Snowflakes & Fire Escapes Read Online Free Page B

the window. I didn’t turn to look, but I could sense his intense gaze.
    He spotted me.
    He shoved the window up further to come through, perching himself on the windowsill. He sighed exasperatedly, clasping his hands together in front of him as he propped his elbows on his knees.
    “I forgot.”
    I forgot . He said those words like they were supposed to fix this, like they would make it better and not worse instead.
    He forgot.
    How the hell could he forget?
    Ten years had passed since my mother died. I had been so young back then that I was starting to forget so much—the feel of her hugs, the sound of her laughter, the way she spoke my name—but I’d never forget her .
    I’d never forget today.
    I could feel tears in my eyes, and I blinked them back, grateful none escaped. I didn’t want to ruin my makeup. I spent a long time doing it.
    “I got busy,” he continued. “I didn’t mean to forget. It just slipped my mind.”
    We were supposed to go see her.
    She was buried out in Queens.
    We went every year on the anniversary.
    Not this year .
    “Look, I’m exhausted. It’s been a long week and I’d like to get some sleep and forget any of this happened. I’m just so tired of all of it. I’m ready to forget.”
    I wasn’t sure what to say.
    He knew I wouldn’t say anything.
    Climbing back into the apartment, he paused. “It’s not safe for you out here, especially after dark. I’ve told you before about leaving that window open.”
    He didn’t wait for me to come back inside before walking away, heading off to his bedroom. He knew I’d obey him.
    Eventually .
    The sky grew darker, but the neighborhood was as alive as ever. After nightfall was when the hellions really came out to play. I watched them, recognizing so many faces, even seeing Cormac drive by again, rushing off to do whatever the man did. Nobody noticed me up there, though.
    Nobody ever looked.
    Nobody but him .
    Cody was out with his friends. Most of them lived a few blocks up, Cody included, but they tended to hang out down here instead. It was because of me, he once said. The other boys followed Cody’s lead, and he gravitated here to be near me. Even when we couldn’t be together, he took solace in the fact that I wasn’t far away.
    I spotted the group on the corner across the street, smoking and roughhousing near the diner as usual. I watched him for a few minutes before he glanced my way, spotting me sitting up there. He broke away from his friends then, passing the joint off to one of the others, and exhaled a puff of smoke.
    “Grace!” my father shouted from in the apartment. “Inside. Now .”
    Something got into me then.
    Something struck me in that moment.
    I didn’t care if it would bring me trouble … I needed him.
    I needed Cody.
    The next thing I knew, I was on my feet, but instead of slipping back into the window and following my father’s demands, I was moving away from it. Cody jogged across the street, pausing in front of my building, his brow furrowing when he saw me. I navigated the fire escape, not as easily as he always did it. When I reached the bottom, he grabbed the ladder, pulling it down to help me.
    The moment my feet hit the filthy sidewalk, I launched myself at him. Cody stiffened, caught off guard. “Whoa, whoa, whoa … what’s wrong, love?”
    The dam broke unexpectedly. Tears flooded my cheeks. I couldn’t speak. Cody wrapped his arms around me, one arm clutching me tightly while his right hand made its way into my hair, grasping the back of my head and holding me against his chest as I sobbed.
    “It’s going to be okay,” he said quietly. “Whatever it is, whatever happened … it’s going to be okay. I promise it.”
    Never once did he try to shush me.
    Never did he tell me not to cry.
    He held me, standing on the sidewalk, ignoring the looks from passersby, and let me get it out. My tears slowed eventually and I caught my breath, but he still wouldn’t let go of me.
    “I’m sorry,” I