Storming Love ~ Volvano
Simon & Bryce
Publisher: MLRPress
Blurb
There were only two things Simon wants in his
life. To fulfill a lifelong dream of visiting Pompeii, and to finally step out
of the closet with his longtime boyfriend, Bryce. It seems both are going to
happen and Simon is thrilled. However, two months before they're set to go, his
hopes are dashed and he finds himself going alone. Determined to have a good
time and to put the past behind him, Simon is ready to tackle whatever his
uncertain future holds, with or without the love of his life.
Bryce is living the American Dream. He's country
music's golden boy and doesn't see that changing. He's paid his dues to get
where he is, though he's had to live a lie. Being openly gay was never
something he could do and he thought his boyfriend, Simon, understood this. Then
Simon plans a trip to Pompeii, the one place he has always wanted to visit.
Bryce knows there is no way to keep his secret if he goes. So he does the
unthinkable and backs out, even though he knows how devastated his lover and
best friend is going to be.
They finally find their way together but a
volcanic eruption changes their plans and they'll have to discover which is
stronger; Mother Nature or true love.
Excerpt
Simon Daniels
Austin, Texas
Summer 2016
Deep
breath in...deep breath out...
"I
can do this, all I have to do is close my suitcases, sit them by the door and
walk out of my room, all without shedding a tear." Riiight. "No
seriously, not one more flipping tear. I made the decision to do this alone,
and damn it, that's what I'm going to do! So you can stop looking at me like
that, because I'm through with my pity party."
Deep
breath in...deep breath out...
"Okay."
My voice was deceptively calm, my hands loose at my sides. "If you'll just
let me rant for a few more minutes I swear I will never bring it up again.
Cross my heart." Crossing my fingers over my heart for effect, I took a
deep, fortifying breath before I went on. I really did feel that if I didn't
get all this pent up anger out right now, I would never be able to get on that
plane in the morning and take the trip I had planned nearly all my life.
Standing in front of my dresser, I lightly touched
the framed picture of me at my college graduation. My two best friends—one of
which was the love of my life—flanked me on either side as we cheesed it up for
the camera. Life was so much easier then. Letting go of the frame, I turned
back to my sounding board who was trying, valiantly I'm sure, to keep up with
me.
"I
don't understand how he could just let me go. I mean I realize I'm the one who
told him I was done waiting, but he could have fought me, fought for us. Ugh,
could I be a bigger diva? No...don't answer that." Stopping at the foot of
my bed, a sudden chill spread all over my body. "Oh God this is not going
to work, I can't go by myself. What will I do? Wander around Europe
alone?" Slumping down on to my bed, I knew the answer. I'm not a chicken
shit, and even though it was a scary proposition, I had thought of nothing else
for two months, and I knew Jack was sick to death of listening to me whine.
Looking at him now, I could practically see his eyes rolling in his furry face.
Seriously, what did I expect a seventy-five pound mass of doggy delight to do?
If he were human, he probably would have run me over with my own car by now.
"Thanks dude, for making me feel so much
better about all this." He yapped in answer then jumped up, laid his
massive paws on my shoulders and gave me a wet, sloppy dog kiss across the
face. I just laughed. "Nice comeback." He shook his head then proceeded
to lie back down. Truthfully, I think he was ready for me to be gone already.
A year
ago, when I finally planned this trip and made all the arrangements, I truly
thought my boyfriend was as excited as I was. It was going to be a chance for
us to spend time together, just the two of us. I should have known his lack of
said excitement and growing physical distance were an indicator of things to
come. Sure didn't make it suck less though.
Bryce and
I first met when we were roommates our freshman year at the University of
Texas. The minute he smiled at me, I knew I was in trouble. It also confirmed
what I had long suspected. I was, without a doubt, gay. It took the entire year
for us to give into our feelings, and even then, we kept it hidden from
everyone we knew. Back then, my path was all about getting my degree and
eventually my doctorate. His was about becoming famous one day. Long story
short, we both got what we wanted. The relationship was mutually beneficial for
both of us, until one day, it simply wasn't. I became a walking cliché,
because sadly, I fell in love with my best friend and eventually wanted the
world to know, he on the other hand was perfectly happy with our relationship
as it was. With both of us in the closet and me playing the side kick
bestie-slash-secret lover. I'm not gonna lie, I went along with it for years
because I loved him with all my heart. Hell, I still do.
Yet
through it all, the secrets and lies, we managed to make things work for a
pretty long time. But this last year, things had become so strained, with us
spending less and less time together. That's why this trip was so important to
me. It was a way for us to reconnect. Maybe get us back to where we were, once.
Then two months ago Bryce did the unthinkable, and I had had enough. Ergo the
reason I'm going on this trip by myself. Damn it, why does it hurt so much? Why
can't I just stop loving him?
At this
very moment, my best girlfriend Lindsey, whom I lovingly refer to as my sister
from another mister and her adorable eleven-year-old twin daughters, Langston
and Sloane, were out in my living room waiting for us to go eat. Lindsey was
the other person in my graduation picture. She had been there our sophomore
year, living in the same apartment complex we did. The three of us hit if off from
the start. Even when we finally confided in her, she never once judged us for
being together, nor did she ever give up our secret. She is closer to me than
my own siblings. She and the girls arrived from Houston this morning and would
be staying at my house for the next two weeks while I'm in Europe. She offered
to take care of my house, my boy Jack, while giving them time in Austin and San
Antonio for a mini vacation. I had dreamed of taking this trip since I was in
tenth grade. It was in my world history class, when my teacher told us about
Pompeii. I can still remember the passion in the man's voice when he regaled us
with stories about all the people who were literally buried under the ash and
rock from Mt. Vesuvius after it erupted. It changed me in some inexplicable
way. I decided then and there, I would one day pay homage to them. It was also
the reason why I became a Professor of Ancient Civilizations at my Alma Mater.
And that was probably way more ‘scholarly’ information than anyone really cared
about. I also think I have procrastinated long enough.
"Okay
ladies, let's get this show on the road!" I yelled out into my living room
as I finally zipped up my two suitcases that had been lying open on my bed
while I was having my mini melt down, and placed them by the door. All I got in
response was loud squeals followed by; "Oh my God!" and "He's so
hot!" drifting in through my bedroom door. I can only imagine with two
preteen girls who they were going on about. Heck, I could even hear Jack
howling in there. No doubt it was that cute boy band that's so popular, on the
T.V. To be honest, I'd be squealing too if I was out there. They are
quite...shit what was I going to do again? Oh yeah living room.
Finally
turning off the light, I left my room to join them, and as I came down the
small hallway and entered my living room, I stopped dead in my tracks when I
saw who they were going on about. My head fell forward, chin nearly touched my
chest in absolute despondency. Well, maybe that's a bit melodramatic, but
still. All I could think was: Why can't it be those boys? Why...why...why, the
ever loving fuck did it have to be him? Bryce Lancaster. Country music's
bad boy wet dream. Singing on my 54 inch plasma screen, the image was so clear
he actually looked like he was performing in my house. From his signature
backwards baseball cap, his multi-pierced ears, full sleeve tattoos on both
arms to his tight blood-red T-shirt and snug jeans with cowboy boots, the man
was six foot five inches of delectable eye candy.
And the
reason for my current despair. I really didn't feel so good anymore. My palms
were sweaty, and I thought I might puke. Luckily, no one seemed to notice my
distress.
"Uncle
Simon," the name they've called me since they could talk, was shouted from
Langston as she barreled toward me. Her blonde pixie style hair and cornflower
blue eyes made her look like she could be my own daughter. Something I used to
joke with Lindsey's ex-husband about, much to his disgust. Her sister Sloane,
however, took after their father with her ginger-colored, shoulder length hair
and sea green eyes. The girls were fraternal so it had always been easy for me
to tell them apart.
Langston
grabbed on to my arm, dragging me across my teakwood floors further into the
room, making my bare feet stumble a bit. Sloane joined her on my other side as
they began their weird twin speak.
"O.M.G.
Uncle Simon is it—"
"True
you know Bryce Langston—" Uh yeah, and so does your mom.
"And
he was your roommate at—"
"UT.
And you actually helped him—"
"With
his getting into the music business—" Okay, that's not entirely true.
"And
that you're still really good friends, and you go to Nashville to see him all
the time—" I am so gonna kill Lindsey. What the hell was she thinking?
"And
you were with him when he got his tattoos?!" This particular question came
from both of them at the same time as if they had actually rehearsed the words.
What was it with tattoos and the younger generation? Good God they're only
eleven.
"Girls,
let Uncle Simon breathe," Lindsey finally said from her perch on one of my
barstools where she looked like a queen about to hold court. She's wearing a
whimsical type dress that floated around her body, and her blonde hair was
braided down the side of her neck. She actually looked more like a fairy than a
queen. Or maybe Queen of the Fairies, and there I went again, losing my train
of thought. What was it again? Oh yeah the girls and Lindsey and fu—reaking
Bryce. I was actually so pissed at Lindsey. We made an agreement a long time
ago concerning Bryce and how we weren't going to tell the girls about knowing
him because it would be too confusing, not to mention extremely hard for them
to keep that a secret.
Not the
part about me being gay, they've known that for a while now. Actually, how they
found out was kind of a funny story. When they started second grade their dad
got remarried, so the girls got it into their squishy little heads that their
mom and I should get married too. Like to each other. Even though that was
virtually impossible, what with us living so far away from each other and all,
which was my explanation. They still thought we should. Lindsey chose a
different explanation. She decided honesty was the best policy. She explained
how I loved men, like, well, like she loved men. Yeah, you can imagine how that
went over, the more she talked the more she ended up sounding like some kind of
wanton woman. The girl's eyes were huge as she tried to dig herself out of the
gigantic sexual revolutionary hole she had put herself in. I came to the rescue
by saying how everyone on earth was allowed to love whoever they wanted. And
that one day their mommy would find someone to make her happy just like their
douche bag father had. Of course I left the douche bag part out. After
recovering from her descent into the sex education from hell conversation,
Lindsey and I both realized it was necessary to keep the girls in the dark
about Bryce altogether. At the time, he was still struggling to make it in
Nashville. Hell, even her ex-husband never knew the true story. He met Lindsey
when her job at the time relocated her to Dallas from Austin, so he had never
been around Bryce. Pulling myself out of the past, I looked down at my arms
which were still being held by the girls.
"Ah,
Mom, come on. We just want to ask him questions," moaned Langston. Then
together they said, "Puhleeeease." It's beyond my comprehension how
those two girls could make a one syllable word sound like it's twenty. The
looks on their faces though, made me want to spill all. Almost. But payback's a
bitch, and I think if this conversation continued for any longer, these super
smart girls were going to be a bit upset with mommy dearest.
"Girls,
I do know Bryce, and yes, we were roommates in college, but since he has become
so famous, I haven't seen him in ages." Liar, liar pants on fire.
The shit my mind came up with sometimes.
"So
can we meet him, I mean..." Sloane paused a few seconds then she scrunched
up her nose like she was putting some things together in her head, and I began
to feel dizzy.
"Wait
a minute. Why haven't we ever met him?" Sloane asked before the wheels of
her brain began to spin out of control, and I braced myself for another
onslaught of questions, which luckily were blasted at their mother this time. I
had a sudden desire to stick my fingers in my ears and say nanny, nanny, boo,
boo!
"Mom,
if Uncle Simon knows him then you have to know him too. I mean y'all were
friends in college, and Oh...My...God, you do know him!" Langston, finally
catching on, shouted. "Right?" Her voice suddenly went very soft as
if she's not sure she should have said anything. I can see her brain trying to
put it all together. Then her wary gaze went back and forth between me and her
mom.
And there
it was. The elephant in the room. I shot a quick glare at Lindsey who actually
looked remorseful and maybe a little petrified for basically starting this
whole thing. The girls actually had met him years ago when they were maybe four
years old. Lindsey had finally left her ass-hat husband and came to stay with
me for a few weeks while I helped her nurse her broken heart. Bryce was still
playing in local bars around the Austin area, as well as some bars throughout
Texas. He was beginning to make a name for himself and was close to signing his
first record deal. Which would come about six months later. At the time, we
never gave a thought to the girls because they were so little and wouldn't
understand anyway.
"Can
we go see him in concert? I'm sure he'll come to Austin or Houston or even
Dallas where Daddy lives." Like any other eleven year old, Langston could
change gears faster than an Indy 500 driver. All her previous questions seemed
to be forgotten, though I knew her more astute sister wasn't going to let this
go so easy. She was currently staring daggers at her mom. Not that I could
blame her.
I looked
down at Langston who was staring at me with her big blue eyes, pleading for me
to say yes. It was so hard for me to refuse both girls anything, but the very
idea of taking them to see him made me physically ill. Just thinking about him
made my heart ache. And damn it, the show was still on, and there he was
strutting his stuff across the screen as if he had not a care in the world. He
owned the freaking stage he was on, and I could hear the screams coming from
the audience. The microphone was so close to his mouth, and gods, do I know
what that mouth could do. Oh shit I could not be having these thoughts!
Okay it was seriously time for a change of scenery, and subject and anything
else I could think of. Thank God I was saved by Lindsey, the traitor. I
really needed to have a come to Jesus meeting with her and myself. When I got
back.
"Okay
girls, enough about Bryce tonight, Simon doesn't need the extra stress right
now." I swear I heard her mumble under her breath "nor do I."
But I couldn't be sure because the girls were moaning and groaning, but doing
what their mother asked of them.
"Let's
go get some dinner. I'm starving, and we all have to get up super early in the
morning to take Uncle Simon to the airport. So how about we get our shoes on
and head out the door." She at least gave me a sympathetic look, but I had
a feeling she was in for a shit storm later on. Served her right. Even though
it meant the girls wouldn't get their answers tonight.
About Embry
Embry Carlysle can't remember a time when she
didn't want to be a writer, from her first story about an elephant and his
tennis shoes to the her current WIP's it has been a dream of hers to let the
characters that live inside her head out to play. Her first love is paranormal,
her second men who love men. What could be better than that? Well writing a m/m
paranormal story of course!
In her real life she lives in the south with her
two teenage children and an assortment of furry friends.
Find Embry Here
