Page 85 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

Though we haven’t spoken about me going back to Kenton, multiple times a week for the last month, Miele and I have taken the ferry to San Pedro, even staying the weekend last weekend without her brother and cousins. I don’t have phone access to speak to Auty anymore, but some nights, Rico will show me his IG, and all the things the blogs have posted since I’ve been gone.

He also hasn’t fucked me in over two weeks. We cuddle. We kiss. But not even a finger has seen my pussy. And since I know what withdrawals feel like, I know that’s exactly what I’m going through.

But I refuse to break first.

I sit up, thankful that I wore clothes to bed the night before.

“What’s wrong?”

Miele lifts her head, her wobbly lower lip making me nervous.

“You’re leaving me.”

“I’m what?” I blurt, throwing the comforter off me and jumping out the bed.

“Don’t be so excited! You’re leaving me to go be a rich and famous rapper and I’m stuck here turning down beds and leading sunrise yoga! I don’t go back to St. Stephen’s until August for my scans!” Miele lifts herself up and folds her arms, scowling at me.

She doesn’t like to talk about her battle with childhood leukemia, but I’d seen the scars where she had her bone marrow transplant. When she disappeared over the summer for a week, she was so happy her scans came back still in remission, that she told me, after making me promise not to treat her differently.

I round the bed and hug her to me, tears mixing with the sleep still in my eyes.

“I’ll make Rico bring you way before then, I promise.”

“Our promise chest is full,” she cries, hugging me back toward her.

“We’ll get a new one. Hell, once I get my own place, you can move up there permanently.”

Miele barks out laughter, leaning back with a wry smile. “NiNi and Reno wouldn’t know what to do without me.”

My heart drops instantly.

“And Mars,” I whisper.

Miele’s face softens immediately. “Mars is going, too. Mars, Nan, and you–you’re all leaving me.”

She nearly headbutts my chest, fake crying on my shoulder as I process what she just said.

We’re all going back? Are Nan and Mars staying?

“Get dressed,” Miele sniffles. Only then do I notice she’s wearing her favorite distressed shorts, flip flops, and an I <3 Kenton shirt. “We’re on the first ferry out. Mars is with Nan today, and Rico, NiNi, and Reno are waiting at the dock. I wanted to be the one to break it to you.”

“Wait,” I say, rushing out of Rico’s room to mine where most of my clothes are. “When was this decided?”

When I look back at Miele, who followed me, she shrugs. “Nan told me this morning before yoga. She said your things will be packed by the time we get back, and you’re flying out in the afternoon.”

I drop to the bed. I have to, on account of my legs giving out.

A month and a half since our conversation. I just resigned myself to making this prison paradise work. I almost decide to press Rico when we walk out to the roundabout.

But when he turns from Reno to face me, I don’t see any mischief. His eyes aren’t flat either.

He blinks, but I still see it. It’s radiating from him, damn near. I look around, wondering if his cousins can feel and see it, but Miele just pushes her brother before he helps her into the backseat, then goes to get in the front passenger.

I stop in front of him and rub his obliques before fisting his shirt on either side.

He palms the back of my head and brings my lips to his. I open for him easily, moaning when our tongues caress.

After a moment, he rests his forehead on mine. “We’re gonna have a good day,” he declares.