Cane23

At the end, that would be a right thing to do! By inviting Lyn to the wedding, and especially by involving him in witnessing sexual act - Brad and Luke actively entangle him. Lyn is forced to process infidelity, sexual betrayal, and moral questions. This makes Lyn the perfect candidate for the “Inquisitor Gui” nickname - he’s being positioned as the observer, the judge, the one morally responsible for witnessing and processing actions he didn’t initiate. Brad’s worst betrayal isn’t just infidelity, it’s making Lyn morally responsible for witnessing and judging it, exploiting his admiration and trust. In short - Brad’s mess is his own, and it’s on him to clean it.

This is one of the first scenes in Misaligned where Lyn’s inner conflict isn’t about desire or humiliation - it’s about ethics. The “emptiness in the pit of his stomach” is not just stress - it’s the weight of moral responsibility. For the first time in the whole story, Lyn’s feelings for Brad become a burden, not a wish. “If I keep my mouth shut, I’ll feel guilty forever.” ...guilt has always existed in Lyn but never with moral reference - only emotional and erotic reference, here, his moral compass activates independently from desire. Luke's question “Are you going to do this to Brad?” becomes the perfect psychological hook because Lyn hears it not as manipulation (which it is) but as conscience. Luke weaponizes Lyn’s goodness. Based on a previous few chapters (Lyn's mother death, Brad's mother comments as “You disappeared on us.”, You never come back with Brad.” ... the laundry comment) we can assume that that Lyn lived with Brad’s family for a period of time after his mother died and before he returned to college. Lyn was taken in by Brad’s family during his worst moment. It also means Lyn was not “just a college friend.” - he became family for a while. This is why Lyn misread Brad for so long and why the illusion shattered so painfully when he saw Brad with Luke. He wasn’t imagining everything - he was reading Brad through the lens of a trauma bond. It also explains why Brad’s parents treat Lyn like a ghost child who ran away. They aren’t angry - they’re hurt. This makes Lyn’s guilt in the present chapters heavier... not just toward Brad, but toward Brad’s family. It dramatically intensifies Lyn’s moral dilemma, and it explains why he is unraveling in a way that is not proportional to what he witnessed between Brad and Luke. Lyn’s duty toward Brad was shaped by trauma, not choice - when you lose a parent and someone shelters you; your loyalty becomes instinctive and absolute. Lyn is in moral dilemma nightmare; it's his own Hamlet question - to be (say) or not to be (say). It’s not about morality in the abstract - it’s about the people who gave him a home, a bed, food, affection, and a place to survive grief. So, the idea of telling Bella feels like - “I would be repaying kindness with destruction.” ... therefore, staying silent feels like - “I am protecting the people who saved me.” On the other hand, staying silent feels like he is failing Bella - and failing the mother he lost. Lyn’s moral code is deeply shaped by his mother’s presence and death - he believes in protecting others, preventing suffering... he is hyper-responsible and hates passivity because he lived with a passive, silent parent. He sees “not speaking up” as allowing harm. So, staying silent becomes another kind of betrayal - betraying Bella, betraying his own moral code and betraying the “responsible adult” his mother raised. The question “Should I tell Bella?” becomes - tell the truth and lose Brad, lose his second family, become alone again OR keep the secret and betray his own ethics and watch Bella walk into a future pain Lyn could have prevented. That is a no-win situation, emotionally and morally. Unfortunately, being a lawyer is making things worse for Lyn. He is someone whose entire professional life is built on telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable, protecting people who cannot protect themselves and preventing future damage. If he stays silent, he betrays the version of himself he tries so hard to be, but if he speaks, he betrays Brad! Seems that @Laura S. Fox is uncovering Brad's mask a bit more...mainly through Alexander's words... than again, Brad's connection to Lyn seems more and more complex with every new chapter. I was thinking Brad is secretly in love with Lyn but...love yes...'romantic' love...not so sure anymore. Brad’s feelings for Lyn are real, but they’re not romantic and not purely sexual and not purely platonic. They sit in a messy middle space that Alexander, with all his sharpness, is the only one who properly names. Brad isn’t repulsed by men - he does enjoy sexual fun with them, but he doesn’t center men in his emotional or romantic world. When Alexander says “Brad is drawn to you the way the Earth gravitates to the sun…” he’s naming the emotional pull Brad feels - admiration, dependence, trust, comfort. Lyn is the stabilizing force Brad orients himself around. “Brad wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he weren’t friends with you.” - Brad needs Lyn emotionally far more than he ever admits... Lyn is the grounding influence Brad doesn’t have anywhere else. Finally, how I see it now: Brad loves Lyn deeply, but not as a lover. He is physically drawn to Lyn, but not enough to pursue more. Brad admires Lyn, sometimes to a degree that resembles infatuation and he is emotionally dependent on Lyn, more than he realizes. He avoids using Lyn sexually, because he knows it would break him. Based on what we know till now, I would say that Brad protected Lyn from himself - consciously or unconsciously. Alexander’s vulnerability really shines through here - quietly, almost against his will. For the first time, the mask slips. His little jolt when Lyn confronts him, the way he pouts, the wounded edge in his voice when he thinks Lyn wanted him “only because of Brad,” all show how deeply he actually cares. He’s so controlled and self-contained that every tiny crack feels huge. This chapter proves that beneath the cold, aristocratic exterior, Alexander is aching for Lyn in ways he doesn’t fully admit, and that emotional exposure makes him more compelling than ever.

“Of course. You only hurt people you know.”

If the beginning of this chapter is painted with witty, sarcastic humor, its finale echoes with melancholy and the sadness of missed opportunities and painful “what-ifs.” It reminds me of Barbra Streisand’s song “The Way We Were.” Still, the reunion with a long-ago crush brings an ending that feels like a new beginning. Although sex had been promised, it wasn’t what the protagonist truly needed- only a gentle, tender kiss, the first kiss that never happened. Simply beautiful. Btw, is Charles the ghost of Christmass present? 🤔

This is so good. I nearly passed it by, assuming it was some sort of gay Ebenezer Scrooge retelling. Instead, it’s a modern story that cleverly uses the three-ghost idea to reach a broken-hearted, lost gay man trying to find his way. I’m really glad I decided to read it!

This beautiful chapter really feels like a conclusion to the story - yet it also seems the author still has more to share with us. I’m eagerly waiting for the rest of it.

Classic @chris191070 - sweet, charming and fast! Love the characters...with true love, it’s never too late!

Blanche was both Lyn's emotional home and an emotional burden. On one hand, there was real love and affection between them - she was the only family he had, the last witness to his childhood. Losing a parent turns you into an orphan at any age, and that pain is raw and childlike no matter how old you are. But on the other hand, she forced him into that lifelong “perfect mask,” the performance he could never step out of. Lyn learned to smile when he was exhausted, to be composed when he was breaking, to protect her image instead of his own needs. Those patterns don’t disappear when the parent dies - the behavior outlives the relationship. And because there was no body, no real farewell, no closure, the loss becomes even heavier. It’s an ambiguous kind of grief - unfinished, unsettled, full of guilt and questions. So of course, Lyn feels unmoored. He loses the anchor, but the burden remains. That’s why he steps back from being the “bridge” between Brad and Alexander. His emotional capacity was simply gone. It’s not a choice he made - it’s grief reorganizing him from the inside out. The role didn’t disappear overnight. What changed was internal, not visible. After losing his mother, the part of him that kept everyone balanced started to fracture. He still performed the peacemaker role out of habit, because that’s how he was raised - to keep harmony, to smooth over tension, to hold things together even when he was breaking inside. So, in the present, we still see him jumping in when Brad and Alexander clash. But it’s no longer a natural role for him... it’s a draining instinct he can’t switch off. The “foundation” of that bridge has been gone for years. That’s why witnessing Brad with Luke hit so hard. It didn’t create the change, it exposed it. It shattered the last illusion that kept the bridge standing. Lyn didn’t stop being the mediator in a clean cut; the bridge simply hollowed out over time, until that moment made him finally feel what had already been true for a long time.

Reading this chapter was an absolute delight - funny, charming, and downright hilarious. The descriptions alone had me grinning... Klebber with “the silhouette of a Roman god and the face of a Greek statue,” followed by that club of devoted admirers worshipping the “holy grail of bulges,” and the nephew apparently made of “magic spunk.” 😂 Klebber himself is such an amazing teacher, navigating the wild waters of high school teenagers with impressive grace. They’re bold and outgoing, but with hormones blazing, they often push the limits of what counts as acceptable student–teacher behavior. Maybe one day they’ll remember that their ridiculously hot teacher is also a widower… but let’s be honest - teenagers and boundaries are basically a lost cause. I also love how supportive Klebber’s family is. Martha, besides looking like Monica Bellucci 🔥 is a fiery, hot-tempered Latina mom who doesn’t hesitate for a second when her son is hurting; she charges straight into battle. And Mama Bella is such a charming presence. It honestly feels like the mothers have already arranged a date for their sons before the boys have even officially met. Oh my God… I’m eagerly waiting for the next chapter!!!

This chapter feels like the end of a particular era in Lyn’s life, even though the story continues on the surface. It is the quiet death of something... Before this chapter Lyn, Brad, and Alexander are still basically kids. Their conflicts are intellectual, petty, competitive, flirtatious, playful. Life feels reversible. Nothing is truly final. But, after this chapter death enters the group for the first time. Lyn grows up in one day - Brad and Alexander suddenly feel “older,” as Lyn notices. This moment introduces irreversibility - something they never had to deal with before. Friendships often change forever after the first tragedy that hits one of the friends. This is that tragedy. This is the last moment Lyn allows instinctive closeness; he runs to his friends at the end of the chapter -purely, unthinkingly, without shame. After this trauma, something in him calcifies. In adulthood, Lyn never runs toward anything again - he moves cautiously, strategically, guardedly. This chapter is the last glimpse of the Lyn who could still be innocent in his attachment. Also, it’s the last time Brad and Alexander are united in purpose. They stand apart but create a space for Lyn. They are unified, emotionally aligned, both present for him, both wanting the same thing. Later in life Alexander and Brad diverge - their views of Lyn diverge. Their relationship with each other becomes strained. Lyn becomes the site of their difference, not the bridge between them. This moment at the funeral is the last time they act as a perfect, complementary pair for Lyn. In that space between them, Lyn feels safe. He will never feel that specific safety again. This chapter is the last moment before Lyn’s illusions die, when his mother dies, something symbolic dies too - his belief that love and stability can be permanent...so, Brad becomes the embodiment of unstable love - warm but inconsistent while Alexander becomes the embodiment of disciplined love - present but emotionally guarded. Lyn becomes the embodiment of someone who doesn’t trust love to stay. “Let’s throw rocks at a lake.” This is childish, simple, healing. This is the last uncharged moment. After this, nothing between Lyn, Brad, and Alexander is ever as uncomplicated as three boys near a lake, skipping rocks to distract one of them from grief. The chapter foreshadows the future tragedy of the trio; it already contains a miniature version of their whole future... Lyn runs toward them - Brad and Alexander open a space for him. But the moment is temporary - and the world pulls them apart. Just as Lyn’s mother disappears suddenly and forever, so does the uncomplicated version of their friendship. This is a sad chapter... it is a symbolic funeral not just for Blanche Calloway, but for the last version of Lyn who believed the world could be kind without taking something back. And in that sense, this chapter echoes many later endings in his life.

Interesting introduction chapter. If the prologue dealt with Colombia’s difficult history, then Chapter One shifts toward culture and everyday life. It’s a beautiful country, yet chained by corruption and a painful past - something we in the Balkans know all too well. My daughter is sixteen, so reading about Hunter’s promiscuity naturally makes me uneasy as a parent. But then again, my great-grandmother was sixteen when she gave birth to my grandfather - times, habits, upbringing, and society’s rules all change. Despite Hunter’s wild teenage hormones, it feels as though he is desperately searching for love and closeness. Whether it’s because he lost his mother early, his strained relationship with his father, or a heartbreak we don’t fully know about yet, Hunter seems to be longing for something solid... someone with whom he can share not just his body, but his soul. I hope that this journey, and the dangerous adventure set against such a stunning landscape, will shape this boy into a more mature, grounded man by the end of the story.

I remember a Mexican telenovela from the early nineties called Madres Egoístas. The title perfectly reflects the mothers in this story.

I’m honestly saddened by some of the comments. Let me remind everyone that authors here are not paid for sharing their stories on GA. Reading is completely free, so the least we can do is be civil and show respect for someone’s effort. Writing is hard - believe me, I know. There are many authors on this site, many styles, many genres. The quality of writing varies, just as tastes vary, and that’s perfectly fine. There is something here for everyone. But whether or not it’s a written rule, we’ve always tried to maintain a basic level of civility and respect - toward each other and especially toward the authors who invest their time and creativity into their work. When a story hasn’t held my attention in the past, I simply stopped reading. I didn’t feel the need to offend the author or belittle readers who enjoyed it. I’m always open to constructive discussion, to hearing different opinions and arguments, but disrespecting someone’s work crosses a line for me. Because of the tone in some of the comments, I won’t be leaving any feedback or analysis on this chapter. It just doesn’t feel right. The author deserves better than this.

Agree. I sympathize with Marvin and understand the challenges he’s facing, but you can’t always walk away when things get tough. Creek needs real support right now - someone who will stand by him and for him... and Dailan has proven to be the right person for that.

Completely understandable - I feel the same way most of the time. It’s no longer just about reading and analyzing the story... it’s become a kind of game, encouraged by @Laura S. Fox herself, to uncover what exactly Brad’s issue is. I also want to believe our instincts are right and that Alexander and Lyn are genuinely moving toward a romantic relationship. But like in a good detective story, minus the murderer and dead body, we’re left eager to discover who’s really behind Brad’s mask, and, even more, what Brad is going to do at the end of the story.

You’re absolutely right - I somehow completely missed that it was a message from Woody! Thanks!

I did the same 😁 - I went back to the first chapter to remind myself who Woody was, and in the process I noticed that same scene with the mother. It really stood out this time - she comes across as quite conservative, definitely not someone who’ll be easy to handle. Meanwhile, Woody seemed supportive of Creek getting out more and having some fun, though he did mention “ladies,” so we still don’t really know his stance on gay people. The father’s remarks were interesting too. He said Creek should be with the right person who supports and understands him, and notably, he never specified that this person had to be a woman.

Somehow I had the illusion that Dawn would support her brother. Alas, it seems Creek’s family has decided to smother him with their ‘good intentions.’

Honestly, can you really imagine Brad and Alexander kissing? I mean… anything’s possible, but at this stage in their relationship? Not likely. Maybe if it had happened earlier, somewhere near the beginning of the ‘Memory’ chapters...

Lyn tries very hard to conduct the money conversation as if he is pragmatic, responsible and emotionally neutral. But the truth is he feels shame about needing the help, feels deep affection for Alexander and feels fear of seeming dependent. He overthinks every line, every silence, every look. As usual, Lyn intellectualizes instead of allowing himself to feel. Lyn's loyalty to Brad makes him blind so, he instantly defends Brad’s sensitivity - he cannot see the brewing tension between Brad and Alexander (even though it’s obvious). He is the last to know anything. Alexander continues to be steady, dryly humorous, hyper-controlled, quietly possessive and deeply devoted to Lyn. The money is not charity - it is intimacy. His refusal to accept repayment is not arrogance - it’s vulnerability. He wants Lyn to need him. Not financially - emotionally. Alexander 'humiliates' Lyn just enough to provoke reactions, because reactions are the only way Lyn expresses emotion. Alexander understands this...he knows how to get past Lyn’s mask. Alexander stares at Brad with suspicion and rivalry...he already senses Brad’s double-messaging to Lyn, even before Lyn sees it. Brad's “jokes” are biting: “What were you two girls doing…” “You scared them with your straightness” “Somebody needs to save you two schmucks…” These are signs of discomfort, defensiveness, and jealousy. Brad running his hand through Lyn’s hair is intimate but keeping it there is extremely intimate. Only removing it when someone else appears is telling Brad is possessive, insecure and aware of Lyn’s affection but refusing to define his own. This emotional instability mirrors the Brad of the present timeline He's impulsive, sexually undisciplined and a man with two selves (mask vs. desire). The Quinn and Joe moment, actually, exposes Brad. The “straightness” comment is too pointed. He’s protesting too much. Given that in the present Lyn sees Brad with Luke, this line retrospectively rings like a lie to himself. Brad’s attraction to men is slipping through the cracks already. When Lyn tells Alexander he “doesn’t know them,” (Quinn and Joe), Lyn is technically avoiding the truth, but more importantly - he is withholding a significant emotional experience from the one person he feels closest to, while pretending nothing happened. Lyn’s sense of guilt isn’t moral - it’s relational. He feels like he is betraying the emotional intimacy with Alexander, even though they weren’t lovers at that time. Alexander is the person who sees through Lyn’s masks the most, so Lyn instinctively avoids exposing something vulnerable. But that avoidance triggers guilt and guilt comes from this unspoken truth - he wanted Alexander to be the first person he told. Even if he denies it consciously. Finally, I dare to make a conclusion about this moment... When Lyn wonders, “Why did he feel as if he was lying to a stern parent?”, the real answer is that his body already recognizes Alexander as someone he’s emotionally entangled with - someone whose opinion matters too much. And on a subconscious level, he’s already in love with Alexander. He just hasn’t realized it yet.

No, I don’t think Bradley and Alexander ever did anything sexual. I mean, we should define “experimenting,” but I doubt there was even any light petting between them. Alexander has said multiple times that what happened between him and Lyn was his first sexual experience with a man - and Alexander doesn’t lie, at least not about something that big. Looking at the three of them right now, I’d say Lyn is gay, Brad is bi, and Alexander is basically “Lynsexual.” I’d call him demisexual, but he did enjoy sex with women before… it’s just that, emotionally, it’s Lyn and only Lyn.

Theodore reminds me of some characters from your Misaligned story. His instincts, and his wolf are clearly telling him who his mates are and what he needs to do, yet he keeps insisting that Jack and Vince simply cannot be what he already knows they are!

Amazing first chapter! I really enjoyed the introduction to the main protagonists. Dennis is such a professional badass - an absolute beast in business, yet someone who genuinely appreciates good employees and loyalty. And then, on the flip side, he’s a complete wreck when it comes to his personal life and emotions. He really needs to let go of this knight-in-shining-armor fantasy, trying to save poor husbands from toxic marriages (probably rooted in some unresolved daddy issues). Klebber’s drunken moaning at Adam’s grave was almost funny to read. Maddy’s dramatic “Adam, WHY?!!!” followed by Klebber’s methodical, almost clinically emotionless response - “because he had terminal cancer, that’s why” - was such a perfect contrast that I had to laugh. Also… I had to Google Lindsay Lohan! 😁

What struck me most in this chapter is how firmly Creek stands by his beliefs - by his friend, and ultimately by himself. He’s truly growing up, becoming a strong-willed, brave young man with integrity and principles. What worries me, though, is his parents’ reaction… and what Sky’s parents’ reaction will be. I just hope this doesn’t spiral into an ugly custody battle within the family. Something like that could break them apart forever.

For those of you 'crushing' on Quinn and Joe, this was their last appearance. They did their job They did their job - and judging by Bradley, the job isn’t quite over yet! 😉