by
Tom Carter
Kicked out at fifteen for being gay, Tom survived by selling his body on the streets. Four years later, Tom, now nineteen, doesn’t know how long he can continue living this life.
One night while out working, Tom sees a face from his past, one he had long forgotten. One he had used to fantasise about.
Seb Banks
Afraid of the reaction he will receive, Tom runs away hoping never to see him again. But Seb had other ideas.
Sebastian Banks
At twenty-five, Seb’s life is going exactly the way he had wanted. Having worked hard at University, Seb has been offered a permanent contract with a local solicitor.
While driving to a friend’s house to celebrate, Seb is shocked to find Tom, someone he hasn’t seen in years, on the streets, selling himself.
Feeling an overwhelming need to help Tom, Seb tracks him down and offers him a way out.
Is Tom willing to take a chance on Seb and accept his offer, or will his distrust of everyone from his past cause him to push Seb away?
- 1 Read list
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 5
Romantic Content: 3
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 18-25
Protagonist 2 Age: 18-25
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Hurt / Comfort, Love Can Heal / Redemption
Word Count: 60000
Setting: Manchester City, UK
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Seb smiled shyly at Tom. "I thought it was you I saw last night. How are you?" he asked.
"What do you want, Seb?" Tom asked bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Seb shrugged. "I thought I would find you and see how you are."
"How I am?" Tom asked as he frowned, tilting his head to the side.
"Er, yeah, I've not seen you in years, so I thought...Yeah. I thought I'd say hi."
Tom stood there, shaking his head slowly, not quite taking in what Seb was saying. He had nothing to say to Seb. Not now. Not ever.
"Wow, this is much more awkward than I thought it would be," Seb commented with an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Want to get a drink with me? Catch up?"
"Catch up?" Why the fuck would he want to catch up?
Seb smiled. "Yeah, catch up, have a drink together, talk. If you want to."
Tom shook his head at him. "I've got nothing to fuckin' say to you."
"What d'you mean? We used to talk all the time.
We've known each other for years."
"Really?" Tom huffed out a shallow laugh.
"Yeah, really." Seb sighed. "I looked for you when you left. Couldn't believe you'd walk away like that. I was worried, but I couldn't find you anywhere."
Tom stared at him, stunned. Walk away! What the fuck! "Walk away? I didn't walk away. I was thrown out! Oh yeah, and I came to yours, and your fuckin' parents shut the door in my fuckin' face with Josh staring at me from the window."
Seb looked shocked, eyes wide, mouth dropping open. "You came to mine? I didn't know that."
"Of course I did. Where else would I go but to my best mate? I had nothing!" Tom turned around frustrated. All this had happened years ago, and he just wanted to forget it. He turned back to Seb. "Why are you here? I mean really?" he asked.
Seb stared intently at him looking like he was debating what he was going to say. "You're selling yourself." It was a statement, not a question.
Tom glared at Seb, not sure how to answer. It was obvious what he'd been doing, given where he was when Seb had seen him, and Seb wasn't an idiot. "Yeah," he answered honestly waiting for Seb's reaction.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and shame on me, it’s been on my Kindle for a while.
A beautiful story of how no matter what life throws at you and how low you think you’ve fallen, there I always a way out of it, you just have to search for the faintest glimmer of hope, grab it with both hands and never let go.
Tom has a tough life, selling his body night after night to keep himself fed and safe. Despite the terrible life he’s forced to live, and things he’s endured in his short life, he doesn’t have the one thing this character could so easily have had, hate. He refuses to let that emotion have any control over him, and it really did endear him to me. The one thing Tom keeps is his dignity and doesn’t want to have everything handed to him on a plate.
Seb goes out on a limb to save the best friend of his younger brother, Tom. But what he found was more than someone who he felt he had to save, he found love in the most unusual of places. It would’ve been easy to do the who rags to riches with Tom, but he didn’t. Instead he showed him patience, love and understanding.
Nothing in this book felt forced, or written for effect, each scenario was well thought out and placed perfectly, adding depth and strength to the characters whose world we were living in.
I loved how sensitively the subjects were handled, with such care, but at the same time they made me feel the emotions, the denial and rejection of parents for their own son had my blood boiling with rage.
The relationship between these two was organic, it grew as I turned each page, and made it a very enjoyable read.
The supporting characters were just as strong, but not too strong that they took over. I have a feeling that some of them will be getting their moment in the sun, or their very own ‘second chance’ soon.
I’m so happy to have found a new author who I can’t wait to read more from.
