Mike’s life is carefully compartmentalized. He’s deep in the closet to his family back in Kansas, but lives life honestly and openly in Austin. He’s unnerved when Wes, his old university crush, turns up at his door in answer to a roommate advertisement, but quickly sees the potential ... benefits of the arrangement. Wes has never doubted nor denied his sexuality. With the support of his family he’s an out and proud LGBT activist.<br><br>On the scale balancing his self-esteem on one side, and the love of his family on the other, Mike has to decide which weighs more. Is Mike being fair to his parents by not giving them the chance to know his real self? When the delicate balance of his life is disrupted, he decides he’s tired of living a lie. Will Wes understand his concerns, or will their fledgling relationship crumble under the strain of Mike’s uncertainty?

Closets Are for Clothes

“Me, too.” I busied myself filling the kettle and setting up the teapot. I wanted to say it—was biting my tongue not to—so I took a fortifying breath and did. “I missed you at breakfast yesterday.”


“Yeah?” His head tilted, and his eyes scrunched together questioningly. “I missed you, too. It’s…” He blinked and gave a delicate head shake before turning back to his oatmeal. I didn’t push for it. Instead my heart jumped, imagining him thinking the same as me—that it was weird, feeling such a connection after little more than a week together.


I pulled our thermal lunch bags out of the cabinet and peered into the refrigerator. “There are a few Bierocks still, and plenty of leftover spaghetti and meatballs mixed up. Which do you want for lunch today? Or some of each?”


Wes snickered. “I doubt they’ll complement each other, but I’ll go for some of each.”


Chapter 26