Just a heads up this chapter starts with them already on Christmas break so they're not in school!

"Flip are you busy?" Bambi practically whined into the phone.

"No" he groaned letting her know he had been asleep.

"Can I come over please? I'm bored."

"I don't care the door gone be open" he said yawning.

"Okay" Bambi hung up the phone and quickly through on a simple dress and a pair of flip flops. After grabbing her house keys and phone she headed down the street to his house. As he had said the door was opened so she walked in making sure she locked the door behind herself.

Ever since she had come from school Bambi found herself either locked up in her room or her mothers crying or moping and she was tired of it. She hadn't expected to be over Nate in a day but she didn't think it would hurt so bad.

Flip was the only person she could think of that wouldn't mind spending time with her and would cheer her up at the same time.

"Flip" she called out when she didn't see him in the living room.

"Come to my room" he called out and Bambi headed in the direction. Their house was way bigger than hers because years ago they had expanded making the two-bedroom home into a spacious four bedrooms. Flip basically had a part of the house to himself, it was private and his room was huge.

Walking in Bambi, watched as Flip sat on the edge of his bed texting on his phone. He wore no shirt and only a pair of boxers.

"What's up?" she kicked off her slides and climbed into his bed.

"Nothing, you woke me up from a good ass nap" he tossed his phone onto his nightstand and stood up.

"Sorry but it is three in the afternoon why are you so tired?"

"Work" he said with a shrug. Flip worked at a warehouse not too far from where they lived and he made good money on top of the cash flow he had coming in from drug business.

"Damn my bad, you can go back to sleep. I just wanted to be around somebody I was bored."

"No you good. You hungry?" Flip asked as he slipped on a pair of Jordan gym shorts.

"Yeah you wanna get something?"

"Yeah I'm feeling some Taco Bell" Bambi nodded and got off the bed putting her shoes back on. She waited for Flip to put on a shirt and shoes before they left.

Sitting passenger in his Charger, Bambi was in love with the way the car drove. You could feel the engine but it was still so smooth and not to mention Flip looked good as hell driving it. He had a relaxed style of driving, he used one hand to navigate while the other arm was propped up on the window with his head leaned against his hand.

"When I left I didn't think I would miss you as much as I did" Bambi said making him chuckle.

"Same here, we did used to spend a lot of time together."

"Before you started fuckin everything walking, and you let everything come before me" she tried her hardest not to sound bitter.

"Damn, that's how you felt" she nodded.

"It was never like that, and I didn't sleep with as many people as these ghetto ass broads like to make out. My dick would have been fell off" they both shared a short laugh.

"It's no hard feelings though Flip. We will always be cool."

"Just cool?" he asked making Bambi look over at him. She was hoping he wasn't trying to hint at anything because to be honest she wouldn't even be able to deal if he was. Mentally and emotionally she already had too much shit on her plate.

"You tell me."

"You know what the fuck I mean Bam. What if we were more than friends?"

"You have a baby on the way" she randomly said trying her hardest to avoid the question.

"Look at you trying not to answer the question. That has nothing to do with us."

"I don't know what would happen if we were more than friends. It's scary even thinking about that" she admitted honestly.

"Why?" Flip switched hands on the wheel and allowed his free hand to reach over and gently massage the back of her neck.

"Because, I've seen how you move Flip. You're a certified hoe and after everything I've been through these past few months, I couldn't handle another broken heart. I might even go lesbian."

"That's you using another niggas mistakes as reasons to count me out. I may have had a bad streak but Bam you know me better than my own mama. I'm a good dude" he wasn't lying. Bam and Flip were really close no matter how much either of them tried to downplay their relationship.

"You are a good dude Flip, I would never take that away from you. But we would just have to take it slow, if we ever chose to take it there."

Flip nodded in agreement, coming to a red light he leaned over and bought Bambi's lips to his. She didn't even try to fight the kiss or push him away. Shit just felt right.

"Where is your mama?" Bambi asked as she came from the bathroom where had gargles to get the taste of tacos out of her mouth.

"I don't fuckin know, probably in the mall somewhere" he said with a shrug as he disappeared into the bathroom.

When he came back Bambi was under his covers hugging his pillow as she indulged in an episode of Law and Order. "You comfortable?" he said with a short laugh as he joined her.

"I always told you your bed puts me to sleep" she watched Flip closely as he lay on his back with one arm behind his head and his right leg up.

"Stop staring at me damn" he commented without even looking her way.

"What made you say that earlier about us?"

"I've always been a honest nigga Bam and that's how I feel" he looked over at her.

"It just caught me of guard that's it."

"Why?"

"Because you're Flip and I'm Bambi. And it's just always been that way"

"You never thought about being more than friends with me?"

"Of course I have, for a long ass time I was praying that you would become my boyfriend but than we just settled into being so close and I just figured that I should forget about it."

"I get it, I guess I feel the same just in a opposite time frame. When we first met I wasn't even worried about getting serious with no chick, but now that shit done changed."

"Why now?"

"Because I realized the chances I had to have and I don't wanna miss out no more."

His words made Bambi smile, sitting up a little she kissed his lips wanting to feel them again. Wrapping an arm around her waist Flip pulled Bambi on top so that she was straddling him. Without breaking the kiss his hands slid under dress and grabbed her butt. He squeezed and rubbed it in his making Bambi moan into the kiss.

Pulling away a little Bambi pecked his lips a few times before she sat up looking him in the eyes. "You always know the right thing to do Flip."

"I haven't even done anything" he said kissing her collar bone.

"Yeah whatever, what time is it? My mama might be home now."

"You runnin?" Flip laughed as he picked up his phone and showed her the time.

"She should be there and no I'm not running. I'm just gone go home before I end up naked" they both laughed. She got down from his bed and fixed her dress.

"I'll see you Flip, if you're not working I'll come by tomorrow"

"When I get off I'll text you" nodding her head Bambi kissed his cheek before letting herself out of the house. As soon as she got home she went to her room and fell back on the bed thinking about the day's events.

Flip's questioning about them threw her for a loop that she was not ready for. She was still trying to mend the heart Nate had broken just weeks before. Bambi knew she didn't need to be in any type of relationship but she also couldn't ignore the feelings she had kept bottled up for Flip for so long. It was no secret that she wanted him but Bambi knew she didn't need him or anybody else in her life right now.

➤➤➤➤

Nate was feeling uneasy about something he couldn't put his finger on. In his gut he knew something was about to happen he just wished he knew what. Throw in the fact that he hadn't stopped thinking about Bambi since their fight and you had a very stressed and damn nearly depressed Nate.

He knew he was wrong as hell for doing things the way he did when it came to Bambi, but in the moment shit just happened. Knowing that Bambi was most likely out of his life for good at this point was a hard pill for Nate to swallow but he would have to. Seeing as though this mess was one he had made himself.

Currently he was sitting on his grandma's porch watching the busy street. Everyone seemed to be outside despite the cold ass weather. Taking his hands from inside his pockets Nate waved to the older lady who stayed directly across from them.

"Where is your brother?" She asked leaning against her gate.

"In Miami visiting some of the fam."

"His lucky ass. I'll see you later Nate don't stay out here for too long" she waved her hand before sticking them back in her pockets.

"Will do" he said watching her walk back into her house.

Another ten minutes past and the cold was too much to bare when his phone began to ring. He would have gone into the house and answered it but granny was nosey. Whenever his phone rang she always went for it like it was hers. 

Pulling his phone from his pocket Nate answered the phone after seeing the 305 area code. "What's up nigga?" He said to Noah.

"Ay nigga I love you alright" Nate took his phone away from his ear and looked at it. Nate could admit that from time to time they did have their sap moments but this one felt different.

"Fuck you talking about Noah?"

"Man I had a dream last night."

"Okay" Nate said.

"I was dead bro I got this feeling. Something is going to happen."

"Nigga so bring your ass home then. Fuck you talking about" Nate was getting upset because he couldn't stop thinking about the way he had been feeing since returning home.

"I can't man. I looked earlier flights is cancelled or booked. Nate for real if something does happen be the better man like I always taught your ass."

"Noah shut up ain't shit going to happen to you. It was just a dream" Nate was trying to be the optimistic one but he knew the feeling he had earlier had to be this. He just hoped it really was just a dream.

"Nate I hope you right though my nigga."

"I am right so just calm down and keeping checking on those flights. Miami too hot for your ass you need some of this cold."

"You probably right but ay nigga I gotta go. I love you fam."

"I love your crazy ass too."

"Peace nigga" Noah hung up the phone and Nate could only look at it.

"Boy you need to get from that bed and come here and eat this food" Nate groaned when he heard his grandma yelling from the kitchen. He hadn't slept since Noah had called him the day before but knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of it if he didn't get up Nate took his time rolling out of the bed and heading for the kitchen.

"Better had" she commented as Nate took a seat at the table in front of his plate. He began to dig into his chili and rice just as the house phone began to ring.

"No you sit down and eat that food" his grandma scolded before he could even attempt to stand.

Laughing Nate continued to eat his food until her heard his ma let out a loud cry. Alarmed Nate stood up unprepared to see her crying as she held the phone to her ear.

"Ma what happened?" he asked half way knowing what was going to come out of her mouth.

"Noah, they killed him" Nate knew he had heard her right but he refused to believe it.

"Killed how?"

"They shot him baby."

He looked at his grandma before he walked away into his room. As soon as the door closed Nate began to flip and tear up any and everything he could get his hands on.

"Fuck" he cursed loudly as memories of him and his brother began to flash through his mind as angry tears slid from his eyes.

"My fuckin brother" Nate repeated to himself over and over as he paced the room. He thought he would have been prepared after the conversation they had but he wasn't.

The shit still hurt, the pain was still real. 

"Nate baby" his grandmother's voice on the other side of the door calmed him slightly.

"I'm okay ma" he wiped his face with both of his hands and took a deep breath.

"No you not Nate. Open the door for me" slowly Nate walked towards the door and opened it. As soon as he Nate wrapped his arms around his grandma's small frame hugging her tightly.

➤➤➤➤

The flight to Miami was one that Nate wished he didn't have to take. He sat next to his grandma staring blankly out of the window.

He was pissed, sad and lonely all at the same time.

The only thing he was holding onto was the fact that he at least got to say I love you one last time. It honestly wasn't enough but it was something.

Since he had found out Nate had been thinking of the many ways he was going to avenge his brother's death. There was no way he was going to let whoever did this walk away Scott free. He wasn't from Miami but most of his family was so he was going to use that to his advantage because he knew they had to know something.

When they landed Nate's aunt had picked them up from the airport. Not a lot was said in the car as they rode through the city to the hood where his aunt stayed. He was expecting to see more of his family there when they arrived but was glad that they weren't. He was in no mood to talk especially about his brother.