Chapter 133

Mateo sits cross-legged on his mattress, a thin scrap of foam with a blanket that looks older than he is. He’s nibbling at a crust of dry bread, crumbs clinging to his chin. When he hears the faint tap of my knuckles against the glass, his head snaps up. Big brown eyes. Wide, afraid. For a moment, he just stares, chest rising fast. I don’t move, don’t even breathe, I just let him see me there, cal