Last Almost

It was raining that night, the kind of summer storm that soaked the world in silence.
Eli and Ren had driven hours away from the city, escaping everything without saying why. Just a spontaneous trip, like the others. But this one felt different. Heavier.

They shared a small motel room-one bed, no questions.
Ren brushed his teeth beside Eli in the dim light, their arms touching. Laughing softly. Trying not to look too long. When they crawled into bed, neither said goodnight.

The storm outside echoed the tension in the room. Eli turned toward him, heart pounding. He whispered Ren's name like a confession.

"What if we weren't just friends?"

Ren didn't answer right away. Just stared at the ceiling, breathing slow and careful.

"We'd ruin it," he finally said.

"You and me. If we tried."

Eli didn't argue. He just nodded and rolled onto his back.
The space between them stayed small. But it never closed.

That was the last almost.
The last time either of them got that close to the truth.
After that, they stopped going on trips.
Stopped talking late.
Stopped pretending they weren't pretending.