Laura S. Fox

It has started occurring to me as I advanced in age, like everyone else, that this muscle memory, as you call it, becomes more difficult to change with age. Due to Lyn's self-imposed rigidity, for him, age didn't even play a role. But that didn't make him less obsessed with perfection and doing things 'the right way'. Lyn does begin - even if he ran away - to confront his feelings. Brad comes back from the past - the far one and the close one - to give him the necessary push. As for Brad's way of being... his motivations... I like to believe that the next chapter will explain it all.

I wanted him to be the one to say the word... my notes finally aligned for his little phone speech.

Oh, once more, Maestro, you hit the nail on the head... Lyn lives through the biggest dilemma in his life. What is he going to do? How? What does he feel? Why did Alexander do all those things? Faced with the reality, he needs time to cope with it. Especially someone as rigid as him needs it. Brad is the ignition indeed. And yes, I wanted the story to round up, circling back to the chaos element who often made a mess of things... Yet! Without him as glue, Lyn might have never spent enough time with Alexander to become friends. And Alexander, prey to his pride, would have done little to nothing to get close to the guy he felt attracted to. Let's recall a bit about how Alexander wasn't all that happy in the beginning about falling so ridiculously in love with Lyn. And yes... Brad found his footing. Finally. And he will tell more things to Lyn, important things... which is going to happen next chapter! I used the word glasses sparingly (I hope), but they were that element defining the story for Lyn. It is a story about sight and insight, and what we choose to see. Once something is broken irremediably, there's no way back to things exactly as they were. But that's not always a bad thing

Oh guys, please don't write off Brad... I mean, do as you consider, but I wrote this story with him being an integral part of it.

Oh gawd... I understand... if only I haven't met people in my life, smart people, beautiful people, amazing people doing all kinds of stupid shit... Parts of them are always inspiration for my works, even if it's a big secret, and no one even suspects what I write under a pseudonym... On the other hand, the second most-drunk non-alcoholic beverage in the world - billions of cans sold yearly - is Red Bull. So let's not start on how logical people, a big chunk of them, truly are. That thing tastes like an ashtray! (I know, random fact, but I couldn't help it, lol)

The moment of honesty was upon them... Lyn truly never realized how his friends felt about him.

It truly does feel that way... They will meet!

Oh, damn, both me and my editor missed it... I'll leave it because... oh, damn, it made it into print

That's a good one, lol! Reading a bit quickly your comment, someone I thought you were saying Brad looked up the word on the Internet, and my story on GA popped up, uber lol.

Yes, they will meet Next present chapter, I promise.

He-he... that would have been something! But no, Alexander and Brad never did such things. Ah, the old glasses... I'm happy someone wondered about them!

True, true...

Chapter Fifty-Eight – [Memory, Junior Year, October] – That Time When You Needed Me For the last two days, Alexander had skipped classes and communicated strictly via messages, as he appeared to be deaf to the sound of his own ringtone. Lyn didn’t like this one bit, while Brad dismissed it as being nothing and joking that His Majesty might just be trying to prove that he could skip classes and still keep his academic scholarship, no explanations given. In all honesty, Lyn was worried.

He really hurt Lyn. And then Lyn hurt Alexander. And then he ran away.

Excellent point!

The comment section for this story has been amazing... I am flattered by the analysis done by the readers... and I'm glad others enjoy reading their thoughts.

I believe so, yes, each of them has a fatal flaw. Lyn, as the main character, has his the most thoroughly explored.

It was truly terrifying for Lyn to hear all that... you're right, that's an unspeakable injury. While writing the chapter, I wrote and re-wrote Brad's words several times and then came back to the same lines. In the end, I realized that I had to bite the bullet and make it as ugly as required to have Lyn's core shattered... are authors sadistic beings? I don't know. But I wanted to do the story justice, as much as that's in my power. Brad has remained a child in many ways. I hope that the ultimate revelations will make him more understandable, maybe even relatable to a degree. And Alexander... he can't defend himself, and Lyn runs away... Yes, that's why for eight years they didn't speak to each other. It was Brad who broke the silence!

In this case, they will come out in the open - those things they hadn't talked about in the past. So stay tuned!

Ah, I just mentioned that to @LeeSA! Yes, Alexander was so right about Lyn in that respect.

Lyn's overthinking... that's part of what happened. He had so carefully rehearsed saying the words, obsessed even over them. You noticed well how the closer he gets to the moment itself, the more he can't follow a proper line of thinking. And inherent selfishness says it well. That's why he, as Alexander said, wasn't a good friend, but one who tried to be perfect. We're close to the end. I will set you free soon

It was

He was true to himself. His hamartia at play at its finest.

Alexander was truly hurt by Lyn then. And it was @Cane23 who explained in a comment under a previous chapter - exceptionally well - where Alexander drew the line in his attraction to Lyn - he would never be the one to ask and beg to be chosen. Lyn's mistake... well, his mistake was not paying attention to his true feelings. But he and Brad couldn't have happened. Soon enough, Brad will actually explain why

I wouldn't go that far... but Brad has a knack for learning things about people - like how he gleaned Lyn's address and knew where he lived.