Unspoken Currents

010

The sun was already filtering through the treetops when I woke up on our last day at camp. I stretched out in my sleeping bag, feeling both the excitement of returning home and a strange sense of reluctance. It was odd—I’d been counting down the days to get back to my bed and a hot shower, yet now I wasn’t ready to leave.

I unzipped the tent and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. The lake shimmered in the distance, the water still and glassy. It was quiet, the kind of peaceful that only existed out here. Layla and my parents were still asleep, but I saw Colton near the edge of the lake, skipping stones across the water with practiced ease. I watched him for a moment, almost mesmerized by the way he moved. He looked calm, focused—totally at home here.

“Morning,” I called, walking up to him.

He turned and gave me a lazy smile. “Hey. Sleep well?”

“Yeah, better than I thought I would,” I admitted. “Did you?”

Colton shrugged, his eyes drifting back to the lake. “Not bad. It’s nice out here. Makes me miss being a kid, you know?”

I nodded, not sure what to say to that. Sometimes, it felt like he was talking to me but really thinking about something else. I wanted to ask what he meant but didn’t want to push him. Instead, we stood there in comfortable silence, just listening to the sounds of nature around us.

It wasn’t long before Layla came out of her tent, followed by my parents, and we all got to work packing up. There was a strange mix of energy in the air—everyone seemed eager to get home but sad to leave. As I folded up my tent, I watched Colton laugh with my dad as they packed up the coolers. He fit in so easily, like he was part of the family.

We spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the campsite and making sure we didn’t leave anything behind. Layla and I took a walk around the lake, saying a quiet goodbye to the place we’d called home for the past few days. She was excited to get back and kept talking about the things she missed, but I found myself distracted, my thoughts drifting back to Colton.

There’d been something different about him lately, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but I’d caught him looking at me a few times over the past few days with this strange, unreadable expression. I told myself it was nothing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he wasn’t saying.

***

The drive home felt longer than usual. Layla dozed off beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, and Colton sat in the back seat, looking out the window with his headphones on. I stole a few glances at him through the rearview mirror, wondering what he was thinking about. He’d been quiet the whole ride, only speaking up when Layla’s parents asked him a question.

We finally pulled into our driveway as the afternoon sun was beginning to set. Everyone piled out of the car, stretching and yawning, grateful to be back. My parents started unloading the bags, and Layla headed inside, already talking about a hot shower. Colton helped with the gear, lifting the heavier items with ease, his quiet focus drawing me in even as I tried not to stare.

After we unpacked everything and said our goodbyes, Colton headed toward his car, throwing a casual wave over his shoulder. “See you guys later,” he called.

“Yeah, see you,” I replied, my voice sounding weaker than I’d intended. I watched him drive off, feeling an unexpected pang of disappointment as his taillights disappeared around the corner.

***

Later that evening, I was lying on my bed, scrolling through my phone, trying to distract myself from the strange heaviness that had settled over me. The trip was over; we were back to our normal lives. But nothing felt normal. It was like I’d left a piece of myself back at that campsite, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between me and Colton, even if I didn’t know what it was.

There was a soft knock on my door, and before I could respond, Colton poked his head in. I sat up, surprised to see him. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to check on you,” he said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah,” I replied, trying to sound casual. “Just tired, I guess. It was a long trip.”

He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall. “Yeah, same here. But it was nice, though. Spending time with you and Layla, your family... it felt good.”

There was something in his tone, something softer, almost vulnerable, that caught me off guard. I nodded, not sure what to say. “Yeah, it was good. Felt like we all got closer, you know?”

He looked at me, his gaze steady and intense. “I feel like we did too.” There was a pause, a loaded silence that stretched between us, and I felt my heart start to race for reasons I couldn’t explain.

He seemed to notice, because he gave a small smile, breaking the tension. “Anyway, just wanted to make sure you were good.”

“I’m good,” I replied, my voice a little too quick. “Thanks for checking on me.”

He nodded again, glancing around my room before his eyes settled back on me. “So, you think we’ll do it again? The camping trip, I mean.”

“Maybe. I mean, if Layla’s parents are up for it, I don’t see why not.” I shrugged, trying to act like this was just a normal conversation, even though my pulse was pounding in my ears.

He pushed off the wall, taking a step closer to me. “Good. I think it’d be fun.” His gaze held mine for a moment, something unspoken passing between us. I didn’t know what it was, but I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I looked down, breaking eye contact. “Yeah, it would.”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything, and I thought he might just walk out. But then he cleared his throat, and I looked up to find him watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “You know, if you ever need someone to talk to… I’m here. About anything.

I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. “Thanks, Colton. I appreciate it.”

He gave me a soft smile, one that made my chest feel tight. “Alright, I’ll let you get some rest. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Yeah, see you.”

He turned and opened the door, pausing for a second before glancing back at me. “Good night, William.”

“Good night,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

And then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him. I sat there in the silence, my mind racing. There had been something in that conversation, something I couldn’t quite grasp. It was like he’d been trying to tell me something without actually saying it.

As I lay back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but replay the conversation in my mind, searching for hidden meaning.

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