LOGINShare
Convictions
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56When Jacob sat down, Seth startled awake. His shoulders sank when he realized it was Jacob beside him. Jacob’s heart sank in response. He thought he could handle anything other than Seth looking at him with regret. Seth shook his head and leaned against the window.
“Can we talk?” Jacob asked as quietly as he could.
“And talk about what?” Seth said without turning. “It’s not like we can really talk here.”
Seth had a point. Anyone could overhear. Jacob would have to be careful about what he said, but he couldn’t pass up this opportunity having Seth stuck with him on the bus. He might not get another chance.
The bus lurched forward, and Jacob saw Seth go rigid. He realized he hadn’t even thought about how much difficulty Seth might have with a bus ride. Had
Blair SterlingSorry it has taken so long to get this chapter out. I was traveling for thanksgiving, and then went straight back to work. I have a feeling I will have a hard time sticking to a schedule through the Holidays. I will be back to regular posting in January! All the best, and Happy Holidays! - Blair
Related chapters
Your Secret's Safe with Me Cards on the Table
There was no practice Monday morning. There was no point. There would be no more games this year.Jacob tossed his bag against the wall in the lobby outside the gym with the rest of his friends’ backpacks. Bret sat on the other side of the lobby, his arm in a cast, chatting with Colin. When he noticed Jacob looking his way, a dark glare settled over his features. A chill ran down Jacob’s back.He joined Seth, Jessica, and Sarah near the door instead of risking the wrath of his teammates. Sarah was chatting with a couple of other cheerleaders, but grabbed his hand and pulled him to the group when he approached.“Hey, Seth told us you want to go to the movies tonight. What do you want to go see?” Sarah asked.Jacob looked at
Your Secret's Safe with Me Kiss with a Fist
“Who’s this?” asked one of Ethan’s friends.“Only the star shooter for Forge,” Ethan said mockingly. “I heard ya’ll did great in the play-in.”Jacob tried to inch Seth towards the door to the theater, ignoring Ethan.“So great, in fact, they won't need to worry about the championship,” Ethan continued. “It’s a real shame. I was looking forward to double teaming you this time.” He winked at Jacob, making sure his insinuation was clear.“Shut the fuck up,” Jacob growled through gritted teeth.Ethan’s friends snickered. “This is him?” one friend asked. “Looks like he’s not interested, E,&rdquo
Your Secret's Safe with Me It's the End of the World as We Know It
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Seth asked.“I’ll be fine. Are you okay?” Jacob ran his thumb along Seth’s bottom lip. “I can’t believe he…” Jacob leaned forward and gently kissed Seth, cradling his head in his hand.“What if she sees?” Seth whispered.Jacob kissed him harder. “What if?”“Aren’t you worried?” Seth asked.“Yeah, of course… but I don’t care.” Jacob said, pulling Seth into a tight embrace. “I want her to see. I want everyone to see. I want them to know you’re mine.”Seth pulled away and looked up at him,
Your Secret's Safe with Me Let It All Go
Jacob fumbled his phone from his pocket. He tried to text Seth, but the text failed to send. Jacob tried Chat next, but it wouldn’t connect. He pulled up Seth’s contact and tried to call him, but a messaged popped up on the screen that read ‘SIM not registered to any network.’ That was when he noticed the line through his service signal indicator, and the “x” on the wi-fi. He re-entered the password for the wi-fi; rejected.They cut him off. His parents locked him in his room and out-of-service. He jumped to his computer, but it also failed to connect.He couldn’t warn Seth. He couldn’t contact anyone. He dropped limply into his computer chair and rubbed his face. The bruises and cuts throbbed under his fingers. Jacob’s breaths came short and quick.
Your Secret's Safe with Me Choices
Jacob lay the pamphlets on the bed beside him. What did he have to lose? He would lose Seth. If he went through with the program, he and Seth would be over. It would be for the best. Perhaps he could even go back to his relationship with Sarah. She would understand his situation better than anyone, and could help him through it.He had promised Seth he didn’t want to leave. He had told Seth he was ready…But that was before. Everything was different now. Jacob thought he had been prepared for his father’s reaction. He thought he had imagined the worst. It was the look in his mother’s eyes that did it. She had always supported him, had always been there for him when he needed her. The sadness and disappointment in her eyes drilled through him.But Seth…
Your Secret's Safe with Me Carry On
Jacob fell back on his bed as the door shut behind Sarah. He studied the patterns in the old paint on the ceiling.They were going to the championships. They would have another chance, and Middleton wouldn’t be there to get in their way. Jacob chuckled at the irony of Ethan being the reason they would get to go. If that could work out, perhaps everything else would turn out fine as well. Perhaps he didn’t really have to choose.Just because he went into a program didn’t mean he would have to change. He could go through the motions his parents wanted for him and live his own life once he was free. Perhaps Seth would even wait for him. Things could go back to the way they were. What would it hurt for them to believe the program had worked?What if the program did work? Jacob shut his eyes
Your Secret's Safe with Me What Sarah Said
“What is your boyfriend’s name?” the paramedic asked Jacob.The shock of having someone else say that out loud shook Jacob from his trance. The blond paramedic who had allowed him into the ambulance was sitting across from him with a clipboard while a second paramedic continued to administer emergency aid to Seth. As the sirens blared, the ambulance rumbled over the pavement. “Huh?” Jacob said, dimly as he looked up into the paramedic’s face.“Your boyfriend-” she motioned to Seth on the gurney, “-what’s his name?”“Seth. Seth Thompson,” Jacob said.She scribbled the name on her clipboard. “How old is he?”“Eighteen.” Jacob s
Your Secret's Safe with Me You're Gonna Be Okay
Beep.Beep.Beep.The rise and fall of the electrocardiogram signaled Seth’s beating heart.Jacob and Mark sat in silence on opposite sides of the bed. Both watched Seth’s peaceful face as his chest slowly rose and fell with each breath.Beep.Beep.Beep.Jacob’s own heart beat in double time. He wanted to say something. He wanted to apologize again, but Mark wouldn’t hear it. Mark had already told him more than once that it wasn’t his fault; that he had nothing to apologize for, but Jacob still couldn’t make himself believe it. The only reason Seth
Latest chapter
Your Secret's Safe with Me Epilogue
“Come on! If we get going now, we will get in before midnight!” Seth called from outside.Jacob shouldered his way through the front door with the last box of his belongings. “You know we’ll end up hitting traffic, anyway. The maps don’t tell you about traffic that doesn’t exist yet.” “All the more reason to get going,” Seth said as he shoved a box over to make room for Jacob’s last contribution. Jacob pushed his box into the tetris of luggage that was held in place by sheer luck. They forced the hatchback closed together, grunting in unison with one last push to get it to latch. They had bought it together a week ago; their first purchase together, though it was in Jacob’s name since Seth didn’t have a license. Having completed their packing, they leaned against the back window to catch their breath. This was it. Everything was done.Two weeks ago, Jacob had walked across the auditorium stage for the first and last time, collecting his diploma before taking a seat among the gradua
Your Secret's Safe with Me Rest of Our Lives
Jacob couldn’t believe it. He grasped Seth’s hand as the nurses checked his vitals and wrote things on charts. Seth’s gaze darted around wildly, but always came back to Jacob. The feeding tube down his throat prevented him from speaking, but he occasionally made scared sounds that sounded to Jacob almost like a whimper. “It’s okay,” Jacob kept saying. “You’re okay now.” He was overwhelmed with joy that Seth was awake, but his heart ached that there was nothing he could do to make this easier for Seth. Nurses ran in and out of the room, bringing new equipment. The instruments on the cart beside Seth’s bed had calmed down to a steady rhythm of beeps. Seth’s doctor came in. He checked the monitors, then turned to Seth. “It’s good to see you finally with us, son,” he said. “I’m going to take the tube from your throat now, if that’s alright.” He gently lifted the mask from Seth’s face. Seth squeezed Jacob’s hand. “I need you to continue to breathe slowly and evenly. Breath with the
Your Secret's Safe with Me Wake Me Up
Jacob knew they were in trouble as soon as the two teams circled up on the court. There wasn’t a single player on the Hillcrest team shorter than Derek, Forge’s tallest player. They were outfitted to win. Hillcrest attracted players who were planning to go professional, and they looked the part.Derek stood in the center circle for the tipoff, dwarfed by the opposing Center. The dude had to be at least seven feet tall. The ref tossed the ball. Derek jumped, but the other center’s height was too much of an advantage. Hillcrest’s center, number seventeen, tapped the ball to his teammates, and they dribbled down the court. Blocking such tall players proved challenging as well. They made every pass and shot they took. Forge depended on rebounds to get possession of the ball. Sweat poured down Jacob’s face. Luckily, Forge used Hillcrest’s height against them on offense. Jacob remembered the low passes that short players on other teams had used to evade his block, and he made liberal use
Your Secret's Safe with Me Opportunity
Jacob rolled over and fumbled with his phone to stop the blaring alarm. It was in the wrong place. The table beside his bed was too low. As the fog of sleep faded, he remembered why. This wasn’t his room, or side table, or bed. This was Seth’s room. Jacob grabbed Seth’s pillow and pulled it over his face, inhaling Seth’s familiar and calming scent. He ached to be able to roll over and bury his face in Seth’s curls. It was Saturday, but he was up early because it was game day two of the state championships. They had not gone out to celebrate their win versus Preston last night. One win was pointless if they couldn’t win them all. They had agreed as a team to save their celebrations for when they won the final game.Today, they were playing the Century Diamondbacks from Pocatello. They were a good team. They even had one player scouted to the University of Kentucky a couple of years back. Jacob heard that that player was already being courted by the NBA. Century didn’t have that playe
Your Secret's Safe with Me Happy Passover, Easter, and Ramadan
Happy Ramadan, Passover, and Easter to all who celebrate! Because of the holiday, I did not have time to complete a chapter this weekend, and I apologize! But worry not, there will be another chapter soon. We are rounding the last bend. This coming weekend, I will be out of town for the memorial of my partner's grandmother. It has been a rough few weeks for us. I will do my best to get a chapter up as soon as I can. Thank you for sticking with me, even though I am slow to update. All of my love, Blair
Your Secret's Safe with Me Cool
The gym was cacophonous as the team trotted to the court for the first huddle. The announcer called the names for the starting line-up for Preston over the noise of the crowd, while James gave last moment notes to the team.“Remember, Jacob will be on the weak side. I will dribble for a pick and roll. Charlie, I want you under the strong-side basket. If Jacob is blocked, I’ll pass to you for a jump shot. If I can’t get it to either of you, Bret will be in the paint, and we’ll relay the ball to one of you.”With a shout of “Forge!” the team broke off and lined up for the announcer’s call.On the court, Charlie stood in the center facing Preston’s number fourteen, a seven foot tall slender kid, named Chet Harper. The referee blew the whistle, and both C
Your Secret's Safe with Me Freedom
Jacob pushed through the doors of the long-term ward at West Valley Medical center. Seth was in the back corner of a communal room with a curtain pulled around his bed, creating a private space roughly the size of Jacob’s bedroom at home. Not at home. He couldn’t go back there. He didn’t have a home anymore. He had slept in Seth’s bed, at Seth’s house, for the last few nights.Seth had been moved to the long-term ward after twenty-four hours of observation for complications of his surgery.Seth lay on the hospital bed, as still as the dead except for the slow rise and fall of his chest. He wore a mask with tubes connected to a beeping tower of computers. Sensor wires sprouted from a mesh cap pulled down over Seth’s trademark curls and connected to another computer. On the monitor, several lines ticked zigzags across the
Your Secret's Safe with Me We're On Each Other's Team
Stale, musky air met Jacob when he pushed through the doors to the locker room. He was early, as usual, having bolted from class as soon as the bell rang. Most of the rest of the team would take a break before heading for the locker rooms, but not Jacob. Calm washed over him as he breathed the familiar scent. He felt at home. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours. So much had changed. He had missed this room, this smell, this familiarity.He found his locker and dialed in the combination. His uniform was still there. He pulled his shirt over his head and slipped the jersey on. Number 33. Kobe’s number in high school. Small details seemed to matter more when you realized how short life could be.Jacob was tying his shoes when the rest of the team rolled into the locker room, echoing chatter off the walls. Jacob looked up, but they
Your Secret's Safe with Me You're Gonna Be Okay
Beep.Beep.Beep.The rise and fall of the electrocardiogram signaled Seth’s beating heart.Jacob and Mark sat in silence on opposite sides of the bed. Both watched Seth’s peaceful face as his chest slowly rose and fell with each breath.Beep.Beep.Beep.Jacob’s own heart beat in double time. He wanted to say something. He wanted to apologize again, but Mark wouldn’t hear it. Mark had already told him more than once that it wasn’t his fault; that he had nothing to apologize for, but Jacob still couldn’t make himself believe it. The only reason Seth
