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“Me too. That winery looked cool. I’ll have to remember it for future events.” Ben glanced at me, his eyes holding a softness I couldn’t quite place. But before I could analyze it further, he turned his attention back to the laptop. “That should do it. We’ll let it boot up again and see what it tells us.” He finished his burger and poured some potato chips onto his plate from the large Lays bag. “Did you see your dad today?”
My heart sank at the reminder. I hadn’t meant to burden Ben with my family’s troubles, especially when he was doing me such a huge favor with my computer. But honesty was a cornerstone of our friendship, and I could always confide my troubles and worries to him. “Yeah. Max and Alex were there too.” It had been good, seeing my younger brothers, but the weight of my father’s struggles with his small-town independent hardware store rested heavy on my shoulders. “The business has been struggling this year. The economic downturn and all, it hit the town hard. They opened one of those big box stores in town, too, and that’s cut into their business. Not as many orders from local businesses as they used to. And Dad... well, he’s finding it harder to keep up with everything. I’ve been trying to help, but I don’t think he cares much about my suggestions,” I admitted with a bitter chuckle. After Mom died, Dad and I drifted apart emotionally, despite my frequent visits back home.
Aunt Alice had said not to be worried. That was just what happened when you lost the love of your life.
Ben’s brow furrowed, his expression filled with sympathy. “Ah, damn. I’m sorry to hear that. What’s happening?”
I opened up to Ben, sharing all the details of my conversation with my dad about the struggles of the hardware store. It felt good to unload my frustrations on someone who truly cared. “I just don’t know how to help him.”
“Hey.” Ben reached across the table, his hand landing on my arm, grounding me to the moment. He was my best friend, always there for me in the toughest of times. “Just being there is enough, Leo. Your dad appreciates your help, even if he doesn’t know how to tell you.”
I remembered how he had sat by my side during the dark days following my mother’s death, letting me cry on his shoulder. “Thanks, man,” I murmured, holding his gaze for a moment longer than necessary. His eyes were a source of reassurance and understanding.
But Ben pivoted his attention towards the laptop that had just restarted. “Okay, this looks good. I think I got it fixed.” His fingers danced across the keyboard as he double-checked his work. “It just needed a software update and a bit of cleaning.”
A wave of relief washed over me, causing a smile to spread across my face. “You’re a lifesaver,” I said sincerely.
Ben closed the computer down and carefully shut the cover. He turned back to me with his soft hazel eyes and that slow smile once again lighting up his face. “That’s what I’m here for.”
To save my life.
At that moment, I might believe it.
We headed out to the back yard after dinner, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics. “Those lights are cool,” I told him, and pointed at what looked like a string of Christmas lights that were tacked up to his porch, the soft glow illuminating the backyard.
“Thanks.” Ben chuckled as he stretched his legs out in front of him. “I like it. It’s my little slice of Texas heaven.” We spent the rest of the evening talking about our usual subjects—Ben’s weekly phone call with his mother, work gossip, the spanking our football team took the previous day, and our upcoming annual camping trip to see the Perseid meteor showers.
It was a sweet respite, a reminder of the bond we shared as best friends.
But as the night wore on and the full moon illuminated Ben’s backyard, I noticed the way Ben’s lips moved when he spoke, the way his eyes lit up when he laughed, and the way his strong hands moved when he made sweeping gestures. A warmth spread through my body, and I couldn’t ignore my growing attraction to him.
I’d always known my best friend was handsome—I’m not blind.
But tonight, sitting outside next to me, he was beautiful in a way that I couldn’t explain. A mixture of excitement and fear coursed through me as I wanted to reach out and touch his stubbled cheek. I had never experienced this kind of longing before for a man—much less my best friend—this desire that went beyond friendship. It was a completely new and uncharted territory, and it terrified me.
I didn’t know how to get that genie back in the bottle—and I don’t know if I even want to.
As we walked back inside, gathering our empty beer bottles and putting them in the recycling bucket on the back porch, I thanked Ben again. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I said, fishing my car keys out of the pocket of my jeans.
That smile again. “It was no trouble. Thanks for the company tonight.”
Okay. Time to go. “I’ll talk to you soon.” But I had only made it halfway down the path from Ben’s door to my car when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
“Leo.”
Startled, I turned to find Ben standing right behind me, close enough that our bodies were almost touching.
“Leo,” he said again, his voice filled with a mix of uncertainty and intensity. “I’m not crazy, right? There’s something going on here.”
I looked into his hazel eyes, bright and hopeful, my reflection shimmering back at me. It was there, and it was real. The connection, the spark between us. It wasn’t just in my imagination.
My heart hammered in my chest as I searched for the right words, trying to navigate this new and uncharted territory.
seven
Ben
As Leo walked to his car, I stood at my front door, watching Leo’s retreating figure. When he had sat beside me on the porch, our shoulders lightly brushed against each other, and it sent a thrill rushing through me. I could feel his warmth, his presence, his energy. It was a magnet, pulling me closer in ways I’d never experienced before.
