At 16, Stacy Evans dropped out of high school in the hopes of moving on with his life. But four years later, he's stuck in an abusive relationship with Lamar, a "friend with benefits," and works long hours at a dead-end job just to get by.<br><br>Then his mother enrolls him in a program to earn his GED. There he meets Darian, a woodshop teacher who is everything Stacy's friends are not -- smart, successful ... and who seems to take a personal interest in helping Stacy turn his life around. The two develop a rapport that keeps Stacy after school just to spend extra time with him. In intimate moments alone, they grow closer than just student and teacher.<br><br>On the right track for once, Stacy has a chance to choose between his troublesome past and a promising future with Darian. But his jealous friends won't let him go so easily.

Stepping Up to the Plate

The words broke the dam holding back his tears. Stacy wiped at his eyes roughly, determined not to cry. Because… “Fuck,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut, and more tears escaped. I love you.“Why—” His breath hitched and he had to try again. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”


With a short, bitter laugh, Ange asked, “You didn’t know?”


Stacy rubbed his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt, scrubbing hard to keep from crying. “If you’d said something sooner…”


Chapter 110