and second, the door was unlocked, so we didn’t break into it, just opened the door.”
“Yeah,” Brisa says then asks, “Now, let’s talk about the girl who didn’t want to come with us or drive your Jeep home. Savvy? What’s the deal with her?”
I watch his reaction in the mirror as I try to stretch out Brisa’s shirt that I slid on after Patrick asked why I was in a soaked sweatshirt. She’s got perfect Bs where I have a real full C.
“She’s cool as fuck, like you two.”
“Ew.” Brisa laughs as she slows to a stop.
“What’s ‘ew’ about that?” Patrick leans forward and ruffles her hair.
She bats his hand away. “You compared a girl you’re trying to bang to your cousins.”
“The fuck, Brisa!” He actually sounds offended. “Told you she’s cool. Not trying to tap it.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Right, because why bang a girl you actually like?”
“Exactly,” he replies as if it makes any sort of sense at all.
Brisa and I both laugh.
He leans forward between the seats. “Not trying to encourage either of you to lose the V-card, but—”
“Who says we haven’t?” Brisa huffs as I point left for her to turn.
He laughs. “No guy in their right mind is going to fuck any of you unless he plans to put a ring on it. Trust me.”
I point my finger in his face. “You know how wrong that is?”
He flops back and scrubs his hand up his face. “No different than your father letting you stay out later because I’m with you, T. Girls are different. You get in your feels, and then some stupid fuck would hurt you because controlling your dick as a young man is a serious problem. Like taking a shot of mental health issues followed by a chaser of physical need.”
“But instead of your brains being out of whack, it’s your balls.”
He smiles. “See? You get it.”
“No, you dumbass, I was mocking you.”
“Not dumb, T. Just a reality. You know how many women our fathers had before finding our moms?”
“Again, ew.” Brisa crinkles up her nose.
“You don’t fuck a girl who wants you to love them unless you want it, too. It’s that simple.”
“Well, maybe love a girl before you fuck her,” I suggest sarcastically.
“Wasted youth,” he sighs.
“So, if we’re still virgins, then we’re wasting our youth?” Brisa huffs as she pulls into a parking lot where a few cars are parked.
Patrick leans forward. “You stick to bean flicking and electronic toothbrushes.”
“What!” I gasp as Brisa puts the vehicle in park.
“Rather you waste batteries than some punk’s life.” He shrugs then pops a kiss to my cheek.
Turning off the Rover, Brisa looks back at him in disgust. “What does that even mean?”
“As blood, it is my responsibility to mess someone up if they fuck with your head or heart. As crew, I got a body to hide.” He leans back and opens his door. “Now, let’s roll.”
With my “golden ticket,” aka QR code and cash in hand, Brisa and I both hop out.
“You do know that any doubt that we can take care of ourselves should be washed away by tonight’s happenings,” I call from behind Patrick.
“Yeah, and we saved your drunk-ass tonight,” Brisa agrees.
He looks back. “And you will again, ’cause that’s how we do.”
“That’s how we do.” Brisa laughs at his choice of words.
“Damn right, it is.”
After hurrying to catch up to Patrick, I see he’s leading us to a guy who’s stepping out of a car.
“Sup, Tiggs,” Patrick says, giving him some bro handshake.
A guy in his twenties, covered in ink—Tiggs—asks him, “You in tonight or spectating?”
“Told you all, this face is too pretty to be used as a punching bag.”
Apparently, Patrick knows way more than he’s been letting on about The Sound announcements.
“JT ever gonna play?” he asks, referring to my freaking brother and I assume fighting.
Now I’m annoyed, very freaking annoyed.
I step toward Tiggs and show him my phone. He looks at me and shakes his head. “Newbie, huh?” I narrow my eyes at him, and he shrugs. “I don’t make the rules.”
“This is JT’s sister and our cousin; they’re cool,” Patrick tells him.
Tiggs raises a shoulder. “Still gotta do me, you know. One of you is paid for, only two of you have access.”
“She’s chill, man,” Patrick assures Tiggs about Brisa being here.
Tiggs looks him over. “She runs her mouth, it’s on you.”
“I don’t run my mouth,” Brisa huffs.
“Okay, okay.” Tiggs holds up his hands. “So, she’s got a receipt; you two gotta buck up.”
Patrick