Page 39 of Espíritu

“I’ve literally cried over this cake,” Luca added, deadpan. “In a good way.”

“It’s gourmet if you squint hard enough,” Rocky agreed, shoveling a forkful.

“Or starving enough,” Flaca added.

Julian handed Angel a plate, grinning. “See? Best sales pitch ever!”

For a while, the apartment was only forks clinking and laughter, frosting smeared across plates.

Then Rocky licked icing off her thumb. “We should do something special for Christmas.”

“Tamales!” Flaca said immediately.

“Posadas!” Rocky countered.

“Both!” Julian declared.

Rio wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and called out, “I can make natilla again, but last time it came out like sweet concrete.”

Julian snorted. “It tasted fine! Dad used to burn it every year anyway. It’s tradition.”

He scratched the back of his neck, thoughts drifting to Yadriel. “Also … I gotta figure out what to get Yadriel for Christmas without selling a kidney.”

Ideas flew—

“Something from the heart,” Luca said earnestly.

“Something practical, like a hoodie,” Omar offered.

“Skin care,” Flaca pitched. “What’s his skin type?”

“Handsome,” Julian replied.

The room collapsed into groans and laughter. Even Angel smiled around a forkful of cake. Conversation drifted into comfortable quiet, forks clinking against plates.

Angel leaned toward him, voice low. “Hey, Julian.”

“What’s up?” he asked, still grinning.

They nodded toward the faint curve near his ear. “How’d you get that scar?”

Julian’s grin faltered. His fingers brushed the mark. “This old thing? Elephant seal in Malibu. It tried to steal my Takis. All teeth and fury, but I scared it back into the ocean.”

Angel snorted, arching an eyebrow. “You’re full of it.”

“Julian, the elephant seal slayer,” Luca mumbled, a ghost of a laugh in his voice.

“Yep, that’s me.” Julian chuckled along even as a pang of unease settled in his chest. By the look on Angel’s face, they obviously didn’t buy it, but they also didn’t question him.

By the time the plates were scraped clean, chatter had spun off into stories. Luca sat cross-legged on the floor, sleeves pooled around his hands, recounting his latest school drama with dramatic gestures.

“She swore I never turned it in,” he said. “But I had receipts! Screenshots! I had a whole PowerPoint ready!”

Angel leaned forward, golden eyes glinting with amusement. “Seriously?”

“Dead serious,” Luca said with a solemn nod. “If I go down, I go down petty.”

Julian barked a laugh. “Facing down your teacher after she lost your assignment? That’s gutsy!”