“Chad,” he says slowly, pulling a plate out of one of the bags. “Why did you bring actual plates?”
“What did you want me to do? Eat charcuterie off a paper towel like some kind of animal?”
“I mean, yeah. We’re camping. You don’t bring house plates camping.” John is full-on smiling now, and I love that I can make him happy.
“Well, I didn’t know therulesof camping. You guys left Blake and me to fend for ourselves, so we packed what we’d thought we’d need. We actually thought this was the bare minimum.”
“You’re right. We abandoned you when we didn’t even know you were coming. My bad,” he says dryly. Then he points toward the fire pit. “Alright, Princess. Since you brought half a grocery store with you, you can help me start the fire so we can actually cook some of it.”
“I would love to,” I lie. But it turns out it’s only sort of a lie. Who knew it could be fun to do camping thingswithJohn. I’d never come to the woods to do this alone, but with him, it’s notso bad collecting twigs, or “kindling” as he calls it, and trying to get this fire burning.
By the time Liam and Blake come hesitantly back into camp, we’ve got the fire going and some food out on the table.
Blake hops out of the truck first.
“Oh thank God,” he says, spotting the coolers. “Food!”
“The charcuterie is ready for you!” I announce while Liam laughs and shakes his head. Classic.
We spend the next couple hours doing exactly what John described earlier—sitting around, talking, and eating way too many snacks while John and Liam tend to the fire.
At one point, Blake and Liam get into an argument about the rules of some card game I’ve never played before, which leaves John and me leaning back in our chairs watching them like they’re back onLove Without Labels.
“So, is this your typical peaceful camping trip?” I joke.
John chuckles beside me. “Pretty much. But it was definitely quieter when it was just Liam and me.” For a moment, I worry he’s still upset we’re here, but then he nudges his knee into mine and says, “This is nice too… even if you’ve spent most of the evening complaining.”
“That’s because I’m new to this whole country living thing,” I tease.
John shakes his head with a small smile that’s illuminated by the campfire. He really is captivating, the way his tattoos decorate his skin, his silver hoop shining in his nose, and his messy hair that’s pulled back in his signature bun. I can’t believe there was ever a time where I didn’t realize I was attracted to him.
“This is actually kind of nice,” Blake admits, lying back in his chair like he’s at a resort instead of the woods, feet propped up on a cooler. “The chickens would’ve loved it.”
“Everything is always about the chickens, huh, baby?” Liam laughs, looking at Blake with obvious love in his eyes.
“Well, yes, they’re my literal children,” Blake explains as ifhe birthed them himself. “So, why do you guys always come to this spot?”
Blake has no idea he just opened the door to the conversation John has been avoiding for nearly a decade, and I freeze, holding my breath as I wait so see how he’ll react. I won’t be surprised if John brushes it off or pretends there’s no reason. I really hope he doesn’t, but it’s already been a big day for him, and he might not be ready for this conversation.
I don’t say anything, just let my hand rest near his on the arm of his chair, close enough that he could reach for it if he wanted to. The fire pops between us, sparks and ash floating up into the dark sky as the moment stretches on and on. John must still be processing his question, but finally, he lets out a big breath and nods to himself. “I first started coming here with Luke when I was a teenager.”
“Who’s Luke?” Blake asks innocently.
Liam squints. “Wait, what?”
“We were sixteen the first time we came,” John continues quietly. “His dad brought us camping here.”
“Wait… Luke, your friend from school?” Liam asks.
John nods. “We were together,” he says simply, and I’m so proud of him. I want to jump up and hug him or maybe kiss him, but this isn’t about me, so I bite my tongue and force myself to stay in my seat, giving him space to process at his own rate.
Liam frowns slightly, his brain clearly flipping through old memories. “Together… like dating?” he asks carefully.
John nods again. His shoulders are tense and his face is stoic, but he’s sharing the most intimate parts of himself as he confirms. “Yeah.”
Liam leans back slowly in his chair, eyes roaming as he stares into the fire like he’s putting together pieces of a puzzle that’ve been scattered for years. “Well,” he says after a pause, “that explains a lot.”
John glances over at him. “It does?”
