Page 15 of Beyond the Summer

"Shit," Parker muttered."He's so damn possessive of that phone, I can't believe he let you touch it.When we were dating, I thought it was because he was cheating on me."

"It kept ringing and he wouldn't do anything about it.So I did."I shrugged, trying to justify my actions.Sutton hadn't talked to me much since that day, and I couldn't shake the guilt and worry that maybe I'd really messed something up.

Parker grinned."Well, he deserves whatever trouble you got him in after what he did to me."

Ravi was quiet for a moment, and I followed his gaze to Sutton, who had waded into the water and was helping a shy camper named Sam with his kayak, his muscles glistening in the sunlight.

"He's certainly a favorite of the kids," Parker said.

"I'll give him that," I said, watching as Sutton said something that made the nervous camper laugh.

"Why does Matt care if you're kind to him?"Parker asked.

"He says there's more to him than meets the eye, and I should seek out Sutton's hidden layers."

"Like an onion?"Ravi offered, and we all burst into laughter at the absurdity of the comparison.

"Sure, Ravi," I said, wiping away tears."Sutton is like an onion."

"A dead sexy onion, though," Parker added, and we laughed even harder.

As our laughter died down, I looked up and caught Sutton watching us, his face inscrutable as always.

Sam said something, and Sutton turned back to him, saying something that made Sam smile as he slowly slid the boy's kayak out into the water until it was waist-deep on Sutton.He stood in the water, holding the kayak steady while speaking softly to the nervous kid.Somehow, Sutton always found the campers that reminded me of my struggles at camp.And he always made things better for them.

I watched as he worked with Sam, his muscular arms flexing gently with each movement as he demonstrated how to hold the paddle, offering reassurance and support.Something about the way he cared for Sam's feelings made my heart do a weird squeezy thing.As they got deeper into the water, I caught bits of their conversation, carried across the lake on a breeze.

"Alright, Sam.Remember what we practiced," Sutton said encouragingly."Keep your hands centered on your paddle and dip it into the water beside your boat."

Sam looked up at Sutton, his eyes wide with fear but also determination.He nodded and began to paddle hesitantly, his strokes shaky at first.Sutton walked deeper into the water alongside him, never taking his hands off the boat.

"See?You're doing great!"Sutton exclaimed, beaming as Sam gained confidence."Just keep going, you've got this!"

"Fuck, he's good with kids," I muttered under my breath.

As Sam finally paddled further away, Sutton let out a triumphant whoop, pride and joy radiating from his expression.It was as if Sam's accomplishment was his own, and for a moment, I could see the genuine happiness dancing in his eyes.

"Way to go, Sam!"Sutton shouted, clapping his hands as Sam continued to paddle with increasing skill.

"Yeah, Sam!"I shouted, getting into the fun of it.Sam turned to look towards us and beamed as Parker and Ravi cheered for him too.

"Looks like our sexy onion does have layers," Parker said.

"Don't fall in love with him again."Ravi poked Parker with his kayak paddle.I backed off as the two of them got into a playful water fight, which was cute and flirty enough that I had to wonder what else had happened during the session break.They seemed like an odd couple—the awkward science nerd and the popular guy—but maybe sometimes the odd couples complimented each other best.

As I paddled towards the shore, my gaze was drawn back to Sutton, who was wading back toward the shore.He came out of the water like Jason Momoa playing Aquaman, dark hair dripping water.Except Sutton was much paler.I couldn't tear my eyes away from his body, from the way water slid over his slick muscles, channeling down lower to a part of him I suddenly really wanted to see.He shook out his wet hair and lifted his head, his eyes sparkling even from this distance as he caught me looking.

"Hey, Ben," he said, adjusting the waistband of his swim trunks in a way that drew attention to the V of muscle at his waist that was usually covered.Parker would call them his cum gutters, and that thought made me picture Sutton naked and messy after sex.

Oh my god, I needed to stop my brain from spiraling into sexy fantasies.

"I'm so fucked," I muttered, and Sutton smirked at me.

"Are you in trouble?You look pretty good on that boat."

I coughed, blinking hard."What?I said, look, a duck!"We both looked in the direction I was pointing, and I belatedly realized that I'd pointed at the only part of the lake that didn't have any waterfowl on it.

"Don't see it," Sutton said.

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