Page 20 of The Summer of Everything

Everything’s falling apart.

Ella hops onto her throne, legs crossed, lips puckered. She’s eagerly watching the door. Wes knows why.

He whispers, “I’m so dead.”

“Yup,” she says.

“This is going to end badly.”

“I’m counting on it.” She already has her phone out, recording.

Nico strolls inside, skateboard tucked under one arm. His other hand balances a cardboard cup with the Brews and Views logo on it. He’s wearing a loose-fitting tank top, low-slung black skinnies, and Adidas. His hair’s a little flat from the heat. A bead of sweat dribbles from temple to cheek to jaw.

Wes has never had a type. He’s equal-opportunity when it comes to guys. But skateboarder Nico has always created extraordinary chemical reactions inside of him.

“Yo, Alvarez!” Zay marches from between the aisles for a high-five. “Saw your moves out there. A respectable eight out of ten.”

Nico rolls his eyes, laughing. “¿Qué pasa, Jones?” He zigzags his way through the store to press a kiss to Mrs. Rossi’s cheek. “Buenas tardes, Señora Rossi.”

Ella says, “You’re drooling.”

“Shut up,” Wes says, scowling.

“Just pointing it out,” Ella comments with her phone directed at his face. Wes is certain this video evidence will haunt him for years to come, but he can’t focus on Ella. Nico and Mrs. Rossi are almost finished talking. He needs to worry about what’s going to come out of his mouth.

Which is… he’s still undecided.

“Hey,” Nico says, dumping his skateboard behind the counter.

“Hey,” Wes says, forcing that one word through his tight throat. He looks down at Nico’s board. “Sweet.”

He can tell it’s new—the wheels are still a fresh pink. On the underside are exotic florals and flamingos, a beautiful mash-up of greens and pinks.

“Picked it up last week,” Nico says, way too pleased. “Breaking her in.”

“Nice. How’s she ride?”

“Wesley, are you thinking of taking up boarding again?” Nico’s index finger rubs across the zigzag scar that splits his left eyebrow.

The last time Wes was on a skateboard, Nico was teaching him a basic trick when Wes promptly jacked it up, launching the board backward and airborne. The tail smacked into Nico’s eyebrow. The result: a near-concussion for Nico, blood ruining his favoriteMy Hero AcademiaT-shirt, and stitches.

“I’m not very good at… uh, that. Boarding.”

“Yeah, you’re not,” Nico says with an embarrassingly sympathetic grin.

Wes’s face and neck are painfully hot. “How’re your sisters?”

“Fussy and annoying as ever,” Nico sighs. His mom works from home, but Nico usually babysits his younger sisters during the summer so she can focus on her job. His dad was a biochemist who worked long hours, so Nico’s always had a role in watching over them.

“You love it,” Wes teases.

Nico can pretend all he wants, but he enjoys being dragged away from video games to play dolls or hide-and-seek with his sisters. He doesn’t mind helping with homework either.

“I do,” he concedes. “Here.”

Nico passes Wes the cardboard cup. Curling steam emanates from the hole in the plastic lid. It smells strong and earthy and delicious.

Though undocumented, Wes’s relationship with tea dates back to when he was six years old. On weekends, he couldn’t sleep at night until his dad limped through the front door like a zombie after working double shifts at the restaurant. He’d haul Wes into his arms and boil water for two mugs—one for each of them. Calvin would steep a sachet of fruity herbal tea for Wes. They’d camp out on the green sofa, Wes creased into Calvin’s side, to watch reruns of cartoons until Wes finally succumbed to exhaustion.

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