28. Wyn #3
I can’t take it anymore. Lifting to my tippy toes, I graze my lips onto his before he immediately takes over. The ball of his tongue ring pulls against my tongue as he licks into my mouth, and I yield to him. Letting him take as much as he needs.
I miss you threatens to tumble out of my mouth before throats clear, and we’re back in Delphi.
Titan and another huge man in a suit are waiting for us. The other man introduces himself as Rowan Wyatt, and basically drags Rico away from me. I take that opportunity to shake Titan’s hand again, since I don’t think he’d want another hug.
“Just so you know, your intended wife is a bonafide bop. And because you move heaven and earth for your daughter, she hates her for good reason.”
Titan’s lips twitch as his hand slowly shakes mine. “Gaia said something about how she… fucked your nigga?”
My mouth drops open before I grin. “She tells you everything?”
“That’s my baby. But both of your concerns have been noted. And the rest of your fee has been wired into your account. If you ever need anything, Miss Snow, reach out. Especially if you change your mind about being Gaia’s new mother.”
Titan brings my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles gently before dropping it.
“You gon’ get me in trouble!” I hiss, looking around. Thankfully, Rico is nowhere to be found, but a familiar face is coming up to us, razor sharp grin as his gaze shifts from Titan to me.
“I wanted to introduce you to a colleague of mine. Councilman Jackson, this is Wynter Snow. Miss Snow, this is–”
“Slime.”
It’s been a few years, but I’ve never been one to forget a fine ass nigga, memory issues aside. Where G, his younger brother, is shorter and stockier, Slime is tall and lanky, though it seems like he’s put on some muscle now that he’s older.
Unlike Rowan Wyatt and Titan, Slime isn’t in a suit, swapping it for a black Essentials hoodie, black jeans, and black timbs. He doesn’t look like an esteemed councilman at all, actually. Besides the carefully groomed mustache and goatee, he looks like he’s back eighteen, and about to run a blitz.
“Wynter Snow. In the flesh. Congrats on the successful show.” His voice is smooth as he shakes my hand, his other clasping my elbow.
“Thank you,” I beam. “Wow… it’s been so long.”
“You two know each other?”
“Yeah. Kind of grew up together through mutual friends. We know each other well enough to hug at least.” I pull him to me, giggling at how surprised he is, though he hugs me back.
“How are you? You good?” I ask. Besides us liking random pics on social media, we haven’t talked much since Fredo passed. He’s so successful with his political career, but I know that doesn’t mean he’s not drowning in grief privately.
Surprise multiplies even more on his face as his lips part. I don’t know why he’s caught so off guard, but I wait patiently for his answer.
“Um, I’m good. How are you, Wynter? You good?” he asks, his previous confidence gone.
I shrug. “I’m good. Over this whole scene, now that I’m sober. And you’ve been to my house in Raleigh Park, Slime. You’ve more than earned the right to call me Wyn.”
His lips quirk. “Only if you call me Gio. I’ll, uh, see you around, okay?”
He hugs me once more, before he and Titan duck out, something like a serious conversation starting between them.
“You all alone and shit. Let’s take a shot of cranberry juice!” Red grabs the carafe of juice and jumps on the couch, holding it like it’s champagne.
Laughter bubbles out of me as he helps me onto the couch beside him and gives me a waterfall. Dori comes onto my other side as one of Shaddy’s songs starts to play, and we rap it word for word as we pass the juice back and forth.
I’m really back. And maybe I’ll be better without all the extras.
The tears haven’t stopped.
I woke up this morning, turned over to face the windows, and have been weeping ever since.
The windows are why I paid cash for this place.
A steal, really. A hundred fifty thousand for a penthouse unit in an older building on the outskirts of downtown.
Really good security, very discreet, with a private elevator.
Three bedrooms, and yet I had the delivery guys drop my mattress in the middle of the living room before I drug it to the windows.
Now, the day after Christmas, I’m watching rainclouds gather outside, as tears rain down on my cheeks inside.
I should write that down.
My phone vibrates, but it’s just Ju. She got my number from Miele so Mars could call me yesterday. This morning, she sent me pictures of him playing with one of the gifts I sent.
Cashing out of this condo brought my six figure check to low four figures, but I always have enough to let Mars know he is loved.
Patience snuck and let Deucey facetime me, but we only stayed on the phone for a little. I hate this. Everything is all screwed up, and it’s not the first time me and Auty have had it out, but it’s the first time Deucey is old and aware enough to know something isn’t right.
And maybe that’s part of the reason I’m crying right now. Not a big reason, but part. I miss my nephew and niece. I miss Auty, Turkey, and Patience. I miss Set.
I miss being numb.
My elevator chimes, and playful bickering filter into the near empty space, causing an echo. I don’t sit up, only opting to wipe my face on my comforter.
“See, Pooh Bear. This is exactly why I had you bring me here. I knew my Snowball needed us.” Nan comes to stand in front of me with her hands perched on her hips, her scowl barely visible since she’s blocking out all the light.
“Why you in here crying and shit? Crying in this damn castle.”
“Nan–”
“I know you better sit up and talk to me like you got some sense, Snow.”
I sigh like she’s getting on my nerves, but I do as she says, glad I actually went to sleep with clothes on the night before.
“It’s my house, Nan. I can cry if I want to.”
“Not the day after Christmas. Here, since you didn’t come to Pooh’s like I asked you to. Not like you haven’t been there before.”
“And like I told you, I don’t drive, and your grandson dropped off the face of the earth.” My lip curls, thinking about Rico, but my thoughts blank when Nan drops a gold chain into my palm.
“Aht aht! Don’t put me in the middle of y’all bullshit! I don’t ask, so don’t tell.”
I pull the chain up, letting the charm twist in the air slowly. It’s some type of insignia, the same one on a gold bracelet on Nan’s arm.
“You know, the Potter crest goes all the way back to slavery.” Pooh materializes from behind us with two bar stools that go perfectly with my island in the kitchen. He helps Nan into one, before taking a seat himself.
“My ancestor was sold to a blacksmith, and the first thing he made after learning the trade was our family crest. And they passed it all the way down. My mother was the only sibling to make it to adulthood, so she had all the family crests to pass on, kept in a bureau. It was the only thing I grabbed after she was killed. The only thing I kept for myself after I met Pooh Bear’s father.
We women, we lose our last name, our autonomy, our body…
everything, almost. But I kept this, and told myself when I had daughters of my own, I would pass down something of mine.
Yani and Aree had one. Ju’s flighty ass has one.
And now, you have one. And before you get to thinking it’s because of whatever it is you call yourself doing with Ricky; no.
Ricky may have brought you to me, but you’re mine all on your own, Snowball. ”
“So… you ask me why I’m crying, then proceed to make me cry more? Was she always this contradictory, Pooh?” I’m a blubbering mess as I clasp the chain on the back of my neck. It sits heavy on my chest, so it must be older, probably eighteen karat and the links solid.
“She’s nicer now in her old age,” he chuckles.
I stand, nearly tripping over the cover as I wrap my arms around both Nan and the back of the stool.
“You breathing that morning breath all on my neck,” she fusses, but she still hugs me back as tight as she can, for just a second. Then she’s patting my back to get off.
“No,” I shake my head. “Daughters hug their moms. Dirty and all.”
“Not this one. Go get cleaned up. Pooh is taking us to breakfast, and to go see this Pilar bitch he’s sweet on.”
“Ma,” Pooh admonishes her while I back up, cackling.
“She’s nice. But okay. Give me like fifteen minutes.”
“What’s all that?” I look to Pooh, who gestures toward the bag of money next to my bed.
I just shrug. “I’ve never really been one to keep money in the bank. Whenever Rico pops up I was gonna ask him to help me get a safe.”
“I’ll have someone come through tomorrow. Just tell them where you want it.”
“And we going furniture shopping today, too. I’m too old to be this high up in a chair, Snow. We can take nice Pilar, too, and see how bad she runs up Pooh Bear’s pockets.” Nan grins evilly, cutting her eyes to her son.
“We can go look at furniture, but I wanna buy everything on my own. Is that okay, Mom?”
Pooh snorts as we watch Nan screw up her face.
“Yeah, you my daughter all right. Never wanting a handout. Fine. Go and wash your teeth. Can smell the tart from here.”
I blow my breath at her and run off to my bathroom, my smile damn near permanent as I laugh.