Page 69 of Cemetery Boys

Luca’s expression wavered between surprise and sadness. “I thought so,” he said, sniffing as his large eyes started to glisten in the waning twilight. Luca tried to smile, but his chin wobbled. “Julian wouldn’t have just left us without a reason, he wouldn’t—” He cut himself off, rubbing at his forehead.

Yadriel felt Luca’s grief, rolling off him and hitting him in the stomach.

Julian stood there, body rigid and expression still hidden.

Yadriel tried to come up with something to say that would offer the smaller boy comfort. What would his mom say if she were here?

“Luca—” he started gently, but Luca didn’t let him finish.

“Yeah, see, there’s no way Rio will see you on your own.” Luca rubbed his nose on his sleeve, drawing Yadriel’s attention back to the bruise. “He doesn’t like strangers, doesn’t trust people—kind of like Omar, but worse.”

Yadriel wasn’t sure that was possible.

“But if I’m with you, he’ll at least let you in the door,” Luca explained.

Julian crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “You little traitor…,” he said, but it lacked heat.

“I don’t know…” Yadriel trailed off, waiting for Julian’s guidance.

“I owe him.” Luca’s expression pinched, his delicate eyebrows bunching together. He tugged anxiously on the frayed hem of his sweater. “Julian, I mean. If he is dead, it’s because of me. He was trying to protect me, and then I ran off, and…” He swallowed hard.

Yadriel stole a glance at Julian.

He pushed his hood back, expression somber as he looked down at his friend. “Luca…”

“I want to find out what happened,” Luca went on. “We were too scared to go to Rio, but if he does know something…” When he spoke, his voice was firmer, more sure of himself. “I want to help, if I can.” He was staring down at the dogs again, as if they were part of the conversation. “I owe it to Jules, and Rio.”

Julian winced. “You don’t owe me shit,” he said in a quiet sigh. He tipped his head to the side, watching Luca as the smaller boy waited for an answer.

Yadriel didn’t say anything. This was Julian’s choice, not his, no matter how much he wanted Julian to agree to it.

Luca, meanwhile, was distracted. “Can I pet your dogs?” he asked Maritza with a hopeful lift of his eyebrows.

Maritza laughed. “Yeah, sure,” she said moving closer. “They’re friendly.”

Luca immediately put down his skateboard and dropped into a squat, small arms in long sleeves held out to his sides. Donatello and Michelangelo bowled Luca right over, knocking him off his feet. He was practically swallowed up by the large dogs as they nudged and licked at him happily.

As he laughed, hands giving them both a good scratch, Donatello’s lolling tongue gave him a particularly good swipe. It slicked back Luca’s mass of light brown hair, revealing a large scar running down the side of his face. It was a patch of marbled skin.

Yadriel’s heart made a hard thump in his chest. He’d seen scars like it on Maritza’s dad’s arm. Burns.

She noticed, too, the grin on her face slipping to a look of shock.

Julian didn’t say anything.

There was a lot about Julian and his friends that Yadriel still didn’t know.

When Julian remained silent, Yadriel said, “I don’t think he wants us to see Rio.”

Luca stared up at Yadriel with his large deep amber eyes while Michelangelo lapped at his ear. “So you can hear him? And see him?”

Yadriel nodded. “Yes.”

Luca looked around, twisting his fingers together. “Where is he?”

Both Yadriel and Maritza looked at Julian.

Julian stood there, motionless as he watched Luca. Even his silence was loud. His stillness was unsettling. Yadriel didn’t like it. He almost preferred Julian yelling to this.