Eighteen year-old Aaron Pickard is dealing with a lot: he’s falling for his straight best friend, his mother has ended up in the hospital after a violent assault by his father, and he’s trying to decide when to come out. Tack on the stress of an upcoming prom and graduation, a part-time job, and the possibility he could lose his best friend, and he’s an emotional wreck.<br><br>Aaron’s best friend Jeff Leaton provides a soft place for him to fall when his life is thrown into chaos, literally holding him each night as they fall asleep. As Jeff helps Aaron navigate through the mess that has become his new normal, Aaron’s feelings for Jeff intensify.<br><br>Aaron’s pretty sure it’s all going to end badly, but he’s holding on to hope.

Holding On

As I grew,my dad’s drinking intensified into a daily occurrence,and the abuse my mom suffered at his hands became harder for her to hide.I hated being home,but it also tore me up to leave my mom and sister alone with him.My dad had never been physical with me or my sister,but he had ratcheted up his verbal abuse each year until he was a master at it.He was famous for giving us a compliment that was really an insult.One of his personal favorites for me was“You look nice.Is that your sister’s shirt?”This was a dig at my small stature,and his way of telling me he thought I looked feminine.I think I handled it pretty well,but I was worried about my sister.He was destroying her self-confidence.I could see the pain in her eyes.I wondered why my mom stayed with him—surely she didn’t love him,did she?Truthfully,I wasn’t sure my mom had the ability to leave him.I believe,in her mind,she felt trapped.


Chapter 4