Laura S. Fox

It's only a piece - re. what you said about incompleteness. Lyn and Alexander are building this relationship from pieces. If some parts remain uncovered... we'll see at the end Lyn tries to ignore his emotional self - he's been doing it for many years. Alexander might just blow all his walls to fine dust, though... And then, he'll know You're so right that it's a scary place for Lyn now. It rests on him how to process it. Alexander will hold his hand.

Ah, someone caught on Yes, Alexander has never been with a man, but he's no stranger to anal sex. And maybe, just maybe, Lyn might care less and less about what other people think...

He never bottomed. In my head, this was so clear and it's obvious I didn't make it clear enough in the previous chapters.

Alexander's team is pretty numerous...

Lyn never bottomed. I don't recall right now where exactly, but I think it was mentioned in the story before.

And he'd get more of that!

I do believe that this chapter echoes the title quite well... They're not yet 'aligned' - if they were at this point, next you'd read the epilogue, and there is still plenty of ground to cover. But it is the beginning of the next phase in their relationship. I knew it would be divisive for readers to witness their first time having sex like this for reasons they described themselves according to their interpretation... but I opted for a messy kind of love story (messy emotionally-wise, I really hope that it doesn't read messy, lol). While romance is ultimately formulaic, and I'm a romance writer, after all, I decided to go for a 'braver' take this time around, to show a relationship that can not only work but be great in the end despite the - maybe - compromises and mishaps. Psychic reckoning indeed, Maestro... well said. And the part about feeling complicit... yes, that's what Lyn feels because of his psychological makeup. He did nothing wrong, yet he feels guilty. Maybe it happened to others, too; it did to me. Lyn won't remain silent forever, that's what I promise. As always, excellent analysis! (You get Lyn so well...)

I believe they've waited long enough (just like the readers...)

He-he-he...

Chapter Thirty-Eight – [Memory, Junior Year, November] – Strategic Mistakes He had to start learning somewhere. Real life practice mattered more than whatever he could glean by reading blog posts and listening to podcasts, all these highly theoretical endeavors being well-seasoned with watching adult videos. Twenty-one years old was old enough to start considering the practical applications of all this learning. But anywhere close to the campus was a no-go. Lyn knew he’d never live dow

Lyn's self-repression prevails and is in full force here. And Quinn acts - I'd say - normal for his age, showing his interest in Lyn, without making it a big thing. Lyn, by overthinking, complicates something that's pretty simple as long as you speak the others' language - and we know he did cultivate his 'prison' for many years now. Oh, The Fisherman, I like it... Brad was fishing here. Lyn - on full defense mode because of Quinn's teasing - chooses the easy way out. It's a human trait, according to the books I read on the subject. Brad doesn't dare more than fish. And Lyn needs more than that to get out of his shell. It takes more. And you'll see what soon (I have a feeling I will surprise a lot of people with the next memory chapter... get ready )

The identity of the guy in question is not important, only the fact that he appeared and Lyn wondered about it (that's to prevent readers from wasting time on threads that would lead nowhere). The fact that Quinn knows Lyn's name... despite Lyn being a very private person, he's brilliant in his studies (and good-looking), so it wouldn't be difficult for a new student to ask around about him and learn his name. Brad went all in... not going to lie. And you're right about those last words

Oh, Lyn would've.... he-he... we'll see about that.

I really like to believe that readers will see Brad as a little more than a 'bastard' by the end of the story.

I didn't realize it when I wrote it, but yes, it is a Brad-centric chapter! He's a secondary character, for all intents and purposes, but he has always influenced Lyn's life, so presenting him through this flashbacks is essential. No Alexander in this one, and he won't be in every single one, but you'll know he'll be there at the end

Glad you still think so

Oh, you're so right about that

Yeah, I agree!

So... that's Quinn, right?

Chapter Thirty-Seven – The Right Kind of Pain Getting out of his wet clothes proved to be a pain. Alexander looked like he wanted to ask a boatload of questions after they perfunctorily exchanged medical information, like two lovers caught in a sterile environment, so Lyn had to shut him up over and over again with urgent kisses. The secret of what he had seen needed to be buried deeply, as far as he could dig, under as many layers of disappointment as he could manage. “I’m crazy about

His best trait!

I don't know if it has come clear until this point... but I imagined Jack as being an aroace character (that is aromantic, asexual) - so his lack of knowledge is more related with his lack of interest on the matter up to this point, when he discovers he's an alpha's potential mate and learns what that entails. Oh, we live for the times when Theo will be nicer...

So happy to hear that!

Of course it is! And Jack keeps saying that, so he should know best!

Good old fashioned sex... we'll see about that