It’s not easy being a gay man in Utah, but it’s even more difficult when you’re young and overweight. Jay has never fit in with the general “club culture” and he knows he’d never be attractive enough to catch a one-night stand, much less a boyfriend. Losing himself in books and school alleviates his loneliness, and he doesn’t waste time dreaming about what he can’t have. Until he meets the new director of the GLBT Center on campus and promptly falls in love -- against all common sense and logic.<br><br>Hoping to catch a few glimpses of Stephen outside of the Center, Jay decides to start working out at the university gym. The plan turns out to be too successful as Stephen volunteers to be his workout buddy, then invites Jay out to lunch, and finally, kisses him. Jay wants Stephen more than anything, but he can’t bring himself to trust Stephen’s intentions. Not when he knows he’s disgusting and Stephen is so perfect ...

From Behind that Locked Door

But first thing’s first. The underground lake was gigantic. They had to make sure that nothing else lived there before they could move on. By and large, Cillian stayed out of the cave, preferring to set up shop in their temporary camp. His hallucinations didn’t seem so scary in broad daylight, and anyway, he had Zoe to keep him company.


Jack and Henri appeared only once on the surface during this stage of research. It was generally considered too dangerous for kids. But she wanted to see the glowing lake for herself, so Jack convinced the Monks to let them have a brief trip. The two of them seemed to have a good time. And they enjoyed meeting with Cillian in the middle of the day. The three had a packed lunch, and Henri got to see some of the fossilized creatures.


Chapter 42