Page 32 of It Starts With Summer

“Definitely,” I replied.“And rope is handy all around.You can never be too prepared.”

He stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine, but didn’t make a move.Ravi had become more comfortable with touching me.Sometimes, he’d place a hand on my shoulder or back while we were walking, or a hand on my thigh at dinner.He kept it subtle enough not to draw attention, and I wondered if he meant to keep us secret, or if he was quiet about public affection.

My heart raced as I tried to focus on packing the rest of our gear.All I could think about was Ravi’s touch and the way it made me feel - alive, desired, and incredibly turned on.As much as I wanted to keep things under wraps for both our sakes, it was becoming increasingly difficult to resist the magnetic pull between us.But for now, I had to prioritize the campers and their safety on this trip.

“Alright, I think we’re good to go,” I announced, securing the last strap on a backpack.“Tomorrow, we’ll just do a run-through of personal items the campers want to bring and double-check your list.”I glanced down at the list, where Ravi had placed a neat checkmark next to the word lube.

“Great.”Ravi’s dimples made an appearance as he tapped on his list.“Thank you for tolerating my need to triple-check everything.”

“It’s the wisest.Especially when it comes to that last item on the list.I wish we could be more open about things.”

Ravi tilted his head.“I thought you were open with your sexuality.”

“I am, and I don’t want you to think I’d hide what we are… whatever we are.”

“Camp boyfriends,” Ravi said firmly, making me smile.“I’m not big on PDA, but I see no reason to lie about it.”

“Well, as you know, Aiden and Jay met last year.They got caught fooling around, and they were forced apart, and no longer in charge of the same cabin.”

His eyebrows raised, and he nodded in understanding.“I see.So, we have to be careful not to get caught if we want to continue to spend all of our time together.”

“Exactly,” I agreed, relieved that he got it.

“Well, I don’t really like lying, but I want to spend the next six weeks with you.It seems strange that the camp would discourage relationships, though.”

“We’re allowed to be in a relationship.But Aiden and Jay were so wrapped up in each other — they became too focused on each other when they needed to be watching their campers.”

Ravi snorted.“That wouldn’t happen to us.I’m very safety conscious.”

I smiled at him.My camp boyfriend was the cutest.“I know that, but Matt doesn’t.He’d likely put me with Ben and you with Sutton.”

“Ew, no.”Ravi's expression was one of pure horror, which only made me laugh.“If we have to, we'll be sneaky about it.But honestly, I'd love to brag to everyone about having such a hot boyfriend.I even told my mom already.”Ravi blinked in surprise before tacking on a "potato."

My lips twitched as I tried to get control of the laughter.I reached out to grab his chin, planting a quick, rough kiss on his lips before asking, "You came out as bi to your mom?"

He cocked his head to the side.“I suppose so.That wasn’t the way I was thinking of it, though.I told her I met a man named Parker, and that I was very attracted to him and pursuing an intimate relationship with him.”

I groaned, my head falling into my hands in disbelief.“Shit, Rav.You said that to your mom?What did she say?”

“She said, ‘Oh, that’s nice.’For a long time, when she said that, I thought she meant what I was saying was nice, but I recently learned that she says that when she doesn’t know what to say.”Then he blinked.“Potato.I like this potato thing.”

“Why was that potato?”I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him close, kissing his forehead.

“I rarely share that kind of thing.I’d rather people just think I’m a weird neurotypical.It’s called masking.”

“Hiding who you are sounds exhausting.”I kissed his nose, his cheeks, his eyes.“You don’t have to do that with me.”

“I’ve been masking around you already.You’ll like me better if I try to act a bit more like a neurotypical person.”

“I think I like you as you are, Ravi.”I couldn’t resist leaning in closer.He didn’t look like he completely believed me, but I knew Ravi well enough to know horny fun easily distracted him.Our lips met in a heated kiss, the intensity of our desire for each other burning through any lingering doubts.

The door creaked open, and we hastily broke apart, and I looked up to find Matt standing in the doorway, looking down at a clipboard.He glanced up, his eyes widening as if he had expected the building to be empty.“Getting things done early, Parker?I can only assume that’s Ravi’s positive influence,” he said, seemingly oblivious to the intimate moment he’d just interrupted.

“Yep, Ravi likes to go through his list, and we’re just finishing up.”I folded and pocketed Ravi’s list, trying to slow my racing heart.To steer the conversation away from what he might’ve seen, I teased, “Ravi is a quick study, but I’m still wondering why you put us on the first backpacking trip for session one.”

Matt chuckled, shaking his head.“Actually, that was all Ravi’s idea.He insisted on you two going early.”

“Really?”I asked, turning to Ravi with a raised eyebrow.He looked sheepish, but didn’t deny it.

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