[SPEAKER_00]: The last thing I expected to see at my secret nude beach was a Greek statue coming to life.

[SPEAKER_00]: That was honestly the only way to describe him.

[SPEAKER_00]: Carved from sunlight and salt water, like some reckless god had decided to take a morning swim just to ruin my peace.

[SPEAKER_00]: The beach was supposed to be empty.

[SPEAKER_00]: it always was.

[SPEAKER_00]: A little hidden cove tucked behind the cliffs, known only to me and the occasional seagull with no respect for personal space.

[SPEAKER_00]: I came here every year before summer break officially began, just to breathe, to shed everything.

[SPEAKER_00]: including my clothes, and remember that life could still feel soft and light.

[SPEAKER_00]: But this morning, the sea wasn't the only thing glimmering.

[SPEAKER_00]: He stood knee deep in the water, hair slick back, and golden from the sun, shoulders brought enough to cast their own shadow.

[SPEAKER_00]: his skin gleamed with droplets that caught the light like glass beads.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every muscle moved with the lazy confidence of someone completely at home in his body, and he was completely naked.

[SPEAKER_00]: I froze mid-step, towel in hand, wondering if I'd walked into a very attractive mirage.

[SPEAKER_00]: He turned, our eyes met, and that was it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was doomed.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, he said, voice smooth as the sea rolling over sand.

[SPEAKER_00]: Looks like I wasn't the only one with good taste and secret spots.

[SPEAKER_00]: I opened my mouth, but my brain decided a short circuit, instead, you, uh, you're not supposed to be here.

[SPEAKER_00]: Neither are you sunshine, his grin tilted, the kind that said he knew exactly what he was doing.

[SPEAKER_00]: guess we'll have to keep each other's secret.

[SPEAKER_00]: He started swimming again, casually, like we weren't two strangers standing bare under the open sky I watched, pretending not to, but my eyes had a mind of their own.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every stroke of his arms through the water, every ripple against his body, it all felt too cinematic to be real.

[SPEAKER_00]: I finally gathered enough sense to drop my towel and step into the surf.

[SPEAKER_00]: The water was cool and familiar, curling around my ankles, my knees, my waist, I dove in, letting the chill shock me into clarity.

[SPEAKER_00]: When I surfaced, he was closer, close enough that I could see the small scar at the corner of his lip, the faint stubble catching sunlight.

[SPEAKER_00]: Didn't think anyone else knew about this place, I said, he shrugged, eyes glinting.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe I followed the wrong trail and got lucky.

[SPEAKER_00]: ran into good company.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't blush easily, but somehow my entire body forgot that fact.

[SPEAKER_00]: You don't even know me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Not yet, he said, and the words hit deeper than they should have.

[SPEAKER_00]: We floated there for a while, talking about nothing and everything.

[SPEAKER_00]: The temperature of the water, how city noise fades the second you reach the coast.

[SPEAKER_00]: His business trip that turned into an accidental vacation.

[SPEAKER_00]: his laugh came easily unfiltered.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every time it escaped him, something warm, coiled low in my chest.

[SPEAKER_00]: When I glanced up, I realized the sun had started to dip, turning the horizon into a watercolor of gold and coral.

[SPEAKER_00]: I should head out, he said, waiting for the shore.

[SPEAKER_00]: I followed, reluctant to let the moment end.

[SPEAKER_00]: He shook the water from his hair, reached for his towel, and turned back to me one last time.

[SPEAKER_00]: And just like that, he was gone, no name, no number, just the ghost of salt on my lips, and the maddening sound of waves filling the silence he left behind.

[SPEAKER_00]: I stood there, watching the horizon, the breeze cooling my flushed skin.

[SPEAKER_00]: Somewhere between curiosity and desire, I smiled.

[SPEAKER_00]: I really hoped I'd see him again.

[SPEAKER_00]: the next evening.

[SPEAKER_00]: By the next evening, I'd convince myself that maybe I'd imagined him, that Sun, Salt, and one too many daydreams had created the perfect Mirage.

[SPEAKER_00]: That illusion shattered the moment, mom said, Oh, an Eli, your brother's friend Dylan will be staying with us for the summer.

[SPEAKER_00]: Be nice, he just arrived.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was halfway through a sip of iced tea, not really paying attention when the front door opened, and in walk tea.

[SPEAKER_00]: wet hair toutsled from travel, duffled slung over one shoulder, that same easy confident smile.

[SPEAKER_00]: Though this time it faltered the second our eyes met, my drink went down the wrong way.

[SPEAKER_00]: I coughed violently, trying not to choke while mom rushed over oblivious.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli, honestly, you're so clumsy!

[SPEAKER_00]: across the room, Dylan, Dylan, stood frozen, mid-greeting, towel memories flashing between us like lightning.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, he managed finally, that smirk trying to tug at his lips.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hey sunshine, I shot him a, don't you dare look so sharp it could have cut glass.

[SPEAKER_00]: Mom clapped her hands, cheerfully unaware of the war zone, simmering beneath the polite smiles.

[SPEAKER_00]: You too already know each other?

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan's pause was barely a breath.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've met.

[SPEAKER_00]: My laugh came out awkward too high.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, uh, sort of.

[SPEAKER_00]: The evening unfolded like a test in self-control.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dinner was polite, painfully so, Dylan talked about his internship at a local architecture firm about my brother's college days, all while his knee brushed mine under the table.

[SPEAKER_00]: Definitely not accidental.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every time I risked a glance at him, he looked amused, like this was a game.

[SPEAKER_00]: When everyone finally drifted off to bed, I found him in the kitchen, rinsing a glass.

[SPEAKER_00]: The hum of the fridge was the only sound.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're just going to pretend that never happened, I hissed, keeping my voice low, he looked up, that teasing glint back in his eyes.

[SPEAKER_00]: Unless you'd rather announce it to your mom.

[SPEAKER_00]: I glared, heat rushing to my face, you're impossible.

[SPEAKER_00]: He took a step closer, close enough that the faint smell of salt water and soap made my pulse jump.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you, he said softly, are blushing again sunshine.

[SPEAKER_00]: I opened my mouth for a comeback, but nothing came out.

[SPEAKER_00]: He smiled, slow and knowing, before walking away, leaving me breathless in my own kitchen.

[SPEAKER_00]: Later that night.

[SPEAKER_00]: It was nearly midnight when I padded down the hallway, still wired from the world's most awkward dinner.

[SPEAKER_00]: The house had gone quiet, mom's soft snoring, the home of the ceiling fan, the distant crash of waves through the open window.

[SPEAKER_00]: I paused at my door, hand on the knob, then noticed the suitcase leaning against the wall beside it, a duffel I recognized.

[SPEAKER_00]: A low whistle came from behind the half closed door next to mine, followed by Dylan's voice.

[SPEAKER_00]: soft, amused, humming some tune I didn't know.

[SPEAKER_00]: My stomach dropped, he's staying right next to me, as if on cue his door opened.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan stepped out shirtless, towel slung around his neck, catching me mid-steer.

[SPEAKER_00]: Couldn't sleep either sunshine?

[SPEAKER_00]: He whispered, grin lazy.

[SPEAKER_00]: I muttered something about water and fled into my room, slamming the door behind me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Heart hammering, pulse far too awake from midnight.

[SPEAKER_00]: By morning, I'd convinced myself I could handle breakfast like a normal human being.

[SPEAKER_00]: Spoiler, I could not.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan was already in the kitchen when I walked in.

[SPEAKER_00]: bare-chested, wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants that looked criminally soft.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was leaning against the counter, sipping coffee like he owned the place.

[SPEAKER_00]: Morning sunshine, he said, voice still rough from sleep.

[SPEAKER_00]: Don't call me that, I'm muttered, heading for the fridge.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brain screamed at me to look anywhere else, but my eyes betrayed me.

[SPEAKER_00]: catching the slow stretch of his arms, the defined lines of his stomach, the small scar near his collarbone I hadn't noticed before.

[SPEAKER_00]: He noticed me noticing.

[SPEAKER_00]: of course he did, his smile turned smug.

[SPEAKER_00]: My mom bustled in, oblivious to the tension so thick it could have buttered toast.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli, poor Dylan some juice, will you?

[SPEAKER_00]: I grabbed the glass, our fingers brushing when I handed it to him, static, instant and dangerous.

[SPEAKER_00]: He didn't move his hand right away, his thumb grazing mind just a fraction too long.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks, he murmured.

[SPEAKER_00]: I pulled back like I touched fire, pretending to be very interested in my toast.

[SPEAKER_00]: My heart thudded so loud I was sure it was audible.

[SPEAKER_00]: Across the table, Dylan's eyes lingered on me, playful, but unreadable.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every accidental glance, every brush of his knee under the table felt deliberate.

[SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't decide if I wanted him to stop or if I die if he did.

[SPEAKER_00]: because this was wrong.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was my brother's best friend, a guest in our house off limits.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yet, every time he laughed, every time our eyes met, all I could think about was sunlight on his skin and the taste of salt in the air I was in so much trouble.

[SPEAKER_00]: A week later, [SPEAKER_00]: By the time the next weekend rolled around, I'd spent seven days pretending that Dylan smiled didn't undo me every single time.

[SPEAKER_00]: Seven days of half-accidental touches, long looks, and the occasional morning sunshine that made my heart short circuit.

[SPEAKER_00]: So when he appeared by the back door that Saturday, towel draped over his shoulder and said, [SPEAKER_00]: The afternoon sun shimmered on the water, hot against my skin, Dylan Cannonballed straight in, sending a splash that drenched me before I'd even stepped on to the first tile.

[SPEAKER_00]: Really mature, I said, sputtering.

[SPEAKER_00]: He grinned up at me from the water, slick hair, mischievous eyes.

[SPEAKER_00]: You look too dry sunshine.

[SPEAKER_00]: I rolled my eyes and dove in.

[SPEAKER_00]: Cool water swallowed the heat, and for a while it felt easy again.

[SPEAKER_00]: Laughing, splashing, pretending the air between us wasn't charged with something I didn't dare name.

[SPEAKER_00]: Ed mid-it, he teased, swimming close enough that his knee brushed mine under the water.

[SPEAKER_00]: You missed me after the beach, I snorted.

[SPEAKER_00]: Please, I didn't even know your name.

[SPEAKER_00]: He leaned in just slightly, voice dipping, but you remember everything else.

[SPEAKER_00]: That grin, God, it was lethal I splashed him square in the face, you're insufferable.

[SPEAKER_00]: Flattered, he said, shaking the water from his hair, droplets, glinting like tiny diamonds.

[SPEAKER_00]: I should've looked away, I really should've.

[SPEAKER_00]: but my gaze lingered on the lines of his shoulders.

[SPEAKER_00]: The easy strength in the way he moved, the sunlight tracing down his throat, and then he caught me staring.

[SPEAKER_00]: For one heartbeat, everything stilled.

[SPEAKER_00]: The air, the ripples, even my pulse.

[SPEAKER_00]: His eyes soften, the teasing fading into something quieter.

[SPEAKER_00]: Warmer, he drifted closer.

[SPEAKER_00]: The space between us shrinking to inches.

[SPEAKER_00]: I forgot how to breathe.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is, I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze away.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is a bad idea.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan didn't push.

[SPEAKER_00]: He just studied me unreadable for a moment before his smile returned, gentler this time.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe he said softly backing away, but it's a good kind of bad, isn't it?

[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't answer.

[SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't.

[SPEAKER_00]: He swam to the far end, and I stayed where I was trying to steady the chaos in my chest, because the truth was, he wasn't wrong.

[SPEAKER_00]: A few days later, my best friend Sam had a gift for showing up unannounced and eating half the snacks in the house, which was probably why I loved him.

[SPEAKER_00]: By Saturday evening, we were sprawled across my bed, sharing a bag of chips, the fan worrying lazily above us.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, he said crunching loudly, you've been weirdly smiley lately spill, what's going on?

[SPEAKER_00]: I hesitated.

[SPEAKER_00]: You have to promise not to laugh.

[SPEAKER_00]: Those are the most fun promises to break.

[SPEAKER_00]: I threw a pillow at him, but he just grinned.

[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, fine, I muttered.

[SPEAKER_00]: I met someone.

[SPEAKER_00]: His eyes widened.

[SPEAKER_00]: What?

[SPEAKER_00]: When?

[SPEAKER_00]: I groaned, covering my face with the pillow.

[SPEAKER_00]: At the beach, the nude beach.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was a beat of stun silence before Sam burst into uncontrollable laughter, wheezing so hard he nearly fell off the bed.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my god Eli, you went to the nude beach and met someone was he like wearing sunscreen and sin shut up I hissed, smacking him with the pillow again, but I couldn't help smiling.

[SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't like that, it was nice, he was funny, confident and stupidly hot, Sam Grind.

[SPEAKER_00]: So where's the tragic twist?

[SPEAKER_00]: I sighed.

[SPEAKER_00]: He turned out to be my brother's best friend, Dylan.

[SPEAKER_00]: The laughter stopped mid-breath.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sam blanked.

[SPEAKER_00]: Wait, the Dylan?

[SPEAKER_00]: The one staying here?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, this is gold.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sam said laughing again.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're living in a fan fiction, Eli.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, except the kind where the guys totally out of my league.

[SPEAKER_00]: I tried to sound light.

[SPEAKER_00]: but the word slipped out heavier than I meant.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's just playing around.

[SPEAKER_00]: Guys like him don't actually go for people like me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sam's teasing grin faded, replaced by something softer.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, don't say that.

[SPEAKER_00]: but it was too late, because from the corner of my eye, I caught movement at the door, a shadow.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan, he stood there just long enough for our eyes to meet, long enough for me to see the flicker of hurt behind his calm expression.

[SPEAKER_00]: Before he turned and walked away, quiet as a ghost, the chips turned to sand in my throat.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli?

[SPEAKER_00]: Sam said carefully, sitting up.

[SPEAKER_00]: Was that?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I whispered heart sinking.

[SPEAKER_00]: That was him.

[SPEAKER_00]: The silence that followed was worse than any laughter.

[SPEAKER_00]: And all I could think was, he heard everything.

[SPEAKER_00]: Later that night, it was late.

[SPEAKER_00]: The kind of late where the house felt half asleep.

[SPEAKER_00]: Quiet [SPEAKER_00]: I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to replay the look on Dylan's face when he overheard me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I should have gone after him, should have said something.

[SPEAKER_00]: But instead, I'd stayed frozen, letting the silent stretch until it turned into guilt.

[SPEAKER_00]: A soft knock broke through my thoughts, three short taps, hesitant, my chest tightened.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_00]: The door creaked open and there he was.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan, barefoot, wearing a loose t-shirt, and that calm expression that somehow made him even harder to read.

[SPEAKER_00]: Can we talk?

[SPEAKER_00]: He asked quietly.

[SPEAKER_00]: I nodded, sitting up as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

[SPEAKER_00]: the air shifted, like the room itself held its breath.

[SPEAKER_00]: He stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on me.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, he said finally, voice steady, but low, you really think I'm just playing around, I froze.

[SPEAKER_00]: You, I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck.

[SPEAKER_00]: You weren't supposed to hear that.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I gathered, he let out a short humorless laugh.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I did, and I can't stop thinking about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I tried to look away, but he stepped closer.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just a little.

[SPEAKER_00]: Enough for me to catch the faint scent of sea salt and soap.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not that I, I stammered, words tangling.

[SPEAKER_00]: I just thought, guys like you don't usually, he cut me off softly.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli.

[SPEAKER_00]: I looked up.

[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't stopped thinking about that day either.

[SPEAKER_00]: The air went electric.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every heartbeat felt louder than the last.

[SPEAKER_00]: His eyes searched mine, steady and burning with something I didn't dare name.

[SPEAKER_00]: He moved closer until I could feel the warmth of him, the faint brush of his breath.

[SPEAKER_00]: My pulse roared in my ears.

[SPEAKER_00]: tell me to stop, he murmured.

[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't.

[SPEAKER_00]: Couldn't.

[SPEAKER_00]: He leaned in, slow, deliberate, until our foreheads nearly touched, until the space between us was nothing but static and want, then, footsteps, heavy and unmistakable.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yo, Dylan, you still up!

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother's voice called from down the hall.

[SPEAKER_00]: We both jerked back like we'd been burned.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan swore under his breath, stepping away just as my door cracked open.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother peaked in, bleary-eyed.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, hey, didn't know you were in here.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan's voice was smooth, perfectly casual.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, just talking to Eli, couldn't sleep.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother nodded and shuffled away.

[SPEAKER_00]: The silence that followed was deafening.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan looked at me, a rise smile ghosting across his lips.

[SPEAKER_00]: Guess the universe isn't a fan of timing, I tried to laugh but it came out shaky.

[SPEAKER_00]: He turned toward the door, good night sunshine, and then he was gone again, leaving me in the quiet dark, pulse still racing, lips still tingling with the kiss that almost happened.

[SPEAKER_00]: Two weeks later, [SPEAKER_00]: two weeks passed, and somewhere between shared breakfasts and stolen glances, Dylan had become part of the rhythm of my days.

[SPEAKER_00]: It started small.

[SPEAKER_00]: Him hovering over my shoulder while I cooked, offering helpful commentary that was anything but.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're chopping those tomatoes like they owe you money.

[SPEAKER_00]: He teased one morning, leaning against the counter, sleeves rolled to his elbows.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they do, I shot back, flicking a bit of sauce at him.

[SPEAKER_00]: He gasped, mock-offended, then retaliated, with a swipe of flower across my cheek.

[SPEAKER_00]: What followed was a blur of laughter, slippery tiles, and the faint awareness that if I looked into his eyes for too long, I'd forget how to breathe.

[SPEAKER_00]: Later, we tackled the old garden shed.

[SPEAKER_00]: My mom had decided it needed a fresh coat of life.

[SPEAKER_00]: which apparently meant Dylan and I covered in paint by sunset.

[SPEAKER_00]: He worked beside me, his t-shirt clinging to his back, the air thick with heat and the scent of wood.

[SPEAKER_00]: When I stumbled off the ladder, he caught me without thinking.

[SPEAKER_00]: Steady hands at my waist, fingers warm against my skin.

[SPEAKER_00]: For one dizzying second, everything stilled.

[SPEAKER_00]: His breath hitched.

[SPEAKER_00]: Minded too.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he let go, smiling like nothing happened, and I laughed too loudly to fill the space that became our pattern.

[SPEAKER_00]: We bickered over recipes, teased each other during card games, and invented inside jokes that no one else would understand.

[SPEAKER_00]: The kind of easy, familiar joy that felt dangerous because it wasn't supposed to mean this much.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it did.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes I'd look up and find him already watching me.

[SPEAKER_00]: eyes soft, unreadable, as if he was memorizing the moment, and sometimes when I caught him like that, he'd smile and look away too quickly, pretending to focus on anything else.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every brush of his hand, every shared grin, every second of laughter felt like standing at the edge of something beautiful and terrifying all at once.

[SPEAKER_00]: because no matter how close we got, there was still that invisible line drawn by circumstance by my brother, by everything unspoken between us, and yet, when our hands brushed over the paint cans one last time, I saw it in his eyes too.

[SPEAKER_00]: We were both pretending not to fall, but we already were.

[SPEAKER_00]: Two days later, I drove to the beach without telling anyone, the same winding road [SPEAKER_00]: the same quiet stretch of sand tucked behind the cliffs.

[SPEAKER_00]: My secret place I needed space to think, to breathe, to stop replaying every almost touch and almost kiss with Dylan like a song I couldn't turn off.

[SPEAKER_00]: The sun was already sinking low, turning the sky into a water color of amber and rose.

[SPEAKER_00]: I kicked off my shoes and walked toward the waves.

[SPEAKER_00]: The breeze cool against my skin.

[SPEAKER_00]: and then I saw him, standing knee deep in the surf just like that first day for a second.

[SPEAKER_00]: I thought the universe was playing some kind of joke on me, but when he turned, [SPEAKER_00]: when those familiar eyes met mine, it felt less like coincidence, and more like gravity doing what it always does.

[SPEAKER_00]: Pulling me toward him, didn't think you'd be here, I said quietly.

[SPEAKER_00]: He gave a soft laugh, shaking his head.

[SPEAKER_00]: Guess we both had the same idea.

[SPEAKER_00]: No teasing this time, no playful smirk, just something raw and unguarded in his expression.

[SPEAKER_00]: He stepped closer, [SPEAKER_00]: I keep trying to stay away, he said, voice low, because of your brother, because it's the right thing to do, but then I see you, and everything logical just, he exhaled, shaking his head again, it disappears.

[SPEAKER_00]: The waves curled around our ankles, I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, Dylan, I don't want to mess things up, he said softly, but I can't pretend this isn't real.

[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't been able to since that day.

[SPEAKER_00]: For a moment, the only sound was the C.

Then I whispered, then don't.

[SPEAKER_00]: His eyes flickered, something breaking open inside them.

[SPEAKER_00]: He stepped forward until we were.

[SPEAKER_00]: Inches apart, the world narrowing to the rhythm of waves and the taste of salt in the air.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli, he breathed like a confession, and then he kissed me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Slow, tentative, almost reverent, like we both been holding our breath for weeks and finally exhaled at the same time.

[SPEAKER_00]: His hands came up to cradle my face, [SPEAKER_00]: I curled mine in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer.

[SPEAKER_00]: The sky burned gold around us, and for the first time it felt right.

[SPEAKER_00]: No secrets, no pretending, just us.

[SPEAKER_00]: Two people who had finally stopped fighting gravity.

[SPEAKER_00]: a few days later, the days after the beach felt like stolen hours, beautiful and fragile as if the universe had finally let us breathe but could change its mind any second.

[SPEAKER_00]: We didn't call it anything, not out loud, but it was there in every quiet moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: His hand brushing mine when no one was looking, his lips ghosting against my shoulder in the dark, the way he whispered good night through the wall between our rooms.

[SPEAKER_00]: it was our secret, ours alone.

[SPEAKER_00]: Mornings were torture in the sweetest way.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother would sit at the kitchen table, scrolling his phone while Dylan poured coffee, and I'd have to bite my tongue to keep from smiling too much.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every glance felt like a spark we couldn't acknowledge.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then one evening, the spark turned into fire.

[SPEAKER_00]: We were in the living room, the TV murmuring in the background, the house otherwise empty.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan's hand found mine between the couch cushions.

[SPEAKER_00]: I laced my fingers through his without thinking.

[SPEAKER_00]: Feels normal.

[SPEAKER_00]: I whispered smiling, he smiled back, maybe someday it can be.

[SPEAKER_00]: And for a moment, everything was still, warm and safe and right.

[SPEAKER_00]: Until the front door opened, my brother stood there, frozen, Jim Bag slipping from his shoulder as his gaze dropped to our joint hands.

[SPEAKER_00]: the world stopped.

[SPEAKER_00]: He didn't say anything at first.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just stared.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eyes wide.

[SPEAKER_00]: Confusion giving way to anger.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he took a step back, shaking his head.

[SPEAKER_00]: Are you kidding me?

[SPEAKER_00]: Wait, Dylan started standing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Voice trembling.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not, but my brother cut him off.

[SPEAKER_00]: Voice sharp and shaking.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're my best friend, Dylan.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother.

[SPEAKER_00]: His eyes turned to me, hurt, disbelief, betrayal.

[SPEAKER_00]: How long?

[SPEAKER_00]: I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come.

[SPEAKER_00]: My throat burned.

[SPEAKER_00]: He looked between us again, jaw clenched.

[SPEAKER_00]: Unbelieveable.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then he turned and walked out, slamming the door so hard the wall seemed to shut her.

[SPEAKER_00]: Silence swallowed the room.

[SPEAKER_00]: I sank onto the couch, heart pounding, eyes stinging.

[SPEAKER_00]: He hates me, Dillon ran a hand through his hair, pacing, no, he's just- he needs time.

[SPEAKER_00]: His voice cracked anyway, guilt written across his face.

[SPEAKER_00]: I shook my head, staring at our empty hands.

[SPEAKER_00]: We should have told him.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know, he said softly, sinking beside me.

[SPEAKER_00]: We sat there in the quiet aftermath, the weight of everything pressing down.

[SPEAKER_00]: And for the first time, since that day on the beach, the silence between us didn't feel electric, it just hurt.

[SPEAKER_00]: The next day, by the next morning, the house felt colder, Dylan's duffel bag was by the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: He stood beside it, hair still damped from a shower, eyes shadowed like he hadn't slept.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's better if I move out for a bit, he said quietly, give everyone space.

[SPEAKER_00]: My stomach twisted.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that's it.

[SPEAKER_00]: You're just leaving.

[SPEAKER_00]: He hesitated.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not what I want Eli.

[SPEAKER_00]: But right now, it feels like what I should do.

[SPEAKER_00]: The lump in my throat burned as I watched him go.

[SPEAKER_00]: The door shut with a soft click that sounded nothing like goodbye.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yet it was, by noon, I couldn't stand the silence anymore.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother was in the backyard, pretending to fix the fence.

[SPEAKER_00]: Really just avoiding me.

[SPEAKER_00]: You happy now?

[SPEAKER_00]: I snapped marching toward him.

[SPEAKER_00]: You chased him away.

[SPEAKER_00]: He turned slowly.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eyes tired.

[SPEAKER_00]: Eli?

[SPEAKER_00]: No.

[SPEAKER_00]: You treated this like it's some dirty secret.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like I did something wrong for caring about him.

[SPEAKER_00]: My voice broke on the last word, he set the hammer down, siren, that's not it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then what?

[SPEAKER_00]: He looked at me, really looked at me.

[SPEAKER_00]: The anger I'd expected wasn't there, just heard.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not about you two being together, I don't care about that.

[SPEAKER_00]: I blinked, thrown off, then why?

[SPEAKER_00]: Because I didn't see it coming, he said softly, you're my brother, he's my best friend, and suddenly you're both keeping something from me, something big, it felt like I lost you both in one second.

[SPEAKER_00]: The fight drained out of me.

[SPEAKER_00]: He rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling.

[SPEAKER_00]: I just needed time to catch up, okay?

[SPEAKER_00]: To not feel replaced.

[SPEAKER_00]: Gilt settled heavily in my chest.

[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't mean to hurt you, I whispered.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know.

[SPEAKER_00]: He said, I softening.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I know, Dylan didn't either.

[SPEAKER_00]: We stood there for a moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: Two brothers trying to bridge the space between love and misunderstanding.

[SPEAKER_00]: The sea breeze carried through the yard, and for the first time since it all blew up, I let myself hope that maybe, just… maybe, it wasn't over yet.

[SPEAKER_00]: A few days later, the sound of tires crunching over the gravel pulled me out of my daydream.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan's truck, I froze halfway through skimming leaves off the pool, my heart thudding too fast.

[SPEAKER_00]: It had been days since he left, and every one of them felt stretch and hollow.

[SPEAKER_00]: From the kitchen window, I saw him at the doorway with his duffel bags slung over one shoulder.

[SPEAKER_00]: come back to pick up the rest of his things.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother met him there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

[SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't hear what they said at first, but when my brother stepped forward, his voice carried, hey before you go, Dylan paused cautious.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was a jerk, my brother said, you didn't deserve that, I just wasn't ready to see it, but I get it now, you make him happy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan Blinkt caught off guard.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother gave a small awkward shrug.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's all that matters.

[SPEAKER_00]: Don't screw it up.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then, to my utter disbelief, he clapped Dylan on the shoulder before heading back inside.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan stood there for a moment, the bag slipping from his grip.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then his gaze found me.

[SPEAKER_00]: He walked toward the pool slowly.

[SPEAKER_00]: The afternoon light glinting off the water.

[SPEAKER_00]: The air between us thick with all the things we hadn't said.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, I managed.

[SPEAKER_00]: My voice barely more than a whisper.

[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, he stopped right in front of me.

[SPEAKER_00]: So close I could smell the faint salt and soap on his skin.

[SPEAKER_00]: His hand found my wrist tentative but sure.

[SPEAKER_00]: I came to get my stuff, he said.

[SPEAKER_00]: But then your brother, he said something that stuck.

[SPEAKER_00]: I tilted my head, heart hammering.

[SPEAKER_00]: What?

[SPEAKER_00]: Dylan's fingers trailed down to my hand, lacing through mine.

[SPEAKER_00]: His voice dropped to something that trembled, but didn't break.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not running anymore.

[SPEAKER_00]: For a second, I couldn't breathe, and then his hand was on my cheek, and his lips were on mine, slow, certain, filled with every unsaid word.

[SPEAKER_00]: The world tilted, the pool water shimmered beside us, catching the sunlight like spilled glass.

[SPEAKER_00]: When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm home, he murmured.

[SPEAKER_00]: and for the first time, it really felt true.

[SPEAKER_00]: A few weeks later, the smell of grilled corn and charcoal hung in the warm air, mixing with the sound of laughter and waves rolling in the distance.

[SPEAKER_00]: Late summer had painted everything gold.

[SPEAKER_00]: The sky, the water, even dill and smile from across the table.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was sitting beside my brother.

[SPEAKER_00]: flipping burgers like the world's most domestic X-Greek god, sleeves rolled up, and sun catching on his forearms.

[SPEAKER_00]: Every now and then, our eyes would meet over the clatter of plates and music, and he'd give me that look.

[SPEAKER_00]: The one that still made my stomach summer salt.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother caught us once, followed our silent exchange with an exaggerated sigh.

[SPEAKER_00]: but the smirk tugging at his mouth gave him away, dinner bled into sunset.

[SPEAKER_00]: My mom went inside to find dessert.

[SPEAKER_00]: My brother started a lazy conversation about football and Dylan brushed his knee against mine under the table.

[SPEAKER_00]: Soft, quick, electric.

[SPEAKER_00]: Later, as the sky deepened into violet, he stood and nodded toward the path that led to the beach.

[SPEAKER_00]: Walk?

[SPEAKER_00]: We slipped away unnoticed, or maybe just unbothered, the tide was low, the horizon a soft blur of orange and blue, the same stretch of sand where it all began shimmered under moonlight, our fingers brushed, then twined, fitting together like something inevitable.

[SPEAKER_00]: It feels different now, delincent quietly, I smiled.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's because we don't have to pretend anymore.

[SPEAKER_00]: He looked at me then.

[SPEAKER_00]: I soft, like the ocean was reflecting in them.

[SPEAKER_00]: You really think your family's okay with this?

[SPEAKER_00]: I nodded.

[SPEAKER_00]: they don't have to be.

[SPEAKER_00]: I am.

[SPEAKER_00]: For a long moment we just stood there, barefoot in the sand, waves curling around our ankles, heart steady, then he leaned down, pressed a slow kiss against my forehead, and everything that had once been chaos finally felt calm.

[SPEAKER_00]: I laughed softly, glancing up at him.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I murmured [SPEAKER_00]: The hot stranger at the nude beach turned out to be my brother's best friend.

[SPEAKER_00]: But somewhere between awkward dinners and stolen kisses, he also became mine.

[SPEAKER_00]: The end.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you think forbidden romance is always the sweetest?

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for watching.

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