Quiet and imaginative, Derek O'Reilly spends a lot of time watching a movie in his head. His fiancé Nathan wonders why Derek hasn't taken any interest in their wedding planning, and Aunt Fran -- his spiritual guru -- would like to know when her guilt-tripping nephew became a kept boy. When she drops Derek's childhood journal on his lap, he's forced to remember the name he's been trying to forget since he was twelve years old. Nicolai Lund. Nick was Derek's neighbor ... and first love. Weeks before Derek's engagement party, a chance meeting with Nick catapults Derek into the past. But Nick isn't that seventeen-year-old rebel anymore. He's a man hardened by invisible scars. A man struggling with grief. As Derek reads through his childhood diary, he realizes what Nick was to him, still is today, and yet might be ... NOTE: This edition has been expanded and substantially edited.

Split

I slid off the bed, folded the blanket, and then set it on the chair. I looked around for my clothes but couldn’t find them. The gown was silly looking. There was no way I was going to be seen walking around in this dress. I sighed.


What could I do to make this doctor give me back my clothes and send me home?


The door swung open and the policeman walked in. The doctor was two steps behind. There was some color in the doctor’s grayish cheeks. “Derek, this man would like to talk to you for a moment. Just a few questions. Is that okay with you? Standard procedure.”


Standard procedure. I liked the sound of that.


The giant policeman smiled. He had big white teeth. “Good boy.”


The doctor stood nervously by the door. “All right then,” he muttered before leaving.


Chapter 41