“The party we planned will keep us busy,” Mateo told her.

Molly sucked in a deep breath, but William chuckled beside her. “He’s joking. It’s only one night. They’re sixteen and seventeen years old, and we trust them. They’ll be fine.”

The tone in William’s voice, the way he stressed the word trust, made Josiah think he wasn’t sure if he had faith in them or not. But he wanted to. And he wanted Josiah and Mateo to prove themselves.

“I won’t do nothin’.” All their eyes found Mateo.

“We know,” William said, but Molly kneeled down in front of him.

“I know you won’t, Mateo. It’s me I’m worried about, not that you will do anything you’re not supposed to, okay? It’s my job to protect you guys, and I take that very seriously. I care about you both.”

Josiah’s heart raced as he watched and waited for Mateo’s reply. See, he wanted to tell him. You are someone. It’s not only me who sees it.

All Mateo did was nod, and a few minutes later, Molly hugged Josiah goodbye before she and William walked out the door, locking it behind them. Leaving Josiah and Mateo alone.

Mateo watched the TV, but it seemed to Josiah, he wasn’t completely paying attention to it.

Nerves twisted and turned inside Josiah. What should he say? Remember when we were talking this morning? I meant to tell you, you’re something to me.

That sounded stupid. He didn’t know how to put it into words without sounding like an idiot.

You make me feel like something, too... No. You’re my first real friend. Really, no. I like you. I might lo—

“I’m takin’ a shower.” Mateo words broke through Josiah’s thoughts. Which was a good thing. He had no business thinking what he had been.

But he did. No matter how hard he tried not to, he couldn’t stop thinking about Mateo.

Chapter Eight

Mateo

Mateo let the hot water wash over him, hoping it somehow helped him get his shit together. He needed to do it, and do it quick. The thing was, ever since he heard Josiah and Molly talkin’ about him, it’s all he could think about. Every time he looked at Josiah or walked with him in school or they did their homework together. When those big, trusting eyes would search around inside Mateo like no one ever did before.

Fuck.

This definitely wasn’t getting his shit together. He would get out of his shower, get dressed, and man-up. They’d play video games or something and he’d forget what Josiah said to him this morning.

And that’s exactly what he did. Well, most of it. They played some games on the Playstation, and Josiah ordered pizza with the twenty-five bucks Molly and William left them. “Want me to get you a drink?” Teo asked him as they stood at the counter. Their arms touched, sending a shockwave through Mateo, making him jerk away. “I’ll get it.” He didn’t let Josiah answer.

They ate dinner and then watched a movie. Josiah was quieter than usual and Teo tried not to think about it, tried not to wonder if he’d done somethin’ wrong. But then he got up and sat next to Mateo on the couch, saying he couldn’t see from the chair. It somehow soothed him, made him feel like things were okay.

“What do you wanna do now?” Teo asked when the credits starting rolling, hoping Josiah would look at him like he did this morning. In Brooklyn he never had times like this. Where he was...free, comfortable. A quiet voice inside him hoped it could last.

“There’s a chess set in the room. We can play that.”

Mateo shrugged. “Don’t know how.” Who played chess? Not people like Teo.

“I could teach you. I mean, if you want. You don’t have to. I know it’s kind of a dorky game... It’s my favorite.”

“Yeah?” he asked. He didn’t realize till this second he wanted to soak all these things in. Everything he could while he stayed here so he would always have the memories. “Think I could do it? I hear it’s hard.”

Josiah nodded his head, a big smile on his face. It made heat spread through Teo’s chest. “I know you could.”

They turned everything off in the living room and kitchen before making their way back to their room. Mateo closed the door behind them as Josiah pulled the game from the closet. He went over to Teo’s bed and started to set the game out.

Mateo didn’t know why but that made him smile, made more of that warmth fill him. They were both wearing sweats, T-shirts and socks. Mateo sat by the head of the bed, crossing his legs as Josiah crossed his, too.

Teo listened as Josiah explained the rules, told him what each of the pieces meant and what they could do. They sat on his bed for two hours straight, trying to work their way through a game of chess. It was confusing as hell, but the more time went by, the more Mateo started to get it. The more he could do things without asking Josiah questions.