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ChromedOutCortex

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  1. ChromedOutCortex
    The next morning, Kris woke up to an empty bed. He’d slept in his mom’s room, giving Dean his own bed not that he expected him to stay. But he had. The sheets were still creased, the pillow still warm, a faint trace of Dean’s cologne lingering in the air. It was proof that, for one night at least, Dean hadn’t run. Kris stood in the doorway, staring at the quiet room. Maybe it’s better this way, he thought. He’s got a lot to figure out. We both do. The next few days slipped into a
  2. ChromedOutCortex
    What are the chances?! 😉
  3. ChromedOutCortex
    Something about Adrian. Something about the coincidence. Something about feeling noticed in a way I hadn’t been in years. It rattled me. And I’d taken it out on the wrong person. The drive home felt longer than usual. The more I replayed the morning, the more I tried to convince myself it didn’t matter. I wasn’t interested in pursuing another relationship, especially not at my age. And even if I were, there was no universe in which I’d go chasing after someone at least twenty
  4. ChromedOutCortex
    Someone imagined the entire we're in a long-term, committed relationship. ;-)
  5. ChromedOutCortex
    After dropping Kris at work, Dean went home. He needed to speak to Markus, would he understand? He sat at the kitchen table, elbows resting on the worn wood, staring at the half-empty mug of coffee in front of him. The morning light was weak, filtering through the blinds like it was afraid to intrude. Markus came out of his room already dressed for work, tightening his belt. “You’re up early,” he said, grabbing a protein bar from the counter. “Didn’t sleep,” Dean muttered. “Yeah,
  6. ChromedOutCortex
    Maria is the caregiver that Kevin hired... she is explained later on; but I guess when you're reading it and she magically appears, it doesn't make sense. Sorry!!!
  7. ChromedOutCortex
    “Jamie,” I whispered into the dim room. “You still here?” Always, came the reply, soft and certain in my mind. I turned my head and found Jamie’s hoodie waiting on the dresser. It was exactly where he’d left it, folded like he’d be back for it any minute. My chest loosened. He must’ve gone out with Sarah, or maybe slipped downstairs for air. He’d be back. He always came back. And if no one else saw him the way I did, if Mom or Jay looked at me strangely when I smiled at empty spac
  8. ChromedOutCortex
    For a long time after Kevin died, the house behaved strangely. It felt like it breathed, not loudly, not in any obvious way, but with this subtle, disorienting sense that something living had been removed from it and the structure was trying to relearn how to exist without him. The walls seemed to be adjusting to the quiet. The air itself was learning how to settle again. Every morning felt like waking up underwater. I would reach out instinctively to the right side of the bed, to the space
  9. ChromedOutCortex
    Thank you both so much for the kind words - it means a lot to a hack like me. 🤗
  10. ChromedOutCortex
    Kris froze. The words hung between them like static. Ethan went on, his voice low but certain. “I’ve been holding it back because it’s not exactly appropriate. You work for me. But I can’t ignore it anymore. When we move to Toronto and if things go the way I think they will, I’d like to take you out properly. Maybe more than that.” Kris’s throat went dry. “Ethan… I…” “I know,” Ethan interrupted, holding up a hand. “I’m not asking for an answer. I just needed you to know how I feel
  11. ChromedOutCortex
    At the diner, the evening rush had died down. The scent of coffee and frying oil lingered as Leah wiped the counter for the third time, her mind anywhere but here. Jenna leaned on the register, scrolling through her phone. “You waiting for someone?” she asked, not looking up. Leah forced a small smile. “No. Just closing up.” But she was waiting for a call, a text, something. It had been days since she’d heard from Dean. Not even a reply to the message she sent that morning: Miss y
  12. ChromedOutCortex
    With therapy, he stretches of darkness grew shorter. I could stay awake longer now, sometimes whole hours at a time. At first it was nothing more than opening my eyes, staring at the ceiling, drifting off again. Then came broth, spooned carefully into my mouth. I gagged on the first sips, my throat raw, but little by little it got easier. Soon it was pudding, mashed potatoes—soft food that still felt like a victory. Jamie was always there with me. When I forced down another bite, I heard hi
  13. ChromedOutCortex
    Getting to the hospital room, Kris felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had spent most of the day with Dean instead of being here, where he should have been. His mother had always told him to live his life, to find happiness, to meet someone but right now that advice only made him feel worse. The last twenty-four hours kept replaying in his mind, not in pieces, but in waves. The way Dean had held him, arms strong and certain, like he’d done it a thousand times even though Kris knew t
  14. ChromedOutCortex

    Chapter 1

    ChromedOutCortex commented on ChromedOutCortex's story chapter in Chapter 1

    Chapter 2 - Posted a few minutes ago. 😁
  15. ChromedOutCortex
    After the ride we packed up our bikes and drifted off in our separate directions. I drove back to the house, our house, though as always I quietly corrected myself: my house now. The driveway, the front door, the familiar creak in the step by the entryway, all of it still felt like it belonged to a plural that no longer existed. Dinner was nothing special, just reheated leftovers eaten at the counter while a forgettable show played in the background. Eventually I moved to the couch, and let
  16. ChromedOutCortex
    Dean woke first. The light filtering through the curtains was pale and thin, the kind that blurs everything into quiet gray. For a moment, he forgot where he was, then he felt Kris’s warmth beside him, and the memories came rushing back. Kris stirred, mumbling something incoherent before rolling over, his hair a mess, his face soft and unguarded in sleep. Dean stared at the ceiling. He liked being here, too much maybe. It had been a long time since he’d woken up next to anyone, let alone li
  17. ChromedOutCortex

    Chapter 1

    ChromedOutCortex commented on ChromedOutCortex's story chapter in Chapter 1

    Thank you! I almost sent this to the virtual trash heap. I'll continue working on it. 🙂
  18. ChromedOutCortex
    At some point, we must have been pulled from the wreckage. I don’t know how long we were there, suspended. The next moments came in fragments, shards of sound and color, pain blooming in waves. I remember opening my eyes, blurry faces swimming above me, the sky impossibly bright behind them. My mouth felt dry but I could taste something. “Jamie…” I tried to say, but it came out as a croak, or maybe I only mouthed it. I reached out, desperate, but hands pressed me gently but firmly back, pi
  19. ChromedOutCortex
    Putting Kevin to rest was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. We knew the end was coming, he knew it long before I allowed myself to admit it, and he had somehow made peace with it. His mother had died from the same disease, and Kevin carried that knowledge quietly, like a shadow that never left him. His dad stayed by our side through the whole thing, steady and present in ways I’ll always be grateful for. My own family stepped in too. We were surrounded by support, love, and every kind
  20. ChromedOutCortex
    Liam, a 52-year-old widower, has decided his one great love was enough. Then Adrian, a 35-year-old cyclist and nature photographer, keeps crossing his path, stirring feelings Liam thought were buried—and forcing them both to question what they’re really ready for.
  21. ChromedOutCortex
    The drive home took Dean past the hospital. The streets were quiet, the kind of stillness that made the city feel hollow. As he turned onto the long stretch that cut through the industrial park, he saw flashing hazards on the shoulder of a small hatchback, hood propped open, engine dead. He knew that car. Dean slowed, his hands tightening on the wheel. He could have kept going. He should have. But something in him, that pull he didn’t want to name, made him ease over and park behind it
  22. ChromedOutCortex
    Dean pulled up in front of Leah’s place right at seven. Punctual as always. But this time, she wasn’t waiting at the front like she usually did. He checked the dashboard clock, it was 7:05. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. The longer he sat there, the more he felt that old, familiar heat start to climb up his chest. Where the hell was she? They had reservations for 7:30. He grabbed his phone and hit call. She picked up almost immediately. “Hey, Leah. It’s me. Where ar
  23. ChromedOutCortex
    The weeks blurred into summer, school fading into the background until all that really mattered was us. Not in some dramatic, all-consuming way, but in the quiet rhythms we built together, one day after the next. Most nights, we ended up at Sarah’s townhouse. Her schedule kept her out late more often than not, and Jamie’s place became ours by default. We’d stretch out on the sofa, some random movie flickering on the TV, but I barely followed the plot. My favorite part was always the weight
  24. ChromedOutCortex
    As she got closer to the shop, the anxiety and apprehension climbed in her chest. How could she test him? How could she find out what was really going on? There wasn’t a handbook for this kind of thing. She’d Googled it once, late last night after tossing and turning for hours “how to tell if your boyfriend is gay.” The results were ridiculous. Lists written by strangers: He compliments other men too much. He’s too clean. He doesn’t like watching sports. None of it sounded like Dean. He was
  25. ChromedOutCortex
    My partner and I were talking about food (my favorite topic) the other day and we got together and slammed this out (music by Suno - lyrics by me, and him). Fun little song all about ramyeon.
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