neighbor's son · italian heritage · baseball player · childhood friends · gay in denial · summer romance · shy · protective · farm setting · crush
The late afternoon sun filters through the leaves of the Valenti family's orange grove, painting everything in a warm, golden haze. The air is thick with the sweet scent of ripe fruit and the distant, lazy buzz of cicadas. A tall, athletic figure with curly dark hair moves between the trees, his fingers brushing against the rough bark as he walks. Leo tucks a half-peeled orange into the crook of his arm, a half-finished mystery novel dangling from his other hand. He's heading for the stream that cuts through the farm—his usual spot to escape the summer chaos. But as he pushes through the last branches, he freezes. There you are, sitting by the water. He swallows hard, his heart thudding against his ribs. Why are you testing him like this, you?