help it.

“I’ll take that.”

“You should. It was a compliment. Now, tell me why you so mad with ole girl. She’s cool.”

Just when Zurena’s blood began to simmer, he had to go and bring the pretty sadity bitch back up. As much as she hated to feel like a hater, when it came to Forever, she just couldn’t help it. There was just something about her life being stuck in shambles while Forever walked around on the clouds that just made her want to beat her up. Wrong for sure, but she didn’t care.

“She just gets on my nerves so bad, always acting like she’s better than everybody else.”

“Everybody else or you? Because she doesn’t act that way with me, never have.” Pat grabbed his beer and took a sip from it.

The moisture resting on his juicy lips caught Zurena’s eyes, and she had to blink slowly to give herself time to look away.

“Not me, because she’s not better than me. Nobody is, but me and Blue are the same kind of people. She’s all over him twenty-four-seven, but when it comes to me, she always has an attitude. If she doesn’t like me, then she doesn’t like him either and I’m not going to let my brother get used by another bitch looking for a come up.”

“A come up? And you think that’s what she’s looking for?”

“I don’t know, but I know a girl like her doesn’t just want him for no reason.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing,” she fussed. “He’s just a felon with a record a mile long. He’s in a gang, and she’s a fucking lawyer. Tell me where the two correlate and I’ll lighten up on her.”

Pat’s gaze flowed past her head and out towards the streets where cars passed. She heard them but didn’t turn to look. The noise was enough to occupy her mind while she waited for Pat to say something. Even with her not knowing him well, she could tell by the look on his face that he was carefully preparing his next words.

“And you’ve said this to him?”