Page 119 of Tarek

Rhet is scrolling through his phone, his face twisting like he is upset.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask.

Rhet grumbles, “Zee only texted me twice for the day. How long is a spa treatment?”

“You’re clingy as fuck. It’s weird,” Cole interjects.

“Fuck you, Cole. I like to know where my woman is at all times,” Rhet continues scrolling.

“Who is with her?” Jasper asks.

Without a thought, I reply, “Treasure, Aunty Gia and Zeeta’s mom.”

The whole group goes quiet, and Rhet finally looks up from his phone and asks, “How the fuck do you know that?”

Dax adjust his glasses. “The real question iswhythe fuck do you know that?”

“Who the hell is Treasure?” Jasper counters.

I tap my golf club against the greens, trying to decide what to tell them.

“Motherfucker, you have fallen in love with Penny,” Rhet says.

All eyes turn in my direction. I don’t even bother trying to deny it. I lift my shoulders in a shrug “It’s weird. I can’t pinpoint when it all happened. But everything around me has changed. She likes pomegranates. I have a case in my fridge. I don’t even smoke anymore because she doesn’t like the smell of it.”

Cole exhales a white stream of smoke into the air. “This love shit is becoming contagious. I don’t want it.” His gaze shifts to his caddy. “Get me a mask ASAP.”

The caddy chuckles nervously, hesitating. “A mask sir?”

Cole raises one eyebrow, dead serious. “Am I a comedian? Do I look like fucking Bill Burrs? Get me a mask.”

Without another word, the caddy hops into a golf cart and speeds off to the clubhouse.

Rhet strides over to me, his golf club taps against the ground until he stops in front of me. He presses the golf club against my chest. “You know we are best friends for life right.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, shoving the club off my chest. “Get that shit out of my face Banner.”

“If you mess with Penny, I will fuck you up,” Rhet says.

Before I could reply, Jasper swings his club onto his shoulder and jumps in. “Why do you care? Zeeta is your girl not Penny.”

Rhet snaps his fingers like he was waiting for someone to ask, “Exactly my point. If he fucks shit up with Penny. Penny will go to Zeeta and that will mess Zee up. And then when my wife gets messed up, she cries to me. Then it’s my problem. I don’t want my best friend to be a problem.”

I drag my hand down my face. “I think, I messed up. I told her I love her, and she freaked.”

Everyone becomes silent.

Cole interjects, “Forget contagious, this love shit is becoming a pandemic. Where is the caddy with my mask?”

Rhet squeezes my shoulder. “Been there, done that. Give her time buddy,”.

“Time? I feel like time is running out. Like she built a wall around herself.” My stomach twists at the thought of Penny leaving.

“Then break that wall and get your girl,” Jasper says with a smirk on his face, his tone is dripping in mockery.

Rhet’s face scowls. “Forget that dick head. Give her space, give her time.”

But I don’t want to give her space or time. I want to be in her space and all her time could be spent with me.

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