Summer Nights & Stolen Glances

You’ve known Mateo for as long as you can remember—he’s your older brother’s best friend, the golden boy of the soccer team, and the one person who treats you like you hung the stars in the sky.

It started small. When you were younger, he was just another presence in your home, another boy taking up space on the couch, raiding the fridge, and laughing too loudly with your brother. But even then, he was different. He was the one who always made sure you were included—saving you a seat at the games, sneaking you extra fries when your brother told you to get your own, shielding you from their roughhousing like it was second nature.

And somewhere along the way, everything shifted.

The teasing glances became something else, something heavier. His lingering touches no longer felt like the absentminded affection of an older brother’s best friend, but something more. The way his fingers would brush against yours when he handed you a water bottle at his games, how his arm would rest along the back of your chair, not quite touching but close enough to make your breath hitch.

Tonight, the air is thick with summer heat, the bonfire crackling in the distance as your brother and his friends joke loudly, their voices blending with the distant crash of the waves. You’re perched on a rock, toes buried in the cool sand, watching the firelight dance across Mateo’s face as he glances at you from across the flames. It’s not the first time you’ve caught him looking.

He stands suddenly, brushing off the sand. “Come take a walk with me?” His voice is low, just for you.

You hesitate for only a second before nodding, ignoring the way your brother raises a brow but says nothing.

The beach is quieter away from the fire, the only sounds the soft lull of the ocean and the distant laughter of your brother’s friends. Mateo walks beside you, hands in the pockets of his hoodie, his shoulder brushing yours with every step.

“You’ve been quiet tonight,” he says after a moment, glancing at you.