When Bryce left the room, I already knew he was on his way to grab his prized possession: theBook of Barely Legal Cabin Laws and Other Power-Stripping Nonsense. It was practically his personal Declaration of Independence, filled with rules he swore were “vital for survival.” A necessity? Yeah. But all I wanted to do was relax.
Hell, I was already well-versed in all those so-called survival regulations, anyway.
But, of course, Isis had to go and open her mouth with yet another one of her infamous, “But what if I wanna plug in my flat iron during an avalanche?” type questions. It felt like I was trapped in a never-ending staff meeting at work, and we were two seconds from wrapping up when thatone personraisedtheir hand just to ask something that restarts the whole damn slideshow.
“You could’ve just asked if it’s okay to exist, boo,” I said, looking at Isis sideways. “Now we gotta sit through another lecture… and this one’s probably gonna have charts and visuals.”
“Sorry! But I was curious! And I can afford to be confused! Besides, I’m too pretty to freeze to death in a clearance-sale puffer coat!” she shot back, tossing her hair dramatically for emphasis.
I tilted my head to the ceiling and whispered a prayer.
“Lord… please put the mute button on your daughter before I end up a suspect in a cabin crime scene.”
Outside, the howling wind whipped around the cabin, providing a welcome distraction that silenced even Isis for a glorious three minutes.
Three. Beautiful. Minutes.
The moment Bryce returned to the living room,he came to a sudden halt in the center of the room. With a flourish, he slapped a folded notebook onto the coffee table as if he were about to address a SWAT team or prep a flight crew—definitely not just two mildly inconvenienced, overreacting Black folks stuck in a luxury cabin that had only been powerless for five minutes.
Oh, and me—the one who actually possessed some common sense.
“RuleCall,” he declared, his voice booming. “Everybody listen up.”
I was nestled on the couch, clutching a cozy throw blanket like a protective shield. Isis sat in the armchair by the window, wrapped in a fuzzy robe, her attitude as loud as the fabric she wore. Adrian lounged on the sectional, hoodie pulled snug around his head, eyes glued to his phone, thumbs tapping at lightning speed, probably sending an SOS message to his babymamas, his weed man, and his boss all at once about being trapped in the mountains with no service and even less patience.
Neither Adrian nor Isis seemed particularly interested in Bryce’s address.
“I said, eyes up, phones down, and mouths shut unless you’re raising your hand!” Bryce barked, channeling a boot camp instructor who hadn’t had sleep or sex in days.
Everyone gave Bryce their undivided attention, like he was Moses with a tablet of commandments.
Adrian sat up halfway, clearly offended yet not brave enough to go full mutiny. “Bruh… this ain’t no third-grade classroom.”
“Then stop acting like the nigga who got held back twice.” Bryce’s retort was instant, insensitive, and unapologetic.
Bryce cracked his neck and slowly opened the notebook, each page flip sounding more judgmental than the last.
“Aight, since we don’t know how long we’ll be snowed in, we gotta operate like this cabin is Noah’s Ark… except some of y’all wouldn’t have made the cut.”
Adrian sneered. “What the hell does that mean?”
Bryce shot him a glare so fierce that even Isis slid her phone in her pocket.
“It means shut up and learn something, nigga. Damn, let me finish.”
I crossed my arms, half amused and lowkey turned on. That man was undeniably bossy… and undeniably fine.
Bryce cleared his throat, preparing to deliver the survival rules like a judge handing down a life sentence.
“So, here are the rules… which, by the way, are non-negotiable andnoexceptions. This isn’t a democracy; it’s a ‘do what I say or get frostbit’ situation.”
He paused, glancing around the room. His eyes lingered just long enough on Adrian and Isis to let the shade marinate.
“Now, before I even start, if you’re one of those people who think you know everything... or you get an attitude anytime someone tells you what to do, I willpersonallyescort you outside right now with just you, your pride, a flashlight, a thin-ass throw blanket, and a half-dead phone. Good luck out there, survivalist. I hope you downloaded the app.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.“Then you can go chill with the trees, argue with the cold, and explain to the blizzard why you’re too important for rules.”
I sipped my coffee. Adrian let out a soft cough, probably to avoid saying what he really wanted to say but knew better than to attempt to. Then there was Isis, who had her arms crossed tighter than her last relationship, probably realizing that wasn’t going to be no‘live, laugh, love’getaway… more like“survive, shut up, and stop being stupid.”
Bryce nodded, clearly satisfied with the fear and hushed tension now hovering in the room.
