Page 94 of Cemetery Boys

“You think you know him better?” Rio asked. “I’ve never even seen you before. I’ve known him his whole life,” he said, tapping a finger against his chest. “I kept him off the streets and raised him ever since—”

“Apparently!” Yadriel cut him off, forcing himself to stand his ground even though he was incredibly intimidated by Rio. “If you really think Julian doesn’t care about you all, then yeah, I do know him better!”

Julian openly gaped.

Rio straightened. “You—”

But Yadriel refused to let him talk. He wasn’t thinking about protecting his own secret, he just wanted to make Rio see how stupid he was being, how hurtful his words were. “Maybe he’s got a short temper and makes stupid decisions sometimes,” he went on. “But you should know that Julian wouldn’t leave you all unless there was something keeping him from coming back!”

Rio eyes grew sharp with distrust. “Who are you?” he said—an order, not a request.

“What if something happened to Julian?” Luca said to Rio, his chin wobbling.

“What are you talking about?” Rio asked, but Luca turned away, refusing to look him in the eye. Instead, Rio looked at Yadriel.

He couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t make Rio even more suspicious, or, worse, alarm him. Sensing his hesitation, Rio stood bolt upright.

“What happened?” His eyes shot between Yadriel and Luca.

“Don’t.”

The sharp word yanked Yadriel’s attention back to Julian. He stood there, the shirt twisted around his wrists like a rope.

“Don’t tell him,” Julian said.

Quickly, Yadriel looked away from him. He couldn’t draw Rio’s attention to Julian, or he’d see the shirt hovering in midair.

“Luca,” Yadriel said in warning, giving a quick shake of his head. Yadriel had promised not to out him, and he wouldn’t.

Luca tucked his chin to his chest, his cheeks burning bright red.

Rio’s tired expression had vanished. He was alert and protective as he stepped between Yadriel and Luca. “What do you want? And why did you drag Luca into whatever the hell this is?” Rio barked.

Yadriel’s heart thudded in the pulse of his neck. “I—I—” he stammered.

“But, Rio,” Luca interrupted, panic tightening his voice. “What if—”

“Luca.” Rio took a deep breath and exhaled through pursed lips. He sank into a squat beside Luca so they were eye to eye. He gave Luca’s shoulder a squeeze. “He ran away.”

Yadriel felt the cold washing off Julian in waves. Under it was a palpable ache.

Rio’s voice was strange when he spoke, like he was trying to sound comforting but didn’t know how. “If he doesn’t want to be a part of this family anymore, then we need to let him go, okay?”

It happened in a blink of an eye. Yadriel was the only one who saw Julian bolt.

But they all heard his foot slam into the door, leaving a third hole. It flung open, clattering against the railing. As Julian stormed out, a gust of icy wind whipped in, sending papers flying.

Everyone jumped. Luca flinched. Rio was on his feet immediately.

Yadriel thought his heart was going to burst through his chest.

Rio’s eyes snapped to Yadriel, wide and alarmed. He pointed at the door. “Get out.”

Yadriel backed up. “I’m sorry—I—”

“NOW.”

He caught a short glimpse of Luca, shielded by Rio’s body. He was trembling, his eyes glued to the new hole Julian had left in the door. Yadriel ran out and down the stairs.