Bryce set his coffee down. That mug hit the counter with a thud that felt like a warning shot.
He stepped close to Adrian, enclosing the space between them like a storm cloud rolling in.
“Nigga, when it comes to this one,” he said, pointing directly at me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine, “I’ll insert myself, protect myself, lose myself, and resurrect my damn self behind her. You breathing don’t make you relevant or her nigga; that just makes you hermistake.”
Bryce’s jaw flexed like he dared Adrian to respond... and of course, Adrian took the bait.
“A mistake just like you, huh?”
Oh…thatwas a low blow.
The words hung in the air, sharp and bitter.
Bryce’s face shifted.
The humor left… his hands curled… and his jaw ticked so hard I swear I heard it crack.
Adrian had the nerve to smirk like he’d scored a point—he hadn’t.
I jumped in fast, pressing my hand against Bryce’s chest like a damn riot shield.
“Nope! We’re not doing this! Not today!”
Bryce’s eyes remained locked on Adrian. His nostrils were flared, and that vein in his neck wassaying something. His hands were ready to swing, but my hand stayed firm, and my voice got louder.
“Bothof y’all need to chill! I just wantedone—justone—peaceful ass day in this cabin without somebody acting like they were raised by wolves or descended from a long line of certified ass-whoopers and chaos creators!”
Bryce leaned just enough to speak past me, his voice as icy as the mountain air outside. “Last warning. Keep it respectful, or you won’t be sledding down this mountain, you’ll be rolling… in a damnbody bag with your name spelled wrong on the tag.”
Adrian's smirk twitched, just slightly. He knew Bryce wasn’t bluffing.
I shoved them both back, grabbing the spatula like I was about to use it for more than flipping waffles.
“I swear to God, if I gotta burn this whole breakfast and lock y’all in separate cabins like toddlers, Iwill! Tryme!”
Adrian hunched his shoulders. “It ain’t even that serious.”
Bryce glared. “It is to me, nigga!”
Isis rolled her eyes in frustration. “Ugh! Bryce, why do you even care? You act like you still love her or something.”
The room got tense… even the bacon paused.
Bryce’s jaw ticked violently. Mine clenched in response.
He turned to face Isis, eyes fierce, and no hesitation in his voice. “Because I do.”
Silence engulfed the room.
Isis stood there, blinking as if she needed to rewind the scene and watch it all over again.
She didn’t. He meant it.
Her face crumbled. A mix of realization and heartbreak washed over her before she stormed off down the hall without a word. I stood frozen, clearly stunned. The air felt thick and suffocating. Adrian had backed all the way into the hallway, eager to distance himself from the fallout, while Bryce remained silent, grabbing his plate and walking out like he hadn’t just detonated an emotional grenade in the kitchen.
Something in me—the part thatusedto shade Isis, roll my eyes at her insecurities, or even feel superior—softened. I felt the weight of her pain. Her pride had cracked, and I understood that more than I wanted to acknowledge.
I took a slow breath, turned off the stove, and followed her.
