He doesn't press. He just smiles, like he's already known what I was going to say.
"I thought so."
That's all he says before going back to watching the flames. His decision to drop it right there floors me. He gets it. He isn't going to pry. Relief sweeps through me.
How am I supposed to find another man like Vince? I can't. It isn't possible.
The campsite quiets as night deepens, and Vince and I sit by the fire in a comfortable silence. Flames flicker, mesmerizing, and I let myself get lost in their trance. As a kid, I could sit for hours watching fire dance, the crackling warmth nature's version of television.
Vince leans forward, elbows resting on his knees as he rubs his hands together. His leg rests so close to mine I can almost feel its warmth through the fabric of our jeans. Firelight illuminates his face, highlighting the strong angles of his jaw and the unexpected softness in his expression. He looks... beautiful.Too beautiful. I could stare at him all night, but feeling like a bit of a creep, I break the silence.
"Vince, are you still cold? I can make it bigger."
His smirk immediately makes me regret my phrasing. "What did you say?"
"Grow up. You know I meant the fire," I say with a grin, tossing another log onto the flames.
I poke at the ashes with a stick I'd set aside earlier, trying to ignore the way Vince's eyes linger on me. When I glance at him, he's still watching, his gaze steady and playful.
I look back at the fire, my stomach doing flips.
This is dangerous territory. We’resittingway too close for any of our usual games of eye contact.
He's just teasing, always teasing, but I secretly like the attention. I just wish it didn't give me a false sense of hope that I constantly have to keep in check. Whenever Vince looks at me like that, I feel like I'm teetering on the edge of something I can't name.
Gary's voice echoes in my head, a reminder that this is just a game for him. I tell myself he'll get bored, that he'll eventually move on to something else.
Vince isn't single, and neither am I. This is just how he is—playful, easygoing, flirty in a harmless way. The problem is the stupid thread of hope I can't seem to let go of. It complicates everything. I'm forever struggling to keep it together around him.
My eyes drift toward Gary, who stands at the picnic table across the campground. He talks animatedly, hands gesturing wildly while his husband, Frank, stands by his side, steady as always. I watch as Frank gently takes Gary's whiskey glass from him, probably to stop him from spilling it everywhere, and kisses him on the temple. The casual affection between them is so natural, so effortless.
They're adorable, like newlyweds who have never stopped being in love. That's what I want, what I hope to find someday. A partner who will stand by me, who'd be my person no matter what.
Without warning, Vince scoots closer, closing the tiny gap of cold air that had separated us. His leg presses against mine, warm and solid. He leans in, just enough for me to feel his breath on my ear. Goosebumps shoot up my arms as I clench my fists inside my pockets, trying to steady myself. His voice is low, even lower than usual.
"Can I ask you a private question?" he whispers, the words a hot current that electrifies my skin.
I don't answer. I can't. Every nerve in my body lights up, a circuit overloaded. Vince, oblivious,continues anyway.
"Do you maybe... have a little crush on Gary?"
Oh, God.
Laughter bursts from me, folding me forward and away from his infuriatingly beautiful mouth. Every bit of tension drains out of me in a sudden rush.
"What?!" I turn to him, tears welling in my eyes from the force of my laughter.
"I'm just curious," he says, grinning. "We both know he'shappilymarried. I won't tell."
I study his face, trying to gauge his sincerity. He's still close, too close, and his dark eyes sparkle with mischief. He's grinning, but something unreadable lies beneath the surface.
"Vince, you're a smart man," I say, smiling despite myself. "What do you think?"
For a moment, he doesn't respond. His gaze flicks to my mouth, and my heart stumbles. But then he leans back, reclaiming the small space between us on the log.
I take a deep, shaky breath and let my eyes wander back to Gary and Frank.
"I think Gary is one of the kindest people with the biggest heart I've ever met," I say thoughtfully.
