Page 91 of Tell Me Lies: Manlove Edition

“It was already planned, but I need a rest. I’ve been on tour for three years straight and it’s time I took a break for some me time. Plus, I have a reason to rest. I want to see where this can go—you and me.”

“You’re serious?” Will asked. He propped himself up on his elbow and spread his free hand across Carsten’s chest. “Car?”

“I am.” He’d never been more serious in his life. “I’ve been a dick to you for too long and now that I’ve had a taste of you, I’m hooked. I need more. If it takes the rest of my life to prove my heart is yours, then I’ll do it.”

“I know you will,” Will said. “I doubted you back then, but not any longer.”

“You’re willing to give us a chance?” Hope blossomed in his heart. “Will?”

“I am. It’s crazy and this is happening quickly. I shouldn’t trust or give you this chance, because you’ve hurt me in the past, but I know you’re not the same guy you were before. You’re not a bad guy.”

“Not with you.” He’d be a bulldog for Will, though.

“You were hurt so much when you were younger and I can’t even begin to understand how you felt. I hate what you did to me, but you’re a product of your raising. Now you’re in control of yourself.”

“I am.” He found strength in Will because he was a good balance for him. An inspiration. “I’ll need a place to stay. Might be nice to be close to campus, too. I’d like to take a class or audit them or whatever it’s called.” He’d never gone to college and wanted the chance to try it.

“Oh? You’d audit a class?”

“I would,” he said. “And be close.”

“To what?”

“You.”

Will beamed. “You could probably teach some music classes.”

He’d never considered that, but it sounded like a great idea. Teaching songwriting would be a good stretch for him. “I’d love that, but I need a suggestion as to where to live. I’ve called the bus my home for the last three years.”

“I have a guest room,” Will replied. “It’s a start.”

“Sure is.” Close to Will, too. He wanted to move in right now.

“If you’re planning on sticking around, you should get comfortable and sleep. I’m not going anywhere and you might want to get a feel for the area,” Will said. He settled next to Carsten. “Life is funny, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Carsten snuggled up to him. He’d work out the living arrangement details later, but he had a direction and a plan for his future. He had a chance because he’d been redeemed.

Now he could move forward.

****

One Year Later

Carsten closed the notebook as the literature class concluded. He’d been at Northern University for two semesters and loved every second. He’d never thought he had what it took to be a teacher, but when he worked with the students in the music department in the songwriting classes, he found a purpose. He loved working with the students to hone their craft.

He even liked the classes on writing he’d audited because he’d learned so much.

The press hadn’t hounded him and the students rarely did either. He could be himself and stretch. Hell, he couldn’t imagine a better life.

He pushed the notebook into his satchel and allowed the day’s discussion to percolate in his mind. He truly grasped why he’d been such a jerk in the past and why he needed to make up for it. Reading the stories of pain and redemption helped him, too.

“Are you going to sit there until the janitor sweeps you up?” Will asked. He sat beside Carsten. “I hear you’re doing well in this class.”

“I am.” He draped the strap of the bag across his body. “What’re you doing here?” He’d expected to see him at home for dinner.

He’d spent the last year getting to know Will all over again and falling deeper in love with him. He’d moved into the guest room, but quickly moved over to Will’s bedroom. They’d created a homey life together. It was more than he could’ve believed he’d have.

Tonight, he needed to bare his soul to Will. It was time.

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