Did you catch Monday's blog sharing the ad and feature of this month's Classic author story, The Confrontation by Adam Phillips? This was another story chosen to go along with the Coming Out theme to kick off our promotion of Pride month, which is often what so many LGBT community members are thinking about when this time of year rolls around. How did it go in this story? Well...

I chose this excerpt because it shows that first crucial moment and then the second... but you're left wondering if the third time is the charm or the time the decision will be ripped out of his hands and everything the character might face is too little too late. 

Quote

 

Just like that, the little bastard had reached in, torn out my heart, and ripped it up. When I received it, I sat staring at the words on the computer screen for five minutes. Well, what the hell did I expect? Then, with a sigh, I pressed "delete" and went about the process of shutting down the account.

I didn't like it, but you know, life isn't always a joyride. My world was complicated and getting more complicated by the month. By the end of the year it promised to be chaos if I didn't clear my head. I needed to simplify things and try to get a grip. And I needed to get completely away from online contacts, especially contacts I'd fallen for.

Easier said than done, of course.

And anyway, part of me knew it was a sorry-ass thing to do, just walk away like that. But when he pulled away I was hurt and pissed. Didn't he understand that I wanted more than we had together as badly as he did? In the end, my anger won out, so I bailed. I told myself it was just a part of a general online housecleaning. I didn't have time to deal with all this internet shit at this stage of my life. Beyond this hopeless love story, there were "fans" I just didn't have time for anymore, people who expected me to take up serious online friendships with them just because they fell in love with the Me in my story. They could all go to hell.

But to just walk away from Jay like that? What the fuck is wrong with you?

"Shut up," I said to the voice. "I'm here, ain't I?"

 

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