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

By the time we got home and put away the groceries,we were starving.I offered to make us ham and cheese sandwiches while he searched for a good movie on Netflix.Personally I didn’t care what we watched—I was hoping for an eventual make-out session on the couch.I grabbed a bag of chips and balanced the two sandwich-laden paper plates in one hand while I made my way into the living room.


He took the plates from me,setting them on the coffee table.I tossed the chips there before getting cans of sodas from the fridge.


I grabbed his drink and my Dew before I collapsed on the couch next to him.


He’d queued up the newest Star Trekmovie and I grinned.“How many times have we seen this one?”


He laughed.“It’s a classic already,which means you can watch it as many times as you want.”


Chapter 56