Page 38 of Kobalt

“As many times as I’ve held a party, that boy ain’t ever rented out a whole mini mansion for me, paid for the food, liquor, and treats, sent a car service for the guests, and paid to have facials and massages,” Niagara disputed.

“You wanna try running that lie again, Cuz?” Skylar teased.

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes. “I can’t stand y’all heffas.”

Passion laughed and clapped her hands. “Okay, sis. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

“Passhy, we’re not in a courtroom, boo, and I’m not on the stand.” I looked around at all four ladies, and they all stared back at me—waiting. “Fine! We’re together.”

“I knew it . . . I knew it . . . I knew it,” Niagara sang as she danced around.

“What’re you dancing for?” I asked her.

“Because you two are gonna get married, I’m gonna have you as my legal sister, and I’m gonna be a rich auntie.”

“Don’t you think that you’re doing the most, sis?” I asked her with my lips turned down.

“Nope. Because I’ve been telling both of your black asses for the longest that y’all make a cute couple. You were both in denial forever, and I knew all it would take was that time away in the mountains to get you two together.”

“But you didn’t know he was up there at the farm, Nia,” I countered.

She grabbed two cookies, stuffed one in her mouth, and turned her attention to her phone that was on the table beside her.

“Oop.” Skylar covered her mouth and side-eyed Niagara.

“Not she set y’all’s asses up,” Tamia stated.

“Smooth move, sis. Well played,” Passion declared before she took a sip of her mango-peach flavored margarita.

“Wait. Nia, did you know your brother was at the farm when you sent me there?” I sat up and leaned forward.

“I mean, Mama might have mentioned to me that he had gone up there the morning your house was broken into. But I wasn’t really thinking about that when I sent you,” she answered.

“Hell naw. You think your ass is slick,” I countered.

“That’s why you two are best friends. Y’all gon’ stick to your lies. Both of your asses would be jailed for perjury,” Passion stated.

“We’re not in court!” Niagara and I shouted simultaneously.

“Okay, it’s time to play Lyrically Correct,” Tamia announced, popping up from her seat to grab the box of card games we brought along with us.

Besides swimming, massages, and facials, we would be having deep conversations and playing games all weekend. We had brought Black Card Revoked, UNO, Discretion, Po’ Up, and Lyrically Correct.

We were deep into UNO when Skylar became distracted. “The fuck?”

We all looked up at her at the same time. She was scrolling her phone with one hand and holding her cards with her other.

“What’s going on, sis?” Passion asked.

“Nashika’s live right now crying about somebody snatching Jaziel off the streets,” she responded.

“What? Let me see that,” I demanded, reaching for her phone.

She passed her phone to me, and the other ladies crowded around me. I turned the volume up on my cousin’s phone so that I could hear

“Y’all. I swear fo’ God, they took my baby right off the streets. I was watching him get out his car. He worked late tonight—and the next thing I know he was climbing out of his car, and he had to park on the other side of the street, y’all, because our neighbors were having a party and had our side blocked. Next thing I know, this black van pulled beside his car, it moved a few seconds later, and then he was gone, and so was the van—just like that.

“I promise, y’all. They took my baaaaby! Oh, God, they took my man! His car is there, but they took my man. He ain’t answering his phone or nothing, y’all. I checked his location, and his location says he’s at home. I ran outside, and his phone was laying cracked on the ground, right where they snatched my baby! Ooooh, God! He wouldn’t have left on his own accord and left his phone. My baaabyyy!