The days after the trip slipped into something quiet and dangerous.
Not dangerous in a loud way.
Dangerous in the way something good could easily become complicated.
Jordy felt it in everything.
In the way he checked his phone first thing every morning. In the way his mood shifted depending on whether Matt had texted yet. In the way a simple message could stay with him for hours.
Matt: Did you wake up?
Jordy: Yeah.
Matt: I've been up.
Jordy: Why?
Matt: Couldn't stop thinking.
Jordy stared at that message longer than he should have.
Jordy: About what?
Matt: You.
Jordy shook his head, smiling to himself before typing.
Jordy: You're doing too much.
Matt: Not enough.
And somehow, that was enough to carry him through the day.
They didn't rush into seeing each other again after the trip.
Not because they didn't want to.
But because they both understood, without needing to say it, that what they had now needed to stay quiet.
Private.
When they finally met again, it was simple.
A short message.
Matt: Are you free?
Jordy: Depends.
Matt: Come out. I want to see you.
Jordy didn't take long to reply.
Jordy: Where?
They met somewhere unfamiliar enough to feel safe.
Matt was already there when Jordy arrived, leaning against his car like he had been waiting for a while.
Jordy walked toward him, trying to act normal, but the moment their eyes met, everything from the trip came rushing back.
"Hey," Jordy said.
"Hey," Matt replied.
There was a pause before Matt stepped forward and pulled him into a quick hug.
Jordy didn't expect it.
But he didn't pull away either.
"You took long," Matt murmured.
"I just got here," Jordy replied.
"Still counts," Matt said.
Jordy laughed softly.
Their time together felt easy.
Too easy.
They walked, talked, stopped to eat, sat side by side like they had known each other for years instead of weeks.
But there was always that awareness.
The need to be careful.
When people passed, they kept a little distance.
When they were alone, that distance disappeared.
It became a pattern.
Short meetups.
Hidden locations.
Quick texts before stepping out.
Jordy: I'm outside.
Matt: I see you.
And every time Jordy got into the car, Matt would look at him like it had been too long.
"You miss me?" Jordy asked once, teasing.
Matt didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
Jordy rolled his eyes, smiling. "It's been a day."
Matt shrugged. "Still."
Some days they drove around with no destination.
Some days they stayed in one place, talking for hours.
Other times, they didn't talk much at all.
But even the silence felt like something.
One evening, they sat quietly, watching the sky fade into evening.
Jordy leaned back slightly. "You ever think about what happens if someone finds out?"
Matt didn't look at him immediately. "Yeah."
"And?"
Matt exhaled. "I don't know."
Jordy nodded slowly.
That answer felt honest.
Matt reached for his hand then, holding it for a little longer than usual.
Jordy didn't pull away.
For that moment, nothing else mattered.
Until it did.
That evening, Jordy got home and found his mom in the living room.
She looked relaxed, almost excited.
"You're back," she said.
"Yeah," Jordy replied, dropping his bag. "You look happy."
She smiled. "I am."
Jordy sat down, studying her. "What happened?"
She hesitated slightly, then said, "You know I've been seeing someone."
Jordy nodded. "Yeah. You've been talking about him for weeks now."
"And I told you I wanted you to meet him properly," she added.
"I remember," Jordy said.
She took a small breath before continuing.
"Well… things have gotten more serious."
Jordy raised an eyebrow. "More serious how?"
She smiled again, but this time there was something different about it.
"We're planning to get married."
Jordy blinked.
For a moment, he didn't react.
Then he sat up straight. "Wait… married?"
She nodded.
"Mom…" Jordy ran a hand through his hair. "That's not small."
"I know," she said gently. "But I'm sure about him."
Jordy looked at her carefully.
She wasn't joking.
She wasn't unsure.
She looked… certain.
"When did this happen?" he asked.
"It's been building," she said. "I just didn't want to rush telling you."
Jordy leaned back slightly, trying to process it.
"And you still want us to meet?" he asked.
"Of course," she said. "Soon. I want everything to feel right."
Jordy nodded slowly. "Okay…"
He didn't know what else to say.
That night, he lay in bed staring at his phone before finally calling Matt.
Matt picked up quickly. "Hey."
"Hey," Jordy said.
"You sound off," Matt said immediately.
Jordy sighed. "My mom just told me she's getting married."
There was a pause.
"Wait… what?" Matt said.
"Yeah," Jordy replied. "I knew she was seeing someone. I just didn't know it was this serious."
Matt let out a small breath. "That's a lot."
"Exactly," Jordy said.
"How do you feel about it?" Matt asked.
Jordy thought for a moment. "She's happy. I can tell."
"That's good," Matt said.
"Yeah," Jordy replied softly. "It is."
There was a short silence.
Then Matt spoke again.
"That's actually kind of funny."
"What?" Jordy asked.
"My dad's been acting the same way," Matt said. "Talking about someone he wants me to meet."
Jordy frowned slightly. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Matt said. "He's been pushing it lately."
Jordy let out a small laugh. "Same situation then."
"Looks like it," Matt replied.
Jordy shifted on the bed. "When are you meeting her?"
"Soon, I think," Matt said. "You?"
"Same," Jordy replied.
There was a pause.
Then Jordy said, half joking, "Imagine if it's the same person."
Matt laughed. "That would be insane."
"Yeah," Jordy said. "Very insane."
They both laughed it off.
Like it was impossible.
Like it could never actually happen.
Matt's voice softened slightly. "We'll be fine."
Jordy nodded, even though Matt couldn't see him. "Yeah."
But after the call ended, Jordy lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Something about everything felt too close.
Too connected.
Like pieces were moving without them realizing.