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He snorts. “She married one of the Lacher brothers. Baby number three is on the way.”
I let out a whistle. “Three? Jesus. I can’t even commit to a dog.”
He laughs and then slowly, the laughter fades into a silence that stretches and pulls at this thing between us.
This thing I know better than to give in to.
Him too.
“It’s getting late.” He leans back and rocks up to stand.
Shit, shit, shit.
He stretches out his shoulders beneath the moonlight, powerful arms swinging in a few mesmerizing arcs. “See you around, yeah?”
I get to my feet and nod too, looking away so I don’t stare at his flawless body.
God, his ass in that suit.
He doesn’t hesitate, just takes a couple fluid steps and does a shallow dive before popping up. I need to stop him. Say something.
“Hey, Cam.”
He rolls to his back to face me, arms barely moving at the surface.
“I won’t—” I clear my throat and try again. I can’t let him worry about me outing him. “You know, I won’t say anything about what happened with us. That last summer.” It’s too dark to read his features, but I— Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all. “Cam?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t worried. But I won’t either.” He’s pulling away, his arms slicing back overhead, one and then the other. “Not that it would make a difference if you did. Everyone knows I’m gay.”
The dock rocks, or maybe it’s just me. But suddenly my chest is doing something almost violent. “Wait, what?”
He stops with a short laugh, holding up a hand, because I’m balanced at the edge, a breath away from diving in after him.
“Whoa, Trev. Settle. Don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe with me, man. Always was. Always will be.” And he’s on the move. One stroke, two, and then without breaking his rhythm, he rolls onto his stomach and swims off into the darkness.
Chapter Four
CAM
Running my hands over my face, I listen to the chime of my phone alarm gently increase in volume. I don’t want to get up.
I don’t want to start another day knowing that Trevor is back in town. I don’t want to be looking for him around every corner, thinking I see him in every crowd, and if it actually is him, making sure no one picks up on that weirdly intense vibe between us.
But most of all, I don’t want to get caught in the same whirlpool of regret I lived in when he left after high school.
Because I had my chance.
He’d taken my hand that last day while the moving truck emptied the house he lived in with his mom and sister, and told me he was all in. That we didn’t have to hide. Trevor wanted me. And anyone who didn’t like it could screw off.
I’d thought about my dad. The store. Everyone I knew and the life I was terrified to lose… and then I told him I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
The big, tough captain of the hockey team stood before me with tears in his beautiful blue eyes and begged me to change my mind. To give us a chance. He swore no one had to know. That if I wasn’t ready, we could keep it a secret. He’d stay. Get a job. That we could find a way.
I wanted him. But I wasn’t ready. I’d been too scared to trust. Him. Myself. The people I loved most in this world.
Turns out, most of my friends and family were pretty awesome when I told them.
But Trev? Okay, who knows what would have happened if I’d said yes that last night instead of getting in my truck and driving straight through until morning so there was no way I could get back before he left.
