John Henry

I learned to ignore it due to a job I had as a law clerk ages ago. I got to the point where I could listen to music, a client talk read from a law book and type a letter all at once. My ADD was in heaven. Lol

Try Angel by Aerosmith next time!

Power Ballads, damnit!

Hi Jeff. Welcome to the club.

I'm not sure there's enough xanax for the readers, but I definitely like the idea of trying. We could give Nicholas Sparks a run for his money.

You're doing a wonderful job, though.

@Jeff Burton Why must you toy with our emotions like this!!!! I'm glad Gavin was able to set Nathan correct about Corey, and I'm glad that Corey punched Nathan...and may have forgiven him a little bit, maybe.... Chris doesn't deserve what happened to him (obviously), and my anxiety was sent through the roof to the point I had to walk it off before continuing. I'm still finding breathing difficult. However, I commend you, Good Sir, for a brilliantly written chapter, a worthy cliffhanger and general emotional fuckery. I'm sure those here who read my story on here will be like, "Now you know how we felt, fucker!" Lastly, maybe you should consider some Beethoven or Chopin to help curb your sadistic nature. Not all of us are masochists.

That's what you get for not listening to Chicago when writing.

I honestly don't know where to start.... Nathan.... I get he's being self-destructive. He's still grieving his mother and is stuck in anger. He's also likely afraid of losing Corey and getting hurt from it. However, he's a piece of shit for outting Corey. I very much disagree with @Summerabbacat and think Nathan was trying to hurt Corey on purpose, perhaps to push Corey away. Corey didn't start this; Nathan did. Nathan lied about texting Corey, lied about his feelings after the date, and was the one who avoided or ignored Corey. Nathan could've easily said, "I'm not into Max. He kissed me. Can we talk after class?" Instead, he acted like a bitch and kept blowing Corey off. At any point, he could've gone over to Corey's to explain himself but didn't. Fuck him and his feelings. As for Corey...he doesn't have the emotional comprehension to be in the relationship he's in, which is sad. He definitely shouldn't be hanging out with homophobes and bullies, but he definitely didn't deserve being outted and bullied by his (ex-) boyfriend. Corey deserves better. Max needs to go the fuck away. He's nothing but a train wreck, who is more than willing to take Nathan down with him at all cost. Jess needs to start knocking some heads around, especially Nathan's. He's clearly looking for an ass kicking, and Jess certainly has the means and justification. @Jeff Burton You're killing me, Smalls. Next time, listen to "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago.

Glad this story hasn't ended yet. Lol. Corey is so sweet it's almost painful (in a good way.) Nathan needs to cherish this boy like gold. Nathan needs to get himself sorted before he loses Corey. It'll kill me if they break up.

I agree with how @Jeff Burton left it. Nathan has depression, and as someone who has clinical depression, this is typical behavior. Sometimes it's just too painful (both literally and figuratively) to reach out. It's beyond clear that Nathan loves Corey, but Nathan may not be on the same level as Corey; or worse, he knows he's on the same level and it's freaking him out because he doesn't want to get hurt or hurt Corey. It's a lot of someone to take on, especially with all the extra baggage Nathan has. I mean, there are plenty of people who would've gotten creeped out over the science project (I personally think it's adorable), but Nathan didn't. Instead, it helped him understand more about Corey and his feelings toward Nathan. Yes, Nathan shouldn't have ignored Corey, and should've been honest with him, especially since Corey can read Nathan like a book, however, Nathan also needs time to sort himself out. Being with Corey is different than being with anyone else given his situation, and Nathan needs to see if he's strong enough for that kind of commitment.

Jacob's Advocate was the first story of Jeff's that I fell in love with. The story is engaging and enduring. Jeff is a great storyteller, and this is one of several examples. If you haven't started it, you should right away. You won't be disappointed.

Of all your stories, this is the one I missed the most and am really glad you're working on it again. Can't wait for the next chapter.

I'm glad you're back. I missed your writing and stories. Hopefully, there'll be more coming with fewer/shorter breaks between chapters.

@wenmale64 Give it some time....

Glad you found this story binge worthy. Please feel free to leave a review.

Thicker Than Water is the 3rd Most recommended story in the 6 months! Thank you everyone for making this happen!!

For those who had followed this story and its comments for a while, the real Calvin and real Ashley broke up a few days ago. I think she finally figured out what he's really like after 2 years together. So far, he hasn't reached out to me, which I'm glad for, but I suspect he will at some point, which he usually does. I have no plan to reach out to him and plan to laugh at him if he does. I feel I owe that to myself, as his victim, and to all of you who supported me through the processing of the pain I felt and the loss of the real Bryan and Caleb, whom I still miss every day. Thank you all again for the support, it made this news all the sweeter.

The plot thickens! That is what Mike calls his penis, right? I swear it was mentioned in a previous chapter.... Like everyone else, I think there's more to the pic than Liam knows, but I don't think it's anything (too) horrific. Maggie may call it "wrestling," but she hasn't shown herself to be a fool. I think, if Mike and Liam are related, we'll find out in the next chapter, since I doubt she'd want them fooling around in that case. Liam does have a defense though: "I don't know what the big deal is, Mom," Liam says, rolling his eyes. "It's not like we can get pregnant. Trust me. We've tried, a lot...."

Swallow the evidence....

Tell us how you really feel...preferably as a review....

Yes, several people were irritated by the cliffhangers, which pleased by sadistic heart, but don't think you're safe from them either. I get a bit creative with them.