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Xavier was leaving soon for Philadelphia and med school at the University of Pennsylvania. Carlos was headed to NYU’s graduate program in engineering. They’d never been apart, not since they were six years old.
This was going to suck.
“Every other week,” Xavier said, holding out his fist to bump.
Carlos complied, then cocked his head, studying him. “How did he die? The old dude, I mean.”
Xavier had to swallow hard as bile instantly gurgled up to burn his throat. “Killed himself.”
Carlos flinched. “Oh shit. I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” Xavier murmured. “He was... bigger than life, you know? And now he’s gone and I’m wondering all the what-ifs. What if I’d visited him? What if I’d called more often?”
Neither of which were true possibilities. Rocky hadn’t wanted Xavier to have any traceable connection. He’d been afraid and sad.
“You can’t think that way,” Carlos said, ever loyal. “From what I’ve read, people who are considering suicide in an actionable way don’t let their friends and family know, because the people who love them will try to stop them. You’re a good guy. If he’d wanted you to see, you would have seen.”
“I hope so.” God, he hoped so. He’d thought the worst when Rocky’s lawyer had contacted him about the inheritance. He’d thought Rocky had been murdered.
But suicide? Xavier had never seen that coming.
“How did you find out he was dead?” Carlos asked.
Xavier hesitated, contemplating telling Carlos a lie. But they didn’t lie to each other. Carlos was incapable of telling anyone a lie. Not that he might not want to. He just sucked at it.
Xavier, on the other hand, was a damn good liar, but he’d never lied to Carlos. He might have avoided the truth. Okay, fine, I’ve totally avoided the truth. But it was to keep his best friend safe.
And nightmare free.
Xavier looked around the diner again, still seeing no one paying them any attention. “His attorney contacted me,” he said softly.
Carlos’s eyes popped wide again. “Why? Did he leave you money?”
“Some, yes. A bit.” Not as much as Rocky had already given him, but still... It would come in handy when he left for Penn Med and was no longer living at home. Apartments in Philly were not cheap.
The money hadn’t been the important thing, though.
The important thing had been the small ceramic angel that Rocky had given him a month before he died. Couldn’t have cost more than ten bucks. But Rocky had had it inscribed on the base. Reach for the stars, mon ange.
It was an exhortation.
It was also a memory.
Either way, Xavier was never letting it go. He’d attached it to his key ring and carried it with him everywhere.
He pushed his plate across the table, no longer hungry. “You want my bacon?”
Carlos grinned. “I’ll never say no to bacon.” Sobering a little, he lifted his glass of orange juice, waiting until Xavier did the same. “Al futuro.”
“To the future,” Xavier echoed and made himself smile. “We are going to change the world, hermano.”
“You’re damn right we are.” Carlos demolished what was left on Xavier’s plate. “So where are we going today?”
Xavier blinked at him. “I’m going to weed my mama’s garden. Where are you going?”
“I’m your shadow, dude. You’re not going anywhere without me.” He leaned forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Your spidey senses have kept us on the right side of safe for too many years. If you think someone is following you, I’m not letting you walk alone.”
Xavier swallowed again, incredibly touched. “And my mama’s icebox pie doesn’t have anything to do with it?” he teased.
