Cemetery Boys(109)

Lita, Maritza, and his dad scrambled after him.

“Yadriel!”

But he was running down the hall, his legs like Jell-O, half leaning against the wall. He passed one room, and then another. The small whiteboard outside the third room read J. DIAZ.

Yadriel shoved open the door.

Rio stood at the center of the room in his coveralls, eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. Flaca, Rocky, Omar, and Luca surrounded the bed.

“This is bullshit!” a voice yelled. Omar shifted, and Yadriel saw him.

Julian was trying to push himself up off the pillows, snarling and looking surly as he glared up at his brother.

Yadriel sucked in a breath.

All eyes swung to Yadriel, but he only cared about the dark, piercing gaze.

Julian blinked. “Yads?”

There was sudden thrashing, and his friends quickly moved out of the way.

“Dammit, Jules!” Rio snapped, but Julian wasn’t listening.

Yadriel didn’t have time to say anything before Julian was on his feet and across the room. They collided, and Yadriel could only clutch and hold on tight as Julian slammed into him, sending them toppling into the wall. Julian’s arms locked around him so tight it hurt, but Yadriel didn’t care.

Julian’s warm body pressed against him and a spark of discomfort momentarily flared. Yadriel didn’t have his binder on and he suddenly felt exposed and bare.

But then Julian laughed. It tickled Yadriel’s ear, and he could feel it rumble in Julian’s chest. Yadriel squeezed his arms tighter around Julian, smothering the spark in his embrace before it could catch fire.

Julian cupped Yadriel’s face in his hands. “You idiot!” he shouted, brow furrowed, but his smile was wide and dimpled. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

Yadriel was overwhelmed by the sheer fierceness of him. Julian’s spirit was nothing but a dull shadow of his real self. Alive, fiery, crushing. It was overwhelming, but Yadriel would gladly get his breath robbed by Julian’s brilliant smile over and over again.

“You’re so stupid!” Julian repeated. “You—!”

“Shut up—” Yadriel threw himself against Julian and wrapped his arms around his neck and kissing him fervently.

He felt Julian’s smile under his lips. Felt his arms wrap around him and squeeze him tight again.

Someone let out a low whistle.

“You know we can see both your asses in those hospital gowns, right?” Maritza called.

Yadriel ignored her. He pulled back enough to look Julian in the eye. “If you ever scare me like that again,” he said breathlessly, “I’ll kill you myself, Julian Diaz.”

Julian’s grin was sharp. Bright. Blinding. “Deal,” he murmured before crushing him into another kiss.

Yadriel gladly let himself drown in it.





EPILOGUE


Yadriel raced through the cemetery, pulling Julian along after him. Julian’s hand was warm, his grip strong, his palm calloused. As they ran for the church, Julian easily kept up as they wove between headstones. Yadriel looked over at him. Julian flashed him a cheek-aching smile and squeezed his hand. Laughter bubbled past Yadriel’s lips as he squeezed it back. He was there—he was real—and Yadriel would take any chance to grab him that he could.

The aquelarre was about to begin. It had taken a while to answer the police’s lingering questions and to get discharged from the hospital. Julian had refused to leave Yadriel. Proclaimed it with such ferocity that searing heat washed over Yadriel’s face.

But Rio also didn’t want to let him go, which was reasonable, considering what happened last time he let his little brother out of his sight. When Rio started asking too many questions, and Julian refused to give any answers, Yadriel’s dad was the one to break up the argument. He explained there was an important ceremony at the church Julian was welcome to attend. Afterward, he promised to bring Julian home himself.

Rio was suspicious—he didn’t understand why Julian would be so invested in any sort of religious event taking place at a church—but he eventually caved. Yadriel suspected it had a lot to do with Luca practically nodding off on his feet, and how Omar, Flaca, and Rocky kept complaining about being hungry. Even if they didn’t understand the secrecy, they were still ride-or-die for Julian.

Yadriel and Julian ran through the open gate and up the marigold-lined path to the church. Yadriel pulled Julian to a stop outside the door. Voices and laughter thrummed inside.

Poised halfway up the steps, Julian turned back to Yadriel.

Yadriel’s heart fluttered in his chest. The adrenaline coursing through his veins gave him a head rush. He was nervous. He was excited. He wanted to burst through the doors of the church. His heart wanted to explode. Beyond those doors, his mom, his ancestors, and his people were waiting, waiting to welcome this year’s of-age brujx.

To welcome him.

“You ready?” Julian asked, a curious look on his devastatingly handsome face.

“No,” Yadriel confessed, his voice tight.

Julian grinned. “Do it anyways.”

Laughter broke in Yadriel’s chest, easing the tension.

He snatched the front of Julian’s shirt and dragged him into a kiss. When he pulled back, Julian chased after his lips with a dazed smile.

“Later.” Yadriel chuckled, pushing his face away as he ran up the rest of the steps.