After getting away from his cruel father's tyranny, Randall has to learn how to live again, and accept the person he was meant to be - with a little help of a local bartender...
*****
An empty shell is all what is left of twenty-five-yea...
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-Randall-
I had never woken up next to another man. For a moment, I just stared at Cole. The memories from last night flooded in, and for a brief moment, I felt things I wasn't supposed to. Bad things. I refused to give them any attention, but it wasn't that easy. The things my old man used to say... But he was a sick individual who had worked hard to take my identity away from me.
He was the fucking pig.
And he'd been wrong. Cole was nothing he said gay men were. When Cole had lied underneath me, there was nothing disgusting about him, not in the way he looked at me, not in the way he sounded like. I wasn't sure if I was ready to let him do the same to me just yet, but I knew I wanted that time to come. Probably sooner than later.
But for now, I just wanted to watch him. His expression was peaceful, and it almost looked like he was smiling in his sleep. He was gorgeous. His masculinity, his high cheekbones, his dark, slightly overgrown hair, his strong forehead and sharp jawline... He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever met. Part of me wanted to wake him up so I could see his eyes and hear his voice, but I didn't want to break the peace.
And I was gay as fuck. That teenage boy from my past would be happy to see me now, cuddling this absolute hunk of a man. No more pain. No more fear. No more hiding. No more pretending. No more pointless living.
Long gone were the days when I could spend hours without a single thought passing through my mind because of how utterly empty I was.
Cole moved, and I held my breath, hoping he wasn't waking up, and when it was clear he was waking up, I cursed myself in case it was my fault.
He opened his eyes, taking in a deep, sleepy breath.
"Oh, hey..." he purred, his lips turning up into a smile. "Good morning."
He had a fantastic morning voice, so deep and soft and husky.
"Morning," I managed to mutter back.
He watched me for a short moment, then carefully reached to move my hair behind my ear – I hadn't even realized how long it had gotten already.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Better than ever," I said. "And... you?"
His smile grew wider just before he pulled me into a kiss. He pressed his entire naked body against mine under the covers... His skin was hot, just like his touch when his hand landed on my hip. His fingers moved gently as he caressed me.
Not a bad way to start a day... I hated to think how many mornings like this I had missed out on. How much life I had missed out on...
He pulled back, pecked the tip of my nose, and rested his head back on the pillow. His eyes never left me, and his hand never stopped moving on my hip.
