Superpride

Freddy's attitude is in need of a total rehaul haha. Thanks for the commenting!

I doubt that Freddy will freely offer his bedroom away, especially to Rick. These questions will be answered soon in the following chapters. Thanks for commenting!

I know there were plenty of secrets in my old bedroom haha. Hopefully the bed sheets are new or at least clean.

Thank you! The conversation between Rick and Freddy certainly brings up plenty of questions about Freddy's past and why he acts this way towards Rick. They don't seem to be mixing very well right now, but maybe there will be a catalyst that causes a reaction between the two men.

Yes, Freddy's reasoning for his ire towards Rick seems very conflicting and unreasonable. This anger may have resided in him long before he and his family moved into Beckett. Also, it is clear that Beth knows that both her former high-school boyfriend and older brother are gay. Maybe she is playing matchmaker. We'll see. And I wonder what Rick will stumble upon in Freddy's bedroom. 😉

Yes, a torch that he wants to hide rather than share and will undoubtedly burn him in the process.

Thank you for the very in-depth look into this chapter! Freddy is certainly irritating, not taking into account that Rick was indeed only eighteen with many people at that same age don't even know what major they want to pursue in college. Rick was smart for ending the relationship before it became even more serious like marriage and children, and divorce is much more serious and nasty then breaking up with a high-school lover. And the small-town setting must've also contributed to Rick's need to hide his sexuality and fit in with the rest of the townspeople. It can be assume that Freddy and his family used to live in the city, a place that was more progressive, so he never had to deal with the pressures of small-town gossip, especially since he only spent his senior year in Beckett. Something major must've occurred in his past that causes him to look down at Rick. Maybe it's related to his five-year relationship that ended after he moved to Beckett. Hopefully, that is revealed soon, and Freddy's character is seen in a different light. Maybe Freddy is also harboring some feelings that he thinks he cannot express, so instead he pushes people like Rick away. We'll see as the story continues.

That is very true! I wonder what he'll think if he finds out that Rick is lodging in his parents' house, sleeping in his bedroom. 😮

After more internal deliberation over this supposedly simple matter, I approached Beth’s mother and told her that I would stay at her house. Despite the poor phone reception, I managed to access my online banking account and came to the realization that I should spend the absolute minimum during my stay back in Beckett. When I returned to New York City, I needed all the money in my checking account to pay for the rent of my apartment. I’d be surprised if I still had fifty dollars remaining.

Hopefully, Freddy’s thick, rough shell will eventually crack and allow people like Rick to see who he really is. Beth certainly believes her older brother isn’t as vicious as he appears. Also, the mother is definitely a gossiper whose mouth is going to lead to conflict undoubtedly. And I’m sure Beth is screaming inside after receiving three blenders and a juicer haha.

Yeah, those fireworks will take plenty of preparation, but when they’re ready, it’ll certainly be a show worth seeing!

It also appears that Beth is holding something back from Rick, which is understandable since Freddy should be the one to reveal his personal information, in my opinion. Also, whether Rick chooses the bed and breakfast or accepts Beth's mother's offer instead, there's going to be conflict.

Thank you! My other stories also follow the trend of having cliffhangers, which I hope isn't too annoying. I guess that just my forte haha.

Thanks for the comment and advice. I use a feature on Microsoft Word called "Read Aloud," which helps me catch typos, but reading it aloud to myself sounds like a better solution to see whether the dialogue and story flows and makes sense.

I watched as Beth tackled the tower of presents given to her as everyone else surrounded the bride-to-be. Literally an hour passed, and she only unwrapped one-third of the presents that consisted mostly of kitchenware like expensive china and the latest kitchen appliances. I had to chuckle at the third blender she received and her feigning excitement. I also thought these presents were humorous since anyone who knew Beth at all understood that she was a terrible cook, her cooking skills only ext

I'm very glad the first chapter hooked you in! Hopefully, Beth's mother, the bible thumper, doesn't cause too much trouble haha. And I'm working on the next chapter right now which will go deeper into the conflict brewing between the former boyfriend and older brother of Elizabeth.

Thank you! Hopefully Rick and Freddy resolve whatever differences they have in order to let Elizabeth enjoy the most joyous moment of her life. And I'm working on the next chapter right now, so you won't be waiting long at all.

Yes, plenty of drama that can only be amplified by the small-town setting haha! I also love writing dialogue, but that doesn't mean I'm perfect at writing it all the time, so thank you for specifically pointing that out. I'll try to keep an eye on that aspect of the story, and hopefully it will improve as the story continues.

Yeah, I wanted to the first chapter to grab the readers' attention, which I think worked. I mean, the main character has returned home after five long years in the city to attend the wedding of his former girlfriend as the best man. What could possibly go wrong haha! O'Leary is a character who will be explored more as the story continues as well. Also, small-town gossip can be very toxic, especially after a pair of high-school sweethearts breaks up. Lastly, New York city seems to be a mythical land to some people who never lived the big-city life haha. 😄

And thank you for the comment! Definitely more to come!

Thank you for the comment of encouragement! Looking forward to developing these characters further, and hopefully you'll find them even more interesting as the story continues. 😃

Yeah, I'm also looking forward to the ride this story will provide. More will come soon and thank you for the comment!

Thank you for commenting! As I stated in another comment, this is the first story I posted here that doesn't have any elements of science fiction or fantasy. So, I'm looking forward to seeing where this story goes. Also, Beth's mother's attitude towards gay people is unfortunately still common, especially in small-town settings like the one in this story, which will definitely present a challenge for the main character, Rick. At least Beth is a more open-minded person and has even made her former boyfriend the best man in her wedding. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong with her older brother also back in town. 😉

Thanks for the comment. This story is the first one I posted on this site that doesn't incorporate any science fiction or fantasy elements. So, it's an experiment and endeavor for me. Hopefully, I can get an editor as the story progresses.

Parking my car at the front of the four-story mansion, I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I wondered if coming back to my hometown was a good idea. I haven’t placed a foot back on the town’s soil for almost five years, and that would’ve continued if Elizabeth hadn’t sent me an email a week before that contained information about her recent engagement. My former girlfriend back in high school was getting married, and she wanted me to be the best man to her wedding. I was skeptical about