“Yeah, it’s a lot. You’ve probably forgotten. You don’t have to do homework anymore.”
“We’ve got it easy.”
Patricia and Luca join us.
“And you’ll be spending the week with this amazing boy,” Axel says, taking Luca’s hand and resting him in front of his legs.
“My dads told me.”
She turns to Luca. “Hi, I’m Stella. What’s your name?”
I open my mouth to explain that Luca doesn’t speak, but Axel nudges me. I frown.
“Luca,” Luca says.
The world stops.
He said his name. He talked.
My vision blurs. I turn to Axel, and when I look at him, he has tears in his eyes too.
Axel squeezes my hand.
Stella’s eyes drop to our hands, and every muscle in my body goes tight.
The door opens again, and Evan and Vinnie exit. Their gazes fall immediately to Axel and me, which honestly makes sense. We’re standing in front of Evan’s parents’ apartment building, holding hands.
“Sorry.” Axel drops my hand. “We were having a moment.”
Evan nods slowly, his eyes still locked on our hands, as if he thinks that Axel and I might hold hands again.
“This is my friend, Enzo.” Axel introduces me to Stella.
Stella glances at me, then back at Axel. “You can call him your boyfriend. It’s okay.”
“Uh…” Axel’s hand flies to the back of his neck. Axel never fidgets. Never.
I look away, suddenly fascinated by the facade. The bricks are very nice. So is the mortar.
“Stella.” Amusement sounds in Evan’s voice, and when I look up, his eyes are dancing. “Maybe they’re not boyfriends. Not every two men you see together are boyfriends.”
Stella looks at him uncertainly, then she shakes her head. “I know. But they are definitely boyfriends, Dad.”
Evan presses his lips together and shoots Axel a look.
“Why don’t you take Luca inside, Stella?” Evan suggests. “You can show him where he’ll sleep.”
“Come, Luca,” Stella says. “Where are you from?”
“California,” Luca says. “I just moved here.”
“Do you like Boston?”
Luca turns up to Axel and smiles. “Yes.”
Evan grins. “So… You two…”
Stella called us boyfriends.
