A Summer To Remember // A Spot Conlon au

Unchartered waters

The days following the birthday kiss were a blur of stolen moments and quiet whispers between Charlie and Spot. They didn't say much about it aloud; there didn't seem to be any need to. In the spaces where the others weren't looking, they existed in a perfect bubble, where the world slowed down just enough for them to breathe each other in.

But as much as they tried to keep it under wraps, their chemistry was too strong, too obvious to ignore. Their friends had their suspicions, and it didn't take long for the group to start noticing the subtle signs—the soft glances, the shared smiles, the hand-holding when they thought no one was paying attention. Race was the first to start calling them out, but even he could only do so much before he realized that teasing wasn't going to change anything.

Charlie was good at hiding it, at least on the outside. She still kept up her usual tough-girl persona—loud and quick with a comeback, keeping her circle of friends close. But even her feigned indifference couldn't mask the fact that every time she looked at Spot, her heart seemed to take a little leap. She'd catch herself staring at him when he wasn't looking, and when he did look back, she could feel a warmth spreading across her cheeks.

Spot, on the other hand, wasn't great at hiding things. He wasn't used to keeping his feelings under wraps—not with his friends, not with anyone. But this? This was new territory for him. The Brooklyn boy who'd always kept people at arm's length, who kept his world small, was suddenly allowing someone into it. Charlie had done that without even trying. He had never thought he'd find someone who could make him feel vulnerable, who could strip him of his usual armor, and yet here she was.

It felt natural, easy, and maybe a little too perfect for Spot's liking. Maybe that was the problem. Every time he let his guard down, every time he let her in just a little more, a voice in the back of his mind asked if it would last. What if this was just a summer fling? What if they were both just caught up in the moment and when the camp session ended, so would they?

Charlie's voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts one night when the two of them sat on the old, weathered dock by the lake, their feet dangling over the edge.

"You know," she began, her voice steady but quiet, "we've been sneaking around for days. But we never really talked about what this is."

Spot raised an eyebrow, looking over at her. The moonlight hit her face just right, casting a soft glow across her features. She looked different in the dark—softer, like she had a secret she was ready to share.

"You mean this?" he asked, his hand casually resting on the wooden planks beside him. He wasn't sure if he was referring to their relationship or the way he felt every time she was near, but somehow, it seemed like the same question.

Charlie gave him a small nod, her gaze locked on the rippling water below them. "Yeah, this. You and me."

Spot's heart skipped a beat at her words. "You want me to spell it out for you, Charlie? 'Cause I'm pretty sure we both know what's going on."

She turned to face him, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe I just need you to say it."

Spot hesitated. He hadn't said those words to anyone in a long time—not even to himself. Love wasn't something he was comfortable with, not after everything he'd been through. But looking at her now, looking at the way she was waiting for him to open up, something in him cracked.

"I like you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "More than I thought I could. More than I'm ready for."

Charlie's breath hitched slightly at his words, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The night was still, the only sound the soft lapping of the water against the shore.

"You know, I thought I was gonna be the one who'd have to say it first," she admitted, her voice soft, vulnerable in a way that was unlike her. "But I'm glad you did."

Spot looked over at her, his expression serious. "Yeah? You're not freaked out?"

Charlie shook her head, her lips curving into a small smile. "No, not at all. I'm just... not used to being honest with myself. You make me do that."

It was Spot's turn to smile now, a real, easy smile that reached his eyes. "Guess we're both a little messed up, huh?"

Charlie laughed, her hand brushing against his. "I guess. But I think we're good together."

"Good enough to keep this going when camp's over?" Spot asked, the question heavier than either of them had anticipated.

Charlie's eyes softened as she looked at him, and for a moment, everything felt too perfect to put into words. "We'll figure it out," she said, a promise in her tone.

Spot wasn't sure what that meant for the future, but somehow, he found himself trusting her. Maybe it was the way her voice sounded when she said it, or maybe it was the way her hand intertwined with his as they sat there in the silence, but he believed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wc:884