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Bridges and Goody’s voices had Forever raising her head. She bucked her eyes at Paradise, who only smirked in response.

“We cool. Just talking.” Blue tore his gaze away from Marcellus and looked at Goody. “Getting acquainted on some Forever shit. Your brother-in-law thought I was about to fuck around about my baby. Got her all nervous, scared I’ma knock his ass out.”

“Yeah,” Marcellus chuckled cockily. “Aight.”

“Oh my god, Zurich,” Forever sighed heavily while palming her forehead. “Please, let’s just go.”

“You ready or you really scared for cuz?”

“Alright fellas, that’s enough,” Bridges waltzed past Forever and Blue and took up the space in front of Marcellus. “Why are you even over here bothering her?” She tried to whisper, but of course they’d all heard her.

“Speaking.”

“And that was necessary?”

“Hell nah,” Blue answered for her, prompting Bridges to face him.

She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, but Forever shook her head, letting her know Blue wasn’t her concern. Furthermore, Blue might have been out of pocket for saying what he was saying, but he wasn’t wrong.

“Damn, I missed the fight?” Calvary’s playful voice garnered all their attention.

His gold smile shined in their direction as he chuckled loudly, playing entirely too much for such a tense situation, but Forever would be lying if she said she wasn’t grateful. With Blue being his homie and Marcellus being his brother, he was the only person right for the job. Jerrico would have been second due to his soothing nature, but soothing wouldn’t break up a fight like a trained prison guard would.

“Shut up, crazy ass. Ain’t nobody playing with you,” Goody chuckled along with him. “Don’t you see these folks about to fight?”

“Aight, aight. Y’all good?” Calvary stepped closer to the men and looked at them both. “If not, we can take it outside and let ya’ll too-cool-ass-niggas, box it out.”

“No need,” Marcellus’ chest widened in confidence as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.

“We good. Long as he doesn’t come at my baby on no more hurt shit, then I won’t let the glizzy out on, cuz.”

Forever wanted to call his name again, but chose not to. Her man was rightfully sticking up for her and him, so she’d let him do him. It wasn’t like Marcellus hadn’t asked for it. With enough of her nerve built back up, Forever turned away from the safety of Blue’s chest to face everyone else. When she did, her eyes landed on Bridges just as she was at the brink of snaking her neck.

“I can assure you that won’t happen.”

Forever’s arms crossed. “You sure?”

Fed up with her façade at keeping her husband under control when that was obviously not the case, Forever pulled Bridges’ card. They hadn’t necessarily had their moment, but Bridges had definitely indirectly tried her a few times. Goody’s baby shower had been hell on wheels for her and still lingered in her mind every time she saw the fake happy couple together. Never in her life had Forever ever felt that dumb, used, or small, and she owed Bridges for that.

With a raised brow and daunting scowl on her face, Bridges looked Forever up and down. “Positive.”

“Well, it’s a sad thing that you’re not the problem… he is. Marcellus? Is your wife sure that you’re going to leave me alone?”

With those same mysterious eyes that he always had on her, Marcellus peered at Forever with a look that silently proved Forever’s point. Even in that moment, he was too torn to take his wife’s side, unsure of how Forever would handle it. It was evident and noted more and more the longer he took to answer her.

“We ain’t waiting no more. This nigga sure.” Blue’s hand drifted down Forever’s chest and stopped once he had one side of her small hips gripped in his hand. “Let’s slide, Rabbit.”

“Marcellus, are you fucking kidding me?” Bridges could be heard before they even walked away.

All Forever could do was shake her head. After all the mess they’d been through, Marcellus was still clearly on his bullshit, and it made Forever happy that he’d chose Bridges over her. Had he not, she would have been in Bridges’ shoes and not her own. Hers felt much better. They were clicking across the floor next to a man who wanted her and only her and didn’t mind showing it to her or anyone else.

I’m on whatever you on

“You got to start acting right or ain’t nobody gon’ wanna hang with you. Nobody likes the girl that’s always starting shit,”Blue helped Jerrica hold her balance on his legs as he held a one-sided conversation with her. “Every time I’m around you, you showing your ass. That’s not cool, lil’ mama. I’m starting to not wanna fuck with you no more.”

Jerrica’s smiling face grew brighter as she slapped her wet hands on Blue’s face and squealed with laughter.

“It’s always funny until you at the schoolhouse fighting because ain’t nobody fucking with you.”