Page 204 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

“Don’t speak like that,” I grit, but she ignores me.

“If Snow slips up, and relapses, or whatever happens that chips pieces of her off, support her as she puts herself back together. Don’t handle her as you’d handle yourself. She’s your balance for a reason, Ricky. She has more than proven that she is strong enough to soar.” Nan cups her weathered hands. “Support her, don’t stifle her.” She curls them, her veins bulging as she fists them.

“Yani was trying to heal the way she knew how. It was slow, and nonlinear, but she was doing it. And Pooh Bear, he had the right intentions, but we’ll never know if she suffered more from the trauma of watching him avenge her, than what happened in the first place. Snow is stronger than Yani, and even stronger than Aree. She’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to a daughter after my own heart, so I just wanted to give you some wisdom… oh! And give my Snowball some fuckin’ grace. I told her the same thing.”

Nan stands like she hasn’t just dropped multiple bombs, and stretches. With a kiss to my forehead, she strolls away, going back inside.

Breathe, Rick.

My breath stutters, my lungs burning as I fight to keep my emotions in check. It’s a house full of people just a few feet behind me. Though, maybe I can just go around the side.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I slide it out, clearing my eyes when I see it’s Haze, asking me to come see her.

Curiously, I tell her I’m on the way, just as the sliding door opens again.

“I saw Ma, but you haven’t come in–”

I turn to him, and his words die out, as he catalogs every emotion probably playing on my face under the porch light.

Standing, I cross the space between us easily, and curl my arms around him. It’s awkward, since we’re the same height, and he’s frozen from my outburst.

I don’t even know why I’m hugging this nigga.

I’m still angry. So fucking angry. At him. At Ma. But most of all, I’m angry at how much I understand him.

At how alike we are. I would have done the same thing, no regrets, no apologies. To the letter. Because I am my father’s son.

His shoulders drop after a long moment, and he hugs me back. At the first sniffle, he pats my back, murmuring in Spanish that it’s okay.

I let him go and push him away lightly, earning a laugh from us both.

“You ain’t shit, old man.”

Pooh shrugs, grinning so hard his gold fangs bling under the light. “You come by it honestly, youngblood.”

“I gotta go… but, I mean, uh… Ju wants to do Christmas at her new crib. Mars wants us all to spend the night, and wake up together. You and Pilar should roll through, too. I can get the pajamas rushed if you text me y’all sizes.”

“Uh, yeah,” he clears his throat, looking everywhere but me. “I’ll text you the sizes when I go back inside. Go on ahead, I’ll let them know you said bye.”

“Fasho. Uh, okay. Later.”

“Be safe, son,” he calls at my back. I turn around and grin at him.

“Stay dangerous, Pop.”

With a salute, I turn back around before we both start crying and shit, and hustle toward my car. His ass is liable to announce I’m leaving, and Lala will absolutely tackle me so I can spend another hour telling everyone goodbye.

Banging on my trunk, I grin when I hear the answering call, hop in my whip, and speed off toward Thunder Hills.

Haze comes out as soon as I pull up, so I exit my whip and take a seat on the hood, facing her.

It’s not hard to see she’s been crying, under the LED lights on her street. Her hair’s braided into small plaits and pulled on top of her head, and even though it’s night time, she’s dressed like she’s about to go work out.

“I’m surprised you came,” she says, stopping in front of me.

“I’on know why. I always come when you call.”

Her eyes water immediately. “It feels like I lost you forever. Like you traded me for Wyn.”