Krista

Sigh.. these next few chapters cannot come soon enough. I need to take your advice for Davin to heart. I am just so scared that something I will say with spoil things. And, I do want to discuss things I know and y'all don't... it eats at me so much. I must remain vague... a little misleading... and not too confirming that y'all run with it as the gospel truth. It is a fine line that my very uncareful self doesn't like to walk. I typically do not like to discuss things with such kid-glove and tender care. And yes, I feel if tickets were sold.. the Celia Vs. Lisa match would be a possible high selling headliner.

They have been best friends for ages, so it's reasonable that he may see things if he's ever looked close enough. Then again, some become blinded by things over knowing a person a really long time. He grew up with Davin as he is, so maybe he misses the small clues entirely... it could go either way.

It would be a chess move in a game of checkers, if so. Or, Davin was in the process of "running bitch" for Trace and Gavin and just happened to be nearby and easiest to access to relay the information. The thought though, that Joel may need a quicker rescue from that creek than what Colt would give him having to take a shower then retrieve Sierra, does speak some volume as to how deep Colt can think.

Telling himself untruths... he's lived in that sort of life, both with reason, and without good reason. Maybe soon he'll realize the difference and can allow for the possibility of different outcomes as well. When you're in your head that deeply, it takes a lot to see beyond everything you've built in there... And yeah, the outcome of overcoming all of that could be a second kiss from Davin, if both of them get out of their own way in that as well. Maybe that kiss wasn't a complete disaster. Colt's time is running out as well. He has the year to tell his parents his truth, before they start rearranging his life, thinking he's okay with taking on more responsibilities and growing a future, they may not see him not wanting.

They do have terrible parents giving them some common ground. Now a shared secret too... a love for baseball... hmm? There's something there... maybe they'll see it. Or they could go right back to just living in the same house together and mostly ignoring one another... both are people of few words it seems, even when they have a good relationship. And yeah, the quicker Celia knows, based on what Trace, Davin, and Colt have now told him... the better off he'll be.

Yeah, lets hope he limbers up in that regard. Might cause cramps, if not.

Yeah, for a liar he doesn't do much of it... outwardly. I think most of his lies are self and inward... but he has reason to do it. He has probably outright said, "no.." if someone asked... and he didn't feel the connection enough to that person for him to care about the lie. We don't know that though, as the only times we've seem him outright asked.. the first time they had evidence right in front of them that he couldn't overcome, and their minds were made up before he was even in the room. The second, it was Colt flinging it all at him and he reacted poorly, but he didn't try to lie either time. He lied to Celia, but he was kind of led to that lie by Colt in the first place and it was dismantled as fast as the lie came, and he came clean of it right after as well. So yeah, as far as being a liar, I think most of his lies are to himself... and in his own way.

And Colt, it seems... because where he was the other night, wasn't a secret he was able to keep... apparently. I do think he is more discerning, yes. But I don't think he landed on Joel's secret. He was just picking at Joel, thinking of reasons off the top of his head. It was similar to how Davin did earlier, but Davin never breached it, and it is possible that we now know why he never did. It's because he shared the same secret and knew the weight of it. Colt doesn't, so that weight never hit him... it allowed him to list it off like he was listing items on a grocery list. He just happened to get a reaction and then made the connection. He later in told Joel that he never would have landed on it on his own. He's the first one that told Joel that maybe he could keep his secret if he fought hard enough to... in a round-about way. At least with him. Celia, possibly already has him figured out. She probably has Colt figured out as well. She seems the type that likes to be supportive and then 'told' she doesn't seek answers that people are unwilling to give. At least, for things that aren't life and death or needed to be made or told right in that moment. Less stiff... I see where that conversation went right after you made the comment.. and I applaud you for it.

They might. Which is a synonym to Maybe. And yes, it will be only possible if the guys allows that to happen. Joel is of the mind that he can't handle a real relationship. It may be due to not expecting the possibility. Then Davin seemed to dismiss the kiss as easily as it came, and he has his own worries about having that secret of his out in the open. And Aggressive. Interesting, because I do see that he is a bit aggressive with his self-preservation. He's timid in his fear, and aggressive as well. Almost like a scared puppy backed into a corner... he'd much rather all that go away and let him out without being afraid or biting anyone. It is a sad state to feel like you need to live in, but it might fit him...

Unintentionally productive. I guess the outcome and journey getting there can be disconnected a bit as long as the outcome happens. And yeah, after that kiss they both became really reactive and it stopped their progress like hitting a brick wall. Hopefully it doesn't linger and truly hinder things.

Could be like those cute, but sad little videos of young animals that don't know where their mothers are.. coming up to people are like.. "Momma?" Only to then to realize no... not Momma. I may cry watching those videos... but that reminded me of them.

Yeah, he did say that he was no longer afraid of Davin looking over and catching his eyes lingering. That was a very real concern of his before that kiss, leading right up to it, really. He was too scared to look at a perky ass and lower-back dimples with Davin's back to him completely unaware... he gave up the chance to solidify that into his brain, even. Small tragedy, really as I'm sure it is a perfectly perky ass he has going for him. And yeah, we also learned that Joel's plan wasn't even to look. It is safe to imagine that he likely could have found another gay person in his hometown. He talks of small rumors and being too afraid to ask, etc. He 'could' have found some semblance of 'community' there if he wished to, if he was brave enough. But instead, it landed wet with creek water on his lap. Literally. Must've been quite the shock. Restlessly revolting is probably how I would describe Colt too. Other than him 'not wanting' a life that seems predetermined for him, because it was predetermined for his Father. The difference being Trace lives happily in that fact, where Colt seemingly does not. And, he sees Lacey as living happily in it, but she is young, her dreams aren't fully rounded out yet... he's hoping she remains steadfast in her youthful excitement about the Ranch. Maybe she will... but he has to feel that pressure, it is possible when he was her age he had it too. I don't know what impact Sierra has on him in that regard, the orgasms probably doesn't do his mind any favors though. Celia hasn't interrogated him yet... maybe she'll adopt that as a new tactic. If she saw how well that went between Colt and Joel, because without either parent there... the little shits decided to talk. It was productive, with a lot of F-bombs she wouldn't like to hear, insults, and such... but progress was made. Unintentional as it was.

Yeah, we're fifteen chapters in and he's still firmly in that mindset. It has to boil over, right. The timer is ticking ever closer to zero. At least, he has other distractions to worry about too now though. Possibly... hopefully... maybe? Damn it Joel. 😮

I'm not sure that Colt does, because their dynamics have shifted, but he's a bit blind to that shift in the form of Boobs and Sierra. Of course there's more to her than that, not to Davin, but yeah. I don't know if Colt realizes that the dynamic has shifted, because 'he' is the shift. Usually the shift-er doesn't see it, until the new wears off that caused it in the first place. Maybe when that happens, he can see it... like I said though, I'm not sure that he does. And the rest is very possible too. 😮

*fingers crossed* A lot of that are still well up in the air. At least now, it isn't all solely on Joel's shoulders... other characters also have decisions to make. and yes, safe to say Joel is distressed with all of it erupting so suddenly around him. He went from his secret being safe in Trace's hands, to the unknown of Colt's promises, and Davin's kiss that might have scared him for an entirely different reason.... and he seems to be of the mind that he messed that whole thing up.

I think both of those are safe theories with Colt and his dynamics with his father, at least in Colt's mind right now anyway. Or, it might just be a dig from the seemingly one-sided argument the two of them had the chapter prior to this one and he's still feeling the slight of all that "listening" he had to endure from Trace that prompted the fast exit from the house. More and more evidence, yeah... they've been telling the boy this for a bit. I think Joel sees it, knows it, has heard it, and is listening. Maybe one day he'll step over that edge and allow himself to fall off that seemingly imaginary cliff. That cliff will have to become imaginary first though... and Lol.

Like the timer going off for the turkey for thanksgiving din-din, I guess. lol. That bird's been cookin awhile. Good for Colt for finally talking... I'm guessing? lol. He finally said more than one sentence at a time, progress was made there. And Davin took initiative, lets hope it doesn't blow up in his face.

Thank you. It doesn't surprise me either, being in the world you've known your whole life, then the 'idea' that you're expected to carry that torch beyond your youth... might be a bit of an undertaking that requires a pure love for what you're doing. If you don't have it, there's a prison sentence there... And did Colt figure out Joel, or did Joel give up the answer?

“Don’t ask about this morning, it will piss me off,” he said as we walked out and he closed the door behind us. “Wasn’t going to,” I offered as I followed him quickly back towards his truck. “Why’d you come back anyway?” “I was gonna change clothes, but fuck it,” he answered turning to glance at me as he dug his phone out of his pocket. At his truck, he opened the door and climbed inside. He had the truck started by the time I got to the passenger side. He pulled it into gear as I

And I don't want to see anyone placing blame on my shoulders for putting you into Shady Pines.

He'd definitely starve one, so it seems.

Aww, sorry for her family's loss. The story is completely written, so as long as we can stick to the weekly posting schedule, we'll get there. We're already halfway there as far as wordcount is concerned. And, I struggled at which 'reaction' to use for this post... because the first sentence threw me and I didn't want to put the "laughing" or "fingers crossed" ones... but the second sentence calls for both. Decisions...

Wise words, that none of us listen to...