One evening, they found themselves lying on the roof of an old, abandoned shed, staring up at the stars. The air was thick with the scent of the sea, the distant crash of waves blending with the night's stillness.
"Ever feel like you don't belong?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jay turned his head to look at him, eyes softening. "Every day."
Ethan swallowed, unsure of why he'd asked that, but glad he had. There was a comfort in knowing he wasn't alone in his confusion, that someone else shared the same weight of feeling out of place.
Jay reached out, his hand brushing against Ethan's. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here," he said softly.
Ethan's heart stilled, a warmth spreading through his chest. He looked at Jay, their gazes locking, something unspoken hanging in the air between them. It would be so easy to lean just a little closer, to let that invisible thread pull them together. But Ethan couldn't move, caught between fear and longing.
The moment passed, and Jay pulled his hand away, looking back up at the stars. But the feeling lingered, a quiet ache that settled deep in Ethan's bones, a longing he couldn't shake.
In that moment, Ethan knew: whatever happened, this summer, and this friendship, would change him forever.
YOU ARE READING
Drifting Through Time
RomanceWhen city boy Ethan is sent to a small coastal town, he doesn't expect much - until he meets Jay, a fearless local with secrets as deep as the ocean. Their friendship blossoms into something profound, but Jay's dark past soon catches up to them. Cau...
