During a golf tournament in Virginia, American golfer Reggie Weston meets Russell Lee, the British former world champion in the sport. The two men hit it off when Russell takes Reggie under his wing, teaching him the tricks of the game. As their friendship deepens, Reggie finds himself falling in love with the Englishman, though he knows Russell doesn’t feel the same. He’s painfully aware of the fact that Russell isn’t gay. But there’s more to Russell than meets the eye. He’s a troubled soul, plagued by monsters in his head telling him who he should be. He’s spent most of his life hiding his sexuality from the world so he won’t disappoint his homophobic mother. Is seven days enough time for Russell to break through the years of hurt and accept the new direction fate has in store for him and Reggie?

Seven Days

“I’m sorry, Reggie,” Carlos said, clearly disappointed in himself. “I’ve been an asshole. I didn’t want to…” He put an arm around Reggie and hugged him like a brother. “Come here, son.”


The tournament had lost its importance to them both.


“I wasn’t expecting him to love me back,” Reggie mumbled, his face against Carlos’s shoulder. “Just…I didn’t expect him to treat me so badly. We had become good friends over the past few days. I deluded myself into thinking it meant something more for him…”


The caddie ruffled Reggie’s hair with a caring caress. “Was he the reason you weren’t shaving?”


Reggie felt himself blush. He nodded, with effort, while another wave of pain grabbed his stomach.


“You don’t look bad, you know?” Carlos continued, hugging him again. “You know, my wife always tells our daughters what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…”


“But maybe that’s just bullshit,” he continued.


The joke made Reggie smile a little, but it lasted just a second.


Chapter 27