Can two broken men build one life? Ten years. That’s what Makai lost for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s been exonerated, but the abuse he suffered in prison isn’t so easy to leave behind. He heads to the one place he remembers being happy: Acker, Wisconsin, where he spent summers with his grandpa. Unfortunately, not everyone wants Makai there. Ten days. That’s how long Emil, now twenty-one, was held prisoner as a teenager. The mental and physical injuries he suffered at the hands of a drug trafficking ring still haunt him. Nightmares, anxiety, and PTSD challenge the connection forming between Makai and Emil, though together, they might find a way to move beyond their pain and into a future -- and a relationship -- that both had thought impossible. Now they just have to convince Emil’s father, the town sheriff. It won’t be easy with danger closer than they know ...

In the early-morning hours, he caught up on a few episodes of South Parkand then ended up cleaning the house even though it was pretty damn clean already. When he finally deemed it late enough to text Emil, he sat on the couch with another coffee and settled in.


I fell asleep once everyone left and woke up at five this morning. Oops?


He waited for a while, petting Mouse, who came to him for affection.


Wow, I managed to stay up until nine, but I slept for twelve hours too. No nightmares though.


I think we might be onto something there, none here, either. We need to do more things, I think, to get them to stop? I don’t know.Makai frowned at the text but sent it anyway.


It only took a minute or so to get a reply. Yeah. We started it, I think we should figure out how to stop them. I like walks, and I’ve been thinking about getting a camera. Maybe go take pictures and stuff?


Chapter 52