Shane has never managed to catch a break. His mother died when he was a teen and his father left home the day he turned eighteen. Then he met a man he thought would fulfill all his dreams. Little does he know that Tyler will plunge him into a nightmare of both physical and verbal abuse.<br><br>With his self-esteem destroyed and no friends to turn to, Shane lives every day in despair. But when they’re invited to a neighbour’s house for dinner, things begin looking up. Michael, their host, is no stranger to Shane, for they have often said hello over the fence.<br><br>But is he the one who will come to Shane’s rescue? Or will Tyler make sure their friendship goes no further than the dinner?

Something from Nothing

They returned inside, and Michael showed him the formal lounge room, the two spare bedrooms, the two bathrooms, both containing a bath and a bidet, and the laundry.


“You haven’t seen our bedroom, yet.”


Michael took him back along the hallway. “This is it,” he said, indicating a door.


Shane burst into the large room and gasped. Against the far wall stood an unmade, king-sized bed on a raised area. Opposite the bed, on the wall, was a large, flat-screen television, and Michael pointed to speakers positioned discreetly around the room. There were two enormous windows, with window seats, heavily curtained against the unrelenting Australian sun.


“Reverse cycle air con over there and in the main living area.”


Shane shook his head. “I must be dreaming.”


Michael took him by the hand and led him to the bed. “You’re not.”


Chapter 24