Page 48 of Storm and Sea

Leo shook himself, falling out of his trance. He put on his usual cocky grin. “You know.” He waved a hand. “Like a puppy or something. Anyway, who is he?”

“No one,” Atreus said, trying to turn away, but Leo caught his arm.

“Nuh uh, you aren’t running from this. You make a new friend all on your own, Gatto?” He pretended to get choked up before wiping an imaginary tear from his eyes. “My Atreus is all grown up. Making friends all by himself.”

“Shut up.” Atreus hit his arm.

“No, but seriously, who is it?”

“I told you no one⁠—”

“Hey!” Leo called, catching Nyel’s attention. “I’m Leo!”

Atreus rubbed his temple heavily; he was getting a headache. Nyel approached cautiously, eyes darting from Atreus to Leo.

“Relax, I don’t bite,” Leo said, flashing his award-winning white smile. “What’s your name?”

“Uh… I’m Nyel,” he said, sounding ridiculous because of the newspaper stuffed into his nose.

“Nell?”

He pulled the wads from his nose, sniffling as his airway cleared. “Nyel.”

“Ah. Well, It’s nice to finally meet a friend of Atreus. He hasn’t stopped talking my ear off about you.”

“Really?” Nyel asked, and Atreus hated how a hopeful smile played on his lips.

“Oh, sure. It’s not every day that this stick in the mud brings a new face around. You must be something special.”

“Um. I guess you could call us friends.”

Atreus’s chest gave a guilty twist. He hadn’t been nice to Nyel; he knew that. But there was too much at stake, too great a risk. He couldn’t afford to relax.

Still, that doesn’t mean I have to be an ass.

“I’m sorry about your boat,” Nyel offered with a sincere frown.

Leo stiffened a moment. “Nothing we can’t figure out. It’ll work out; it always does.”

Atreus didn’t miss the way his smile faltered at the end. The air grew awkward for a moment before Leo broke the stillness, his voice cheerful if not a bit strained.

“So, Nyel, how long are you staying? Will you still be here for the Baia Festival?”

“No,” Atreus answered for him. “Sorry, we have other plans.”

“Awww, come on, Gatto. You said that last year. I swear I’ll drag you there myself. We’re totally going.”

“What’s a festival?” Nyel asked.

Atreus shot him his best ‘shut up’ look but recognized the determined set to Nyel’s jaw.

“What’s the Baia Festival? It’s only the best event of the year!” Leo said like an announcer might to a crowd. “Food, music, dancing, games—you name it.”

Nyel’s eyes grew brighter with every word. “I want to go.”

“We can’t make it,” Atreus repeated.

“Don’t be like that, Gatto. The three of us would have an amazing time. And that way, when Gloria Lorenzo invites me as her date, I have an actual excuse,” he said, shivering at the girl’s name. “She’s been laying hints about as subtly as a lumberjack.”