Junctions

[GBirdie]

awww.... what happened to the story??

Its been more than a month.....

 

[willybob]

i hope arogersb comes back w/ his next installment!

 

[diumar]

Oh my God, I am very much sure that the next chapter is worth the wait. Like the other, Im all hooked. Just hoping it will end the way I want it to be. But anyway it is your masterpiece, and Im sure whatever you have in mind will make the story great.

 

[kiki]

whats happening with the story?~?? no update for over 2 months?? Please try to update the story asap cant wait!

 

[arogersb]

Worry not, guys, I am back and I will post a new chapter of this story, very soon. This story ran into complications caused mainly by writer's block. I wasn't sure whether to go with a humourous or a darker approach, and had to rewrite the whole chapter. And of course, the dicey internet connection in my place hardly helped.

So anyway, I'm back home for Christmas now, and hopefully, I'll be able to get the next chapter up within a couple of days. Thanks to all those who have faithfully waited for the next installment; I hope you will find that it was worth the wait.

Cheers!

 

[hardreader]

I don't know why it is only now that I am starting into this story. I must have just been too busy, or had it confused with another story. I am enjoying it very much and look forward to more chapters soon. I like the change of pace in your storytelling.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 4 ~​

Difficult Conversations

I felt it shelter to speak to you.​

— Emily Dickinson​

The strange calm that had pervaded Kyle moments earlier deserted him in the wake of Allie’s unsettling silence.

“Allie … say something, please,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

“Oh my god.”

Kyle gave a choked laugh. “I know, right? Imagine how I –”

“Oh my god.”

“Come on,” he said weakly, “it’s not that bad.”

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my –”

Irritated now, Kyle snapped, “Okay, you can stop now!”

There was a pregnant pause. Then Kyle said, “Jesus! I pour my heart out to you and all you have to say is ‘oh my god’?”

Allie glared at him. “Gee, Kyle, I don’t know. What else do you say when the best friend you’ve known for years decides, out of the blue, to announce that he’s gay?”

Kyle winced. “I never said I was gay!”

Allie raised her eyebrows. “I think I’m in love with a guy,” she said, repeating his earlier words. “I would have thought that gayness is a logical progression from there.”

“It’s not like I’m lusting after every male on this campus. It’s only the one guy.” Kyle stopped and stared at Allie. “Hold on. A minute ago you were incapable of saying anything other than same phrase repeatedly, and now you’re discoursing about logic like it’s no big deal?”

Allie stared disbelievingly at him. “Discoursing? What sort of teenager uses that in regular conversation?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, this is hardly a regular conversation!”

“Okay, fine. What is it you want me to say? It doesn’t matter that you’re gay, I still love you and you’ll –”

“I’m not gay!” interjected Kyle.

“– always be my best friend?” finished Allie, ignoring his interruption. She looked straight at him. “I thought you knew that without me having to say it.”

Kyle stared at her, protestations forgotten. “Really?” It came out in barely a whisper.

She looked affectionately at him. “Of course, silly. How long have we known each other? Fifteen years? And you really think, because of you dropping a bombshell like this on me, I was going to forget the fact that we’ve been best friends for all that time?”

Kyle sat down heavily on the bed next to her. “No, of course not. It was just that … you were so … shaken …”

“Well, a little prior warning would have been appreciated,” replied Allie. She wrapped her arm around him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I’ve only known myself with certainty for a couple of weeks now!” protested Kyle.

“Oh … so it isn’t Drew?” Surprise was evident in Allie’s tone.

Kyle was puzzled. “Drew?”

Allie rolled her eyes. “Drew Talbot, you idiot. Twelfth grade wasn’t that long ago, after all.”

Kyle remembered. “Oh, him.” It took a moment for the full impact of her words to sink in. “Why would you think I was remotely attracted to Drew?”

“It did cross my mind at the time that you had an inappropriate interest in him, but then there were girls and I never thought –”

“It’s not Drew! I was never in love with Drew!”

Allie held her hands up defensively. “I was just saying …”

“Well, it isn’t Drew,” huffed Kyle. “The guy I’m talking about is so much better. He’s really nice – smart and funny and kind and absolutely gorgeous …” Kyle stopped as he realized that he was gushing.

“O-kay,” said Allie after an uncomfortable pause. “Not gay at all.”

Kyle glared silently at her because he couldn’t think of a comeback. In retrospect, it did sound rather gay . . .

“And just who is this perfect guy? Anyone I know? How soon are you two going to hook up?”

Kyle sighed. “Never. He’s not gay, Al. Not in the least.”

“Oh come on, there’s always the slightest chance –”

“I don’t think so.”

“There’s always hope.”

“It’s Troy Madsen. I’m in love with Troy Madsen.”

There was a few moments’ silence. Then Allie said, “Okay, there’s no hope.”

“Allie!” Kyle glared.

“Well, I’m sorry, but … Troy? Really? If it was the other Madsen, then sure, you have a shot, but not this one. I mean, come on – Troy’s slept with practically the entire cheerleading squad in the short while he’s been here!”

“He hasn’t!” Kyle rushed to Troy’s defense. “He isn’t like that. Sure, he likes girls, but he isn’t the kind who goes around sleeping with multiple cheerleaders.”

“Really." Sarcasm dripped from the word. "I have a hard time believing that. I know these jock types. They’re always waiting to pounce on anything in a skirt.”

“You just never liked jocks.” Kyle caught Allie’s glare and admitted, “Okay, so I didn’t either. We didn’t exactly move in the same circles now, did we? But Troy is different; he isn’t some stereotypical muscle-bound oaf. He is really sweet.”

“You’ve really got it bad,” observed Allie, still not quite believing his words. “Troy may be just as wonderful as you say – I know he’s really hot and all – but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s straight.”

“I know.” Kyle looked down at the floor gloomily. “I want to keep seeing him, but I’m really afraid I might give myself away and then …”

“He will turn into the stereotypical muscle-bound oaf who will bash you up?” Kyle looked up at her, frowning. “Well, someone had to say it. I’m your best friend. I don’t want you to get hurt. Although …” Allie hesitated.

“Although what?” asked Kyle.

“Well, there is his brother. The gay one.”

“His brother is gay?”

“Well … yeah. He’s in my Quantum Physics lecture, remember? I told you about him only the other day. He’s cute, but sadly, like you, he’s also gay.”

Kyle didn’t even bother to protest this time. He did vaguely remember being told about the cute guy in Allie’s physics lecture but he hadn’t really been paying attention what with everything else going on in his mind at the time. Although Allie had failed to mention that said cute guy was in fact Troy’s brother . . .

“And the brother is gay?” repeated Kyle.

“Yes. And that’s the second time you’ve asked me that.” Allie looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Why, are you interested?”

“No! I told you, it’s only Troy that – that makes me feel … that way …” Kyle’s voice trailed off as everything he had been fending off for a while now came crashing down on him with its full weight. He put his face in his hands. “What’s happening to me? Why do I feel … the way that I do?”

Allie looked at him sympathetically. “Kyle …”

“I’m just … so confused …” came his muffled voice. “I don’t know what to think, or what I am …” He looked up at Allie. “And you know what the worst part is?”

She shook her head.

“It isn’t the uncertainty – of whether this makes me gay or not … but the certainty – knowing that I can never have … him …”

“Oh Kyle …” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head. “You have to tell him.”

“I can’t. What if he reacts badly?”

“Look, he has a gay brother. It's cleat that he hasn’t freaked out on him.”

“Yes, I know he loves his brother. But the key difference is that his brother isn’t in love with him.” Kyle realized how the two sentences he’d just said sounded together. “I didn’t mean it like –”

Allie smiled in spite of herself. “I know what you meant. But if Troy means so much to you, you should at least tell him.”

“I don’t even know him that well,” Kyle pointed out.

“I didn’t mean tell him right away. Aren’t you going to be tutoring him over the next couple of months? That means you’ll be seeing a lot more of him. And frankly, you need more time to decide if these feelings are as real as they might seem at this very moment.”

Kyle nodded slowly. “But I don’t know if I’ll ever have the courage to tell him.”

“Famous quotes may not be my strong suit, Kyle, but even I know there was this guy who said that love is the prerogative of the brave.”

Kyle couldn’t help grinning. “Talk about role reversal. Since you’ve put it so nicely … I will muster my courage to tell him … someday.” His grin faltered.

Allie gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Let the chips fall where they may.”

“Have I told you how much I appreciate you being my best friend?”

“Not nearly enough.”

“Well, I’m telling you now. Truly.”

“Oh, come here.” She hugged him tight and whispered, “I’ll always be here for you.”

“I know. And Al?”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t tell anyone … at least not until I’m absolutely sure.”

“Of course I won’t tell anybody until you tell me it’s okay to.”

“I know I can trust you.” Kyle stood up. “Oh, there’s just one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Gandhi.”

“Huh?”

“It was Gandhi who said, ‘A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave’.”

“You just couldn’t let me have my moment, could you?”

“No.” Kyle grinned cheekily. He ducked to avoid the pillow she aimed at him. “Love you Al!” he called back as he made a hasty exit.

Allie smiled to herself as she softly replied, “Love you too, Kyle.”

* * *​

In another room across campus, Troy lay sprawled on his bed, smiling to himself while he listened to music on his earphones. He made a picturesque sight with his shirt off and arms stretched out lazily above his head.

Todd came into the room and barely glanced at his brother before starting to unwind the scarf around his neck. “Not cold?” he asked, referring to his brother’s semi-undressed state.

Troy unhooked his earphones and replied, “No. How was your day?”

Todd shrugged. “The usual.” There was nothing in his tone to indicate dissatisfaction or anything of that sort, but Troy immediately felt concerned.

He sat up on the bed. “Is anyone giving you trouble?”

“No,” answered his brother tersely.

“Todd …”

“I said it was nothing,” Todd snapped. “You know how they are. I’m used to it.” Todd quickly changed the subject. “How was your day?”

Troy decided against pressing the question. “It was good. Joan was being herself and totally screwed with my concentration, so I was kinda pissed, but then it turned out it didn’t really matter. I met my peer tutor today and he got me all caught up in like, the space of an hour. Seriously, he’s way better than Carey. If only he wasn’t so shy. He looked like I was going to eat him up.”

“Hmm,” mumbled Todd absent-mindedly.

Troy frowned. “Are you even paying attention?”

“What?” Todd looked up distractedly from his bag. “Yeah … yeah I was.”

Troy folded his arms across his chest. “Okay then. What was the last thing I said?”

“Err … something about Joan and … what you had for lunch, I think?”

Troy rolled his eyes and punched his brother on the arm.

“Ow!” Todd yelped. “What was that for?”

“I never mentioned lunch! I said my tutor was so afraid of me, like I was going to eat him up or something.”

“Oh.” Todd looked guilty as he rubbed his arm gingerly. “That hurt, you know,” he complained.

“Sorry, I just don’t know my strength sometimes.” There was a devilish glint in Troy’s eyes, which did not escape his brother’s notice.

“You did too!” accused Todd. He narrowed his eyes. “You know what this means …” He pounced on his brother.

The two rolled about on the bed like playful puppies. In spite of Troy being the more athletic of the brothers, Todd ended up on top. The laughing came to an abrupt stop as Todd’s face hovered just inches above his twin’s. Two identical pairs of green eyes met.

Todd was the first to break the uncomfortable silence.

“Uh … I have to go.” Todd slid off his brother.

“No, Todd, wait,” Troy said, sitting up quickly.

Todd ignored him and took off. Troy reached for his shirt before abandoning it, realizing he would never catch up. He kicked out at a sneaker lying on the floor, sending it flying across the room.

“Fuck. Why does he have to make it so complicated?”

To be continued …​

So that's done. Forget about difficult conversations, this chapter was bloody difficult to write. And it was so perfectly planned out in my mind, too! I know the announced title for this chapter was "Reversal", but that'll be the next chapter. The opening quote: Every exit is an entry somewhere else. In anticipation of the festive season, I've decided to fast-forward the story by a few weeks, so that the characters can have their little Christmas miracle (guess what it is!)

Finally I must thank everyone for their patience and I promise the next chapter will be my Christmas gift to you.
Happy Holidays!

(As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.)

 

[harry113]

Justin,great chapter... Thanks
I do hope you can give us more chapters while you are on holiday!!!
Harry

 

[smile86]

yay a new chapter! liking it, looking foward to more

 

[liam88]

This is a freaking awesome story! The prose is sublime, the simultaneous development of an array of disparate characters is very well organized and the plot is poignant but at the same time plausible. The inclusion of poetry adds a tinge of sophistication to the story too!

Do write more!

 

[Craiger]

Justin,

I happy you have returned from your hiatus and have resumed a wonderful story. It was well worth the wait and look forward to the "Christmas miracle."

Thank you for your seasons greeting and we all wish you the same. Have a very happy holiday.

Craiger

 

[Paulo68]

Great start,
I've just finished 'Doing Hard Time', fantastic read.
So if that is an example of your talent (pun intended), I can't wait to see how this pans out.
Hopefully there's more to come.

Cheers
Paul

 

[fbrand12345]

yay! welcome back justin

 

[arogersb]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. The next chapter should be published on Christmas Day. Until then, enjoy your turkey, the company of loved ones, and of course ... the all-important gifts under the tree.

On another note, another very well done chapter (guess who sees a couple of hidden undertones . Oh Troy and Allie you sillies). And why was that last chapter so short?! I reread this story to get caught up and realized it was shorter than the ohters, so as I was getting in to it and beginning to need more, it freakin ends, WHY?!

And here I thought I'd gotten away with the shorter chapter! It couldn't be helped cos I wanted the events "One Month Later" to begin with Chapter 5, rather than have a painfully short scene at the end of Chapter 4.

Also ... Troy and Allie? I wonder how Kyle would feel about that?

Merry Christmas.

 

[kcm17480]

This is turning into a really great story. I almost thought this story wasn't going to continue. Glad you back and can't wait for the next part.

 

[arogersb]

~ Chapter 5 ~​

One Month Later​

Every exit is an entry somewhere else.​

— Tom Stoppard​

Sean awoke to the feeling of hungry lips fastened around his cock. With his eyes still closed, he smiled to himself, recognizing Zach’s customary morning greeting.

“I wouldn’t mind a slice of that action.”

Sean’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a strange voice. The ruggedly handsome face of the guy they’d picked up the previous night came into view. He was licking his lips appreciatively as he watched Zach’s head bob up and down on Sean’s erection.

“Get lost, Dan,” Sean snapped.

“It’s Ken,” corrected the guy, looking decidedly put out.

“Whatever,” said Sean, waving his hand dismissively at Ken. “Why’d you stop?” This last question was directed at Zach, who had paused in his blowjob.

“Don’t mind him,” said Zach, pointedly ignoring Sean. “He’s always a wet blanket the morning after. Now, if you ever want a repeat …”

“Of last night? Anytime.” Ken leaned over Sean’s body to kiss Zach on the lips. Sean felt something surge inside him.

“Can I take a shower before I leave?” asked Ken, breaking off the kiss.

“Sure. Just help yourself to one of the clean towels.” Zach waited till Ken was out of sight to round on Sean. “What was that about?” he demanded.

Sean gazed back innocently. “What was what?”

Zach narrowed his eyes at him. “You know exactly what I mean. Get your act together, Sean. No more of this jealous lover crap. You know I only call you back because you make for a good fuck.”

“Oh really? That’s the only reason you keep calling me back?” asked Sean cynically. He craned his neck to mash his lips against Zach’s. The blond stubble on his chin rasped against Zach’s smooth skin.

“You really need to get a shave,” murmured Zach. “You don’t pull off the scruffy look all that well.”

An unexpected surge of annoyance shot through Sean. “I don’t have to follow your opinion! You’re not my boyfriend, remember?”

“Jesus! I was just saying.” Zach looked hurt and Sean felt vaguely guilty.

“Okay, don’t get all sulky on me now. Come here.”

Zach still looked reluctant. “C’mon,” cajoled Sean, “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Zach grinned. “You’d better.” As he moved closer to the bed Sean grabbed him by the butt, digging both hands deep into the firm flesh. Their lips met and Sean’s fingers stealthily found their way to Zach’s asshole. He moaned as Sean probed his hole, still tender from having two cocks up it the night before.

“You up for another fuck?” whispered Sean sexily in Zach’s ear.

Zach grinned and didn’t bother replying. He climbed on top of Sean and sat down on his already-hard cock. Sean immersed himself in the experience, forgetting everything else – the twinges that had become increasingly common over the last month. There was a rational explanation for them, but it was not one he wanted to entertain. His eyes fell on the digital display of the bedside clock. In addition to the time, it also showed the date: December 1st. Sean sighed to himself; it was that time of year again. The merry season when people spent time with their loved ones, stuffed themselves with turkey and got drunk on eggnog. When they exchanged gifts under the tree, and kisses under the mistletoe.

Sean decided that, for the first time ever, he might actually hate Christmas.

* * *​

“Wake up, sleepyhead!” Allie nudged Kyle, who was trudging alongside her with his eyes half-closed. “The cold, winter air is supposed to refresh you!”

Kyle opened his eyes wider to glare at her. “On the contrary, it makes me want to curl up in my nice, warm bed. Which is what I would have been doing if you hadn’t turned up at an unseasonably early hour on a Saturday.”

Allie turned around to face him but continued to walk, backwards. “What do you mean – unseasonably? Can you think of anything more festive than Christmas decorations?”

Kyle sighed loudly. “Yes, but highly commercialized also comes to mind.”

“Oh come on, don’t be such a grinch!”

“I’m not; I’m just saying, if you want to volunteer for the library decorating committee, that’s fine. What I don’t see is why you had to sign me up as well!”

“Keep your holiday spirits up, you’ll see why in a moment!”

“Keep your holiday spirits up, she says,” grumbled Kyle, digging his gloved hands even deeper into his coat pockets. In front of him, Allie smiled to herself. A month had passed since Kyle had confessed his feelings for Troy to her. In all that time there had been no developments, other than Kyle falling more in love with Troy every time they had their tutoring sessions. Allie had planned for that to change today. Only she was not aware just how it would change.

They rounded the bend in the avenue leading to the university library, and Allie heard a sharp intake of breath behind her.

“Got your attention now, huh?”

Kyle was staring at the handsome young man standing on a ladder, fastening one end of a Christmas garland above the library’s portico. Even in the dark green sweater he looked incredibly fit. As he bent down to talk to the guy holding the rest of the garland Kyle caught a glimpse of Troy’s trademark dimpled smile, and his heart beat faster.

Allie nudged her friend. “Well?”

“God, he looks … beautiful,” said Kyle dreamily.

He’s so in love with him, thought Allie. Only he’ll never dare to tell him how he feels. Unless I do something about it. Aloud she said, jokingly, “A present you wouldn’t mind unwrapping?”

Kyle blinked to clear the fog that usually descended upon his mind whenever he first set eyes on Troy. “You set me up,” he accused.

“And you’ll love me for it,” replied Allie. “When I saw his name on the register I just knew I had to sign you up. Now this – this is the perfect opportunity for you to tell him how you feel.”

“Here?” asked Kyle incredulously. “In front of all the volunteers decorating the library? It’s a hell of a lot more private than the one-on-one tutoring sessions we have,” he said sarcastically.

Allie sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. “Of course I don’t mean for you to yell it from the portico for the world to hear. The library’s empty except for the volunteers. I’ll lure him to the storage room under the pretense of getting more decorations and leave you two alone, and then … who knows? You might even find yourselves under some mistletoe,” she said mischievously.

“Yeah, he’d probably sooner kiss a toad than me, mistletoe or not,” retorted Kyle.

“Oh come on, you’re not uglier than a toad.”

Kyle, refusing to be persuaded, folded his arms across his chest.

“Okay, fine,” said Allie, exasperated. “If you don’t want to confess your secret love, you can just continue to be burdened by it into the New Year. You can – I don’t know – drown your sorrows in the gay bar or something.”

“I’m not going to be drowning – wait, there’s a gay bar?”

“Somewhere on Ross Street,” said Allie dismissively. “That’s not the point. Are you going to tell him or not?”

Kyle looked back and forth between his best friend and the boy he was secretly in love with. “Al, you know I’ve tried. Every time I try to say something, like last week when I brought up Oscar Wilde, I – I just can’t go through with it.”

The look on Allie’s face indicated she had no idea how Oscar Wilde fit into the picture. “You have to keep trying. It’s almost Christmas – the season of love. What better time to confess your feelings?”

“And hope for a yuletide miracle?”

“Why not?” Allie smiled as she gave him a little push. “Go ahead, engage him in conversation and I’ll come by after a while with my request for assistance in the storage room.”

Kyle opened his mouth to protest, but she put a finger to his lips. “When I said go and engage him in conversation – that wasn’t a request, it was an order. Go.” She gave him another push, harder this time. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Kyle glared after Allie as she skipped up the library steps. He ascended them at a slower pace, grumbling to himself as he did so. “Confess gay love in the storage closet. How ironic.”

“Hey Kyle!” Troy didn’t bother climbing down the last few rungs of the ladder; he jumped off instead. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Erm … actually, it was kind of a last minute thing,” explained Kyle hesitantly. “My friend, she signed me up for it.”

“Well, I’m glad to see you here; we need all the help we can get,” said Troy, giving Kyle a friendly thump on his back that sent shivers up his spine. “As a matter of fact, I was roped into this by my brother.” He nodded towards the guy who’d been helping him with the decorations. “I don’t think you guys have met?”

Kyle shook his head, wondering how he hadn’t noticed Todd earlier. Then again, when he was around Troy, everything else seemed to fade into the background.

Allie had pointed Todd out to Kyle before that day. Kyle had realized that he’d seen him around the campus before, but never actually talked to him. It was strange considering how Troy made heads turn, that his brother was relatively unremarkable. Today was the first time he was seeing them together; the resemblance between the brothers was startling.

“Todd is one of our august library’s most faithful patrons.” Somewhat sheepishly, he added, “I guess I should patronize it more often, then I wouldn’t need to pester you so much.” Kyle didn't mind being pestered in the least.

Troy turned to his brother. “You remember me mentioning Kyle right? My tutor for English Lit?”

Todd nodded. “Pleased to meet you,” he said in a low voice.

Kyle shook the proffered hand. “My pleasure.” Despite the similarity in their physical appearances, Kyle did not feel the same jolt of electricity at this Madsen’s touch.

“So, which division are you joining?” asked Troy.

“We have divisions?”

Troy grinned. “Well, there’s a team doing the trees in the foyer. And then there’s us hanging the garlands around the portico. You could also put up the lights or –”

“Help get things out of storage?” Kyle was startled how Allie had managed to appear, seemingly, out of thin air. “Hi Todd,” she said. Todd blushed and mumbled a greeting in reply.

Troy looked first at his brother, and then at Allie. Kyle felt obliged to introduce them. “Oh, this is my friend, the one I was telling you about earlier, Allie – Alison Greene.”

Troy smiled charmingly at her as he offered his hand. “So it’s only Allie to friends?”

In spite of herself Allie found herself turning red. “Uh, no, you can use it if you want.”

“Alrighty then. It’s nice to meet you, Allie. I’m Troy –”

“Madsen,” finished Allie for him. Troy raised an eyebrow. Allie blushed again. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

“Not all bad, I hope.”

“No, actually … most of it was good.”

“Oh?” Troy managed to make the single word sound so much sexier. “I do try to maintain a good reputation, but it seems I’ve been failing. If you were to hear some of the rumors about me …”

The color of Allie’s face matched her pink scarf as she recalled her comment to Kyle about Troy bedding the cheerleading squad. “I haven’t,” she said, a little too quickly.

“That’s good.” Troy continued to smile disarmingly at Allie. “Because I would hate it if such gossip were to reach the ears of someone as pretty as you.”

She gulped and tore her eyes away from his penetrating green gaze to look for Kyle, only to see him disappearing into the library.

* * *​

Kyle leaned against the wall and sank slowly to the floor of the storage room. It was unbelievable. Allie, who had been intent on uniting him with his crush, was instead drawn into flirtation with Troy.

He had seen the look Troy had given her. He would have given anything for Troy to look at him like that. But he knew it was only a dream, and an impossible one at that. One he shouldn’t indulge in any further.

But he couldn’t keep it from his mind. Why? Why did the guy he had a crush on have to like, of all people, his best friend? Someone was playing a cruel joke on him.

A crack of light spilled into the darkened closet as the door swung open. Allie ducked her head in and spotted her best friend with his knees drawn up to his chest on the floor. “Kyle! I’ve been looking all over the library for you.”

He didn’t say anything. Allie let the door swing shut and sat down on the floor beside him. “Listen Kyle, it’s not what you think.”

“What did he say?” asked Kyle in a curiously emotionless voice.

“It doesn’t matter –”

“Just tell me, Al. The truth, please.”

Allie winced. “He – he asked me out.”

Kyle shut his eyes as if in pain.

“But I said no.”

“Why?”

Allie was astounded. “What do you mean, why? You’re my best friend, and you love him. I couldn’t –”

“Was he disappointed?” interrupted Kyle.

“Yes – no – I don’t know! Does it make a difference?”

“Yes,” said Kyle quietly.

“Kyle, I never meant for that to happen. I don’t know why I didn’t pull away as soon as I realized where he was headed –”

Kyle gave a crooked smile. “He got you, didn’t he? It’s something in those eyes, that smile – it gets you every time. I know from experience.”

Allie looked perturbed. “Kyle, I never meant to hurt you, and I’m sorry if I did. But you don’t have to worry, Troy isn’t the one for me.” She grasped both of his hands. “He’s all yours. I’m not going to – to fight you for him.”

“I know you won’t. But … you have to.” His words surprised him almost as much as they did Allie. “You have to say yes.”

She stared at him in absolute bewilderment. “I – I can’t! Kyle, you love him.”

“And he … he likes you. Which is a lot more sensible than me loving him. So if you meant what you said the other day, about being there for me, you’ll do this one favor for me. Troy’s a great guy, one who deserves a fair chance. He shouldn’t lose it because of our friendship.”

If she had not realized it before, in that instant it dawned on Allie just how much Kyle cared for Troy. And she made up her mind. “Okay.”

Kyle looked up, slightly disconcerted that she’d given in so quickly. “Really?”

Allie nodded. “Just the one date.”

Kyle stumbled over his reply. “You’d better hurry then, before he takes your ‘no’ for granted.”

Allie hesitated for a moment. Kyle gave a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. Go quickly.”

She got up and opened the door. Her hand still resting on the doorknob, she gave a final glance backward. Kyle nodded towards the outside, a weak grin still on his face. And then the door swung closed, cutting off the light from the corridor.

Kyle finally gave in to the emotions that had been building up inside him. Why did letting go a guy to whom he hadn’t so much as confessed his love hurt so much? What had possessed him to be so fucking generous in the first place? Oh, it had seemed so noble at the time, sacrificing any chance of admitting his feelings on the altar of his love for Troy. But now that Allie had actually gone off to agree to a date with the guy he loved, he didn’t feel so noble anymore. On the contrary, he felt plain shitty.

Christmas was the season of giving. And he’d just given up the most precious gift of all.

* * *​

Troy ran a hand through his exquisite brown locks in frustration. “I fucked it up, didn’t I?” he groaned.

Todd sighed. “It would have helped to not be so impulsive.”

Troy ignored him and groaned, “Of all the cheesy pick-up lines …”

“I don’t know; it could’ve worked for you …” Todd heaved another sigh. “Forget it, we still have plenty of decorations to put up.”

The brothers worked for a while in silence. Then Troy shot his brother a sideways glance. “So, she’s been in your physics lecture all this while, huh? How come you never told me about her?”

Todd’s glare was quickly wiped off his face. He poked his brother sharply in the ribs.

“Wha-?” Troy started to say, when he realized what – or rather who – Todd had already noticed.

“Allison! Hi! Again.”

Allie smiled tentatively at him. “Allie … please. I was hoping … it isn’t too late to take you up on your offer?”

Troy blinked. “No. No, not at all.”

“Great!” Allie wondered if she sounded too eager. “Should I -?”

“No, I’ll come by to pick you up. Tonight? At seven?”

“Um, that sounds perfect. You know where I-”

“Actually … No,” admitted Troy.

Allie told him where her room was. “I’ll see you then? At seven?”

“You can bet on it.” Troy remembered to flash another of his dazzling smiles at her. Allie smiled back, nervously.

Troy wheeled around to face his brother once she’d left. “Did that really happen?”

He looked almost as awestruck. “Apparently it did.”

Troy shook his head in amazement.

* * *​

Later that same day, Allie paced around her room anxiously, cradling her phone in the palm of her hand. Kyle was a push of a button away. But if she called him, she was sure he’d try to talk her out of it. And that simply wouldn’t do. She knew her plan of action, and she was going to stick to it.

There was a knock on her door. She almost tripped in her haste to answer it.

“Troy! Hi.”

“Hi.” He looked even hotter, if that was possible. He had clearly made an extra effort with his appearance tonight. Of course Troy looked sexy whatever he wore. But his obvious preparation for their date made Allie feel worse as his eyes scanned her casual jeans and fluffy pink sweater.

“Uh,” he said nervously, “you look wonderful but … the place we’re going to might need something a little more … formal?”

“Formal?” repeated Allie.

He gave a small grin. “Valentino’s.”

Allie’s eyes fairly popped out of their sockets. Valentino’s was one of the classier restaurants in town. It was also notoriously expensive, and probably quite difficult to get reservations in December. “You got us … a table at Valentino’s?”

Even nervousness looked appealing on Troy’s handsome features. “Too much for a first date?” Looking rueful, he produced a small bouquet of champagne roses from behind his back. “I guess these are, too.”

Allie was quite at a loss for words. Those beautiful roses – it was true that there were just a few stalks, but in winter! She was staggered by the lengths he’d gone to for the date.

He fixed his green eyes on her. “Don’t freak out on me, okay? I guess I might’ve gone overboard, but it’s sort of my first proper date and I wanted it to be perfect.”

It was a little unbelievable that someone as good-looking as Troy had made it to college without ever going on a proper date. But maybe his definition of a date differed from hers.

The way he shifted from one foot to the other, his puppy-like exuberance, was catching. She simply couldn’t say no to him. “I’ll – I’ll get changed. Just give me a few minutes. And … thank you.” She accepted the roses.

Closing the door after Troy excitedly agreed to wait outside, she leaned against it and raised her eyes heavenward. Kyle would have to forgive her.

* * *​

In his room, Kyle mirrored his best friend’s actions as he paced in circles around his roommate. Mick looked up from his laptop after Kyle had completed a few dizzying round.

“Hey man, you’re like a caged cat today. What’s up?”

What’s up? Kyle felt like retorting, I decided to be Mother Teresa, that’s what!

Aloud he said, “Nothing really. Just too much pent-up energy, I guess.”

“Go and walk it off, man.” Mick sounded almost eager to get rid of Kyle. In response to Kyle’s glare, he shrugged. “I’ve got a chick coming over in a bit and …”

Kyle groaned inwardly. He knew what Mick was trying to tell him. Usually he’d go to Allie’s room when this happened, but not tonight. She was probably out on her date. With Troy. Troy I-love-him-so-damn-much-but-he’ll-never-know-it Madsen.

“Fine!” He yelled suddenly, startling Mick so much that he almost dropped his laptop. “I’ll go for a walk.”

Kyle grabbed his coat and made sure to bang the door on his way out. He’d made it out of the building before he realized he’d forgotten to put on his scarf. He contemplated going back to get it, but he’d already made a dramatic exit and he didn’t intend on spoiling it. He shivered and turned the collar of his coat as high up as possible and tucked his hands back into the pockets.

He decided on a walk into the town. Find a nice place to grab a steaming mug of hot chocolate and wait there till it closed, and then take a leisurely stroll back along the riverside.

As he walked down the streets of the city one signpost in particular caught his eye. Ross Street. Why did it sound so familiar?

Then he remembered. A snatch of conversation from that fateful morning. He’d never been down that particular street, much less known a gay bar even existed in this town.

Out of curiosity more than anything else, he found himself turning into Ross Street. Not far down was the club’s blue neon sign. He wondered how he’d never noticed it before. Especially with a name that obvious – Gayer spelt backwards.

He paused outside the entrance. He shocked himself by even considering the thought of going in. What was he thinking? The only guy who’d ever made him feel that way was Troy. Troy who was on a date with his best friend.

He remembered why he’d been brought down to this level. Everyone had a fucking date except him. So to hell with it. He made the decision that would change his life, and the lives of several others, in the course of that one night.

He stepped into the bar.

To be continued …​

And that’s it for my little Christmas present to you all. Chris, I hope the length of this chapter makes up for the previous one . This chapter is great fun too! A bit depressing for Christmas Day, I know, but it can’t be helped. And also a last minute change in the chapter title. Is “Reversal” ever going to be the title of a chapter? Lol, I have no idea. I’m still looking for a title and an opening quote for the next one.

As always, your comments and feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[kcm17480]

Wow that was an excellent chapter. What a blow for Kyle. I just don't think he really has a chance with Troy. Of course you never know. He'll probably run into Sean though.

 

[Paulo68]

Great Writing.
Thanks for the Chrissy chapter.
Looking forward to more.
Cheers

 

[arogersb]

This chapter is dedicated to my newborn cousin, whose birth on Boxing Day delayed this chapter by a couple of days. To all readers I wish a Happy New Year!

~ Chapter 6 ~
Intersecting Paths

The course of true love never did run smooth.​

— William Shakespeare, in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”​

The interior of the bar was quiet, perhaps not that strange considering it was only half past seven in the evening. Music played softly in the background and the few patrons who had congregated there for an early drink kept mostly to themselves.

Despite the momentary calm, Kyle had barely set foot inside before he had the overwhelming urge to turn around and leave. What the hell was he doing here? He already knew the only guy he was attracted to was Troy. It wasn’t as if he expected to find a soul mate here in a dimly-lit gay bar. It was not too late to leave, and he thought to himself that was exactly what he should do.

But he didn’t. Instead, he found himself moving towards the counter. The bartender paused in the act of polishing a glass at his approach. “Can I help you?”

“Uh … a cranberry juice, please.” Kyle tried to steer clear of alcohol, because he knew that it did not take much for him to get drunk. And the last place he wanted to get drunk was a strange gay bar.

The bartender gave him a look but didn’t say anything other than to state the price of a glass of juice. Kyle handed him the correct change and quickly found a suitably dark corner of the bar, where he could nurse his drink in solitude. He did not particularly want conversation. He stared into the ruby-red depths of his cranberry juice and couldn’t help wondering if this evening would have been a good time to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Sighing, he raised the glass and took a sip.

* * *​

Sean, bored out of his mind, listened to Zach chat up a potential threesome partner for the night. The guy was playing hard to get, and Sean, after fighting a losing battle with his temper, finally snapped, “For fuck’s sake, do you want to fuck or not?”

Zach shot him a look of reproach. Sean sighed and put up his hands in defeat. “Fine, I’m going now.” He slunk off to lick his wounds.

“The strongest concoction you can whip up,” he asked of the bartender. The man, used to Sean by now, complied with the demand. As Sean gulped down the drink (closing his eyes briefly as it burned his throat), he scanned the bar, more out of boredom than anything else. His eyes widened suddenly as he spotted a familiar and unanticipated face. He wondered if the alcohol was affecting his eyesight. But no – it was indeed the cute boy from the library. What had Neil said his name was? Kyle – yes, that was it.

Sean put down his drink and zipped over to Kyle’s corner so fast he knocked the glasses off some guy who was just coming in. He called an apology back over his shoulder without as much as a pause in his step. Only when he was four feet away from Kyle’s seat did he remember that he had never seen the boy in the bar before, that he was probably new and, judging from the nervous way he was handling his drink (Sean snorted inwardly at the cranberry juice), liable to be spooked if he jumped into the seat opposite him.

He cleared his throat. “Hi, I was wondering if this seat’s taken.”

Kyle looked up, startled. “Er …” He really didn’t want the company, especially someone around his age who probably went to his college, where he wasn’t out of the closet, so it was uppermost in his mind to say yes.

“I think I know you,” added Sean, which just confirmed Kyle’s fears. Then again, what had walking into the bar had been if not a ringing proclamation of his newfound sexuality?

He nodded resignedly to the empty seat. “No, you’re welcome to sit there if you want.” He gave Sean a quick once-over and didn’t find anything remotely threatening about him. Of course, if he’d known more about Sean’s reputation, he might not have been quite at ease.

“So – Kyle, isn’t it?”

Kyle looked surprised. “Yeah, how did you-?”

Sean grinned. “I’ve seen you around college. As it turns out, you know a friend of mine. Kirsten Montgomery?”

“Oh, right. Kirsten is roommates with my … friend … Allison.”

From the hesitation in Kyle’s voice Sean gleaned that there was something going on – something that was best to be avoided in conversation. “So … this is the first time I’m seeing you here.” It was more a question than a statement.

“Yeah … I’ve never been to this sort of place before.” He laughed – a short and bitter laugh. “Before tonight, I’d never have thought of coming here.”

Sean’s cock gave a lurch in his pants at the idea of a probable virgin. Struggling to keep his excitement out of his voice, he pretended instead to examine the drink in his hand, swirling the liquid around in its glass. “So why now? What made you change your mind?”

Kyle looked at Sean out of the corner of his eye. This was verging on personal territory. But then he’d already taken the plunge into the deep end of the pool; from that point, everything was relatively shallow. “There was a guy … and he was straight.”

Sean paused in mid-swirl. The pained expression on Kyle’s face stirred a curious emotion in him. “Ah. I see. The classic tale.” He tapped the side of Kyle’s glass. “Frankly, I’m surprised that’s all you’re having, considering what you must’ve been through.”

Kyle glanced at the cranberry juice and grimaced. “I guess it is pretty sad, huh?” He looked over to Sean’s drink. “What’s that you’re having?”

Sean hid the wolfish grin that came to his lips; this was too easy. But then he felt a prickle of conscience, which was something he probably would have ignored a month ago. But now he suppressed a sigh and said, “Something you don’t want to try.” He smiled at Kyle – a sympathetic smile. “Tell you what, I’ll suggest something on the milder side for you?”

Kyle nodded, almost eagerly, and Sean felt bemused by the younger teen’s innocence. He wondered if there had ever been a time when he had been that innocent. If there had, he certainly didn’t remember it. What he did remember seemed to be an endless fuckfest. When had sex stopped being fun?

He watched Kyle make a face as he took his first sip of the drink Sean had ordered for him and grinned. “Still too strong for you?”

“No,” lied Kyle, and bravely took another sip to prove it. “Are you here alone?” he asked Sean out of the blue.

Sean raised an eyebrow but Kyle didn’t seem to notice. “Actually I’m here with my friend. Zach’s over at the other end of the bar.”

“Oh. Is Zach your – boyfriend?”

Sean looked at Kyle in amusement. “My, we’re remarkably forward, aren’t we?”

Kyle blushed a brilliant shade of pink, which Sean found rather cute. He started to mumble, “I’m sorry if I was too-”

“Nah, I was just teasing you. And no, Zach isn’t my boyfriend. I’m unattached.” Kyle missed the subtle hint in the last sentence.

“That must be nice,” he replied vaguely.

Sean surprised himself by admitting, “Not really.” He felt like kicking himself; what had possessed him to divulge, to a kid he had just met, what he had never revealed to anyone else before?

Kyle was looking at him enquiringly. What the hell, thought Sean, he’d already come this far. It still took a big swig of his drink before he explained, though. “It gets dull after a while. You start to want more than just sex. You’ve never had sex before, have you?”

Kyle blinked and looked embarrassed.

Sean chuckled. “Relax, it’s okay. I guess good advice would be to not rush into it. It’s not advice that I took personally.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “So what about you? Going to wait for your dream guy?”

Kyle shook his head. “I told you, he’s straight.”

“It doesn’t have to be him.”

Kyle stared, nonplussed, at Sean. “Are you suggesting what I think you are?”

Sean had the grace to look apologetic. “Sorry, I got carried away. Old habits die hard.”

“So you do this often?” asked Kyle, his tone mildly accusing.

“Pretty much,” Sean confessed. “Or rather, I leave the chatty part of it to Zach.”

“To Zach …?” Kyle repeated. Then his eyes widened, much to Sean’s amusement. “Oh,” he managed weakly.

Sean grinned. “I’d explain further, but I don’t want to offend your sensitivities.”

“That’s fine, I don’t particularly want to know.” Kyle looked at Sean carefully. “Why didn’t you – ”

“ – take advantage of you?” Sean completed the question for him. Kyle winced; hearing it put like that made it sound all the worse. “I’m sorry,” Sean apologized, “that was kind of what I was planning to do with you. But I just couldn’t bring myself to. You were far too … innocent. It would’ve been a crime to spoil that.”

“Thanks … I guess.” Kyle wasn’t quite certain how he felt about that. He lifted his glass up to the light. “So I take it this is safe for consumption?”

Sean nodded. “I think you’d know by now if it wasn’t; you’ve had quite a bit.”

“So I have,” agreed Kyle. “I really shouldn’t, if Allie was here she’d stop me for sure …” His voice trailed off as his face darkened. He raised the glass to his lips and gulped down half its contents.

“Hey!” Sean grabbed the glass out of his hand. “I might not have gotten you the strongest drink in here, but it’s still probably more than you can handle a full glass of.” Kyle’s face was indeed slightly flushed. “What did she do that’s gotten you so angry?” Sean asked gently.

“It isn’t her I’m angry at. It’s myself. I forced her to go out with the guy I like and then got upset because she didn’t protest it more.”

Sean’s eyebrows shot up. The best friend and the crush . . . This was certainly one convoluted tale. Only he didn’t realize how much more convoluted it was going to get by the night’s end . . .

He found himself saying, “Cheer up, it could be worse. You could be like me. Having your heart broken is marginally better than finding out that you never had one to get broken in the first place.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Kyle.

“You mean being heartbroken is worse?”

“No, I mean it’s ridiculous that you think you don’t have a heart!” Kyle reached out and placed a hand over Sean’s chest, where his heart was. “There, I can feel it beating,” he proclaimed with almost childish enthusiasm.

Sean looked down at Kyle’s hand, and then back up at his face. Brown eyes stared into blue ones. Almost instinctively Sean leaned forwards. Kyle didn’t move to avoid him.

Their lips met.

But it was only for a few seconds before Sean broke it off. They stared at each other in silence.

“That – that was the first time I’ve ever kissed a guy,” said Kyle in a strangled voice.

“And was it everything you imagined?” asked Sean, trying to keep his tone jovial, although the kiss had done weird things to his stomach.

“It – it was different from how I’d dreamt it. Of course, you’re not the guy I was kissing in my dream …” Seeing the hurt look that crossed Sean’s face he hastily added, “Not that that’s a bad thing. If I wasn’t in love with someone else, you would be, without a doubt, my first choice.” Sean’s budding smile was cut short as Kyle continued hesitantly, “But – but that’s the problem.”

Sean sighed. “You are in love with someone else.”

Kyle nodded slowly. “It was a nice kiss, but it just … didn’t feel right.”

“No, I suppose it didn’t.” Sean tried to be detached, act as if the kiss had meant nothing to him.

Kyle looked earnestly at him. “But I did mean what I said earlier, you do have a heart. There was nothing stopping you from taking advantage of me.”

“How do you know I haven’t already?” shot back Sean.

Kyle looked at him sympathetically. “Does that help?” he asked softly. “Pretending not to care?”

Sean’s unwillingness to look at him confirmed it. Kyle hesitated, and then quietly reached out to pat his hand. Sean, startled, began to pull away, before relenting.

“Well, this makes a pretty picture,” he said, breaking the silence. “Both of us wallowing in self-pity.”

“I’m open to suggestions,” replied Kyle.

There was a mischievous twinkle in Sean’s eye. “I’m afraid the only ones I can think of at the moment involve getting you out of those clothes.”

Kyle laughed and slapped Sean’s hand lightly. “You know, I think I must be drunk.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t seem particularly perturbed by those suggestions.”

Sean perked up. “Is that a yes?”

“No!” Kyle giggled. “You have a single-track mind, you know that?”

“I do. And you have an alcohol-befuddled one.”

Kyle rubbed his eyes. “I think I need to walk it off.” He got off his stool. “It was nice meeting you …” He blinked, suddenly coming to a realization. “I don’t know your name?”

“It’s Sean. Sean Hunter.”

Kyle giggled again. “You didn’t live up to your name tonight, then?”

Sean smiled indulgently. “No, you’re the prey that got away.”

Kyle laughed, and said goodbye before leaving. Sean watched him leave, his smile fading as a familiar melancholy fell over him. A cute kid, but he’d been right: he was not the one for Sean. Was there even anyone meant for him?

* * *​

“Kyle! Wait up!”

Kyle stopped short, and turned around. “Todd,” he said in surprise as Troy’s twin brother jogged up beside him.

“I saw you in the bar, but some blond guy got to you before I could.” Todd slowed his pace down to a brisk walk after catching up with him.

“Oh, right. That was Sean.”

Todd fiddled nervously with his glasses as he asked, “So you were just … meeting a friend?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean why I was in the bar. No …” Kyle faltered. He’d already outed himself to one person that night; did telling another make a difference? But this was Troy’s brother. And telling him … would be almost like telling Troy himself.

“I went there because I’m gay,” he confessed.

Now it was Todd’s turn to stop short. “You’re gay?” he whispered.

Kyle nodded. It was so much easier to tell another gay person, he decided. He was blissfully free of the anxiety that had besieged him when telling Allie. Then again, it could have been the effect of the alcohol.

“Wow,” breathed Todd. “I never knew.”

“It’s not exactly something you go announcing,” pointed out Kyle matter-of-factly, “not in this town. Although,” he added ruefully, “I seem to be doing just that this evening.”

Todd was silent. Then he mumbled, “Yeah, perhaps that isn’t the wisest thing to do.”

Kyle eyed him curiously. “So do you go there often?”

Todd kept his eyes on the road. “Uh, once a week, usually. It’s the only time I –” He let the sentence trail off. Then he looked up. “My brother thinks you’re a great tutor.”

Kyle thought it was a weird way to change the subject, but he didn’t say anything. “It’s a pleasure to teach him. He’s a good student. Then again, we are talking about Troy. He’s good at everything he does.”

“No, he isn’t.”

Kyle was stunned by the sudden vehemence. “What do you mean?”

Todd quickly backtracked. “Um, I just meant he, er, can be unsure of himself at times. Like with girls.”

“Really?”

Todd chuckled. “You haven’t seen him, he can be a nervous wreck when it comes to girls.”

That didn’t sound like the confident Troy he knew to Kyle. But then his brother was sure to know better. “Well, he managed to score with Allie, so he’s doing something right.”

“Yes, Allie …” mused Todd. He noticed Kyle trying vainly to draw his coat collar up to his chin. “Are you cold?”

“Not exactly, I forgot to bring a scarf.”

“Here, you can have mine.” Todd began to unwind the scarf around his neck.

“No, I couldn’t possibly,” Kyle tried to protest.

“Don’t worry about me, I have a high tolerance to the cold.” He held the scarf out to Kyle. “Go on, take it. It’s not being of use to either of us if I’m holding it in my hand.”

Kyle couldn’t argue with that logic. He thankfully accepted the scarf and smiled gratefully at Todd. The smile he got in return was reminiscent of Troy in its beautiful dimples and the sparkling green eyes (albeit behind lenses). Kyle felt the strange and overwhelming urge to cuddle with the Madsen twin walking next to him.

* * *​

Troy walked Allie up to her door.

“Well … this is me,” said Allie. They gazed awkwardly at each other.

“I hope you had a wonderful time,” said Troy.

“It was great. The dinner was great.”

Troy smiled his dimpled smile at her. “Did it beat going over Dr. Steadman’s notes like we were supposed to?” he joked.

“Oh, hands down,” replied Allie. She rested her hand on the doorknob.

He moved closer. She could smell the subtle pine scent of his aftershave. His green eyes were mesmerizing in their beauty. Kyle was right, there was something about them.

That reminded her. With great reluctance, she dodged his kiss. “Troy, there’s something I need to tell you first. It’s about Kyle.”

She paused. Troy looked disappointed. But she had to tell him. She had already put it off long enough.

Then something clicked in her mind, something grating that Troy had said just moments before. “Troy,” she said, struggling to keep her voice neutral, “when did Dr. Steadman tell us to revise his notes?”

Troy looked puzzled and started to reply, “In yesterday’s lecture, of cour-” Then his eyes widened.

Allie stared at him, horrorstruck. “Oh my god.” The same gorgeous green eyes, the brown hair in its deliberately messy locks, the dimples in his beautiful face …

Except that it was not Troy Madsen who was looking helplessly back at her. His slipup with regard to their physics lecturer had told her as much.

It was his brother.

To be continued …​

Your feedback is needed because, in reading back what I've written, I realize the narrative got a bit confusing. It is progressing according to the original plan, although I was tempted to deviate when I saw the chemistry between Kyle and Sean. Anyway you all know where this is headed! I think there's another one chapter or two at most. But will that be the End?

 

[fbrand12345]

haha, jaw is now on the floor. excellent twist justin

and congrats on the new cousin