Page 5 of Stars Like Confetti

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words out loud, so I just let my gaze wander to where Shea sat at the dining table, eyes on his phone.

“That’s them?”

“Him,” I corrected. Obviously, I’d use very different names and pronouns when talking about my ex before, but Jordan was aware enough to not repeat any of them now that he’d laid eyes on Shea. “We haven’t seen each other in like… ten years.”

Jordan, all fiery hair and broody eyes, quirked a brow at me, stroking his scruffy beard obnoxiously. “And now you’re both here…” He shrugged and walked away before I could deliver the smack I wanted so desperately to give him. “Kismet!”

If I heard him say that word one more time…

“Front desk is covered,” he said just before disappearing into his office. “Go do your thing.”

And then he was gone.

Shaking my head to clear it, I returned to Shea. Food and hydration brought more of the color back to his face, and I added a bottle of water to the mix for good measure. He wasn’t going to dehydrate on my watch.

When I sat down, Shea turned off his video and set his phone aside, face down to give me his full attention.

“Good boy.” The praise was out of my mouth before I could stop it, but Shea blushed and grinned at me. I slid the welcome packet across the table and placed the tote bag on top of it. “Are you ready?” At his nod, I went into the speech I’d given a hundred times that day. “The folder only has copies of the paperwork you’ve already signed, so there’s nothing you need to do there. Along with it is the code of conduct and a list of numbers you can use if you need someone. Of course, since you’re here on your own, you can go to any member of camp staff wearing a uniform and they’ll help you, okay?”

Shea nodded, flipping through the folder. “I’m just checking for⁠—”

“We’re already prepared to handle your bee allergy. Every member of staff is required to carry an EpiPen at all times, and there’s one in each cabin as well as the dining hall and change rooms. All allergies are taken very seriously.”

Shea gave me an easy smile, unspoken words lingering in his glittering blue eyes.

Before I lost myself, I slid the tote bag his way. “In here are just some fun Little things, but there are also colored wristbands and sweatbands to let people know your intentions about play—red for not interested, pink means interested but cautious, and we all can figure out green. There are pronoun stickers and badges as well based on the pronouns on your form, but if anything is wrong or those pronouns change at any time, just tell us and we can fix them for you.”

“Wow,” Shea breathed. “You guys really thought of everything.”

Pride swelled in my chest. This camp had been my idea, after all. They’d been cropping up all over the country, but this was the only one in our area, and the first for the nightclub that I owned. “We wanted this to be as inclusive as possible. Would you like me to show you to your cabin?”

Shea’s face completely lit up. His eyes shined bright enough to rival the sun pouring in from the windows behind him. My heart fluttered. God, I’d forgotten how much I’d loved that smile—the genuine one, that was reserved for those he deemed worthy. “I’d love that.”

Chapter Three

Shea

I couldn’t believe it. Theo was here. They were standing right in front of me, and I hadn’t even noticed it. I never imagined that a haircut and a good workout regimen could change a person so much, but the second I saw that tattoo on their ribcage, I wondered how I mistook those eyes for anyone else in the first place.

We walked side by side as Theo led me out of the welcome center. They pointed out the path that led to the lake, along with the private cabins, one of which was theirs. Past the playground and an open field sat the main cabins. I’d been nervous as hell about staying with strangers, but I’d been assured that I wasn’t the only transgender person attending, and that no bullying or hate speech would be tolerated. Theo had reiterated that point when they were going over the code of conduct with me.

The cabins were all named after cartoon characters, and I was in the Snoopy cabin—with an honorable mention for Woodstock, who sat on top of the refrigerator. Theo saw me inside, showed me my bed, and even helped me unpack my things. I momentarily thought that they were reluctant to leave, but that may have been wishful thinking. After all, it had been nearly a decade since we’d seen each other. A lot can happen in ten years.

Time had been so good to them though. Sunlight streamed in from the windows, playing soft, golden light over them and highlighting all the right places. Their rosy hair shone, nearly metallic, their brown eyes sparkled. Now that I recognized them, I couldn’t help but rake my eyes over their body. They’d toned up—a lot. Muscular arms crossed over their chest—bound, I’d noticed when they’d lifted their shirt.

Strong legs rounded the bed, with thick thighs that could crush my skull.

If I was lucky.

“Shea?”

“Hm?”

“I asked if you needed anything else before I got back to work.”

Oh, right. They weren’t at this camp for fun. They wore a similar uniform to the other staff—a pastel tie-dyed T-shirt and denim shorts that cut off at the knee. I really wanted to plead with them to stay, to ask them to be my caregiver for the week. After all, we were both here unpartnered. That had to mean something, right?

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “No, I think I’m okay. Thank you, Theo, for everything.”