All Chapters of Breath Without Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The money from my tin lunch box and what my mother stashed didn't last long. I only had $143.83 in my lunchbox, and my mom had $378.00.I tried to get a hotel room the second night on my own, but I was told I was too young. I was old enough for my father to kick me out of the house, but somehow not old enough to rent a damn room to sleep in! How fucked up is that? I thought I'd get used to being homeless, but I'm almost 19, and I still haven't gotten used to it. The town I grew up in is far behind me in another state. I knew I couldn't stay there. My father had eyes everywhere. Getting out of that town proved to be both easy and hard. I did what anyone without transportation or money would do; I walked along the road leading out of town, and stuck my thumb out each time someone drove past. Many vehicles passed me before a semi truck finally pulled over. I was thrilled. I had always wanted to ride in a semi. They're so big and powerful. I always thought it had to be fun, and at first

I've been working with Walker and his crew for two weeks now, and for the first time, I feel like I finally fit in somewhere. No one here judges me with their eyes or harsh words. I'm greeted each day with friendly faces, well, most of them are friendly. There are five other guys on the crew. Derek is quiet, grouchy, and always seems to have a stick up his ass, but thankfully, most of his grouchiness isn't directed at me. Keith is quiet and tends to keep to himself, and his brother Jason… Well, he’s Jason. Jason is clumsy and always seems to break things and get into trouble. He nailed his hand to a beam on my second day here. Four days ago, he was holding a wall that Walker was trying to secure. A frog landed on his foot, and he screamed like a girl as he took off running. It was the first time I ever saw Walker enraged. Before Walker could get the first nail in, the wall fell, taking out the wall Keith and Derek were working on, and leaving Alex hanging from a beam after it took

I watched Walker do the dishes after breakfast. He wouldn't let me lift a finger to help. He worked quietly and efficiently; he barely had to look to see where his hands grabbed and placed the dishes. Like he had done it a million times, and perhaps he has. When he was done, he gave me the grand tour of the house. It's an old farmhouse he updated while keeping much of its original charm. The kitchen is small compared to most, tucked at the back of the house. The kitchen was updated with knotty-wood butcher-block countertops and light-gray cabinets with copper handles. The sink is my favorite. A deep porcelain double-wide farmhouse sink with a beautiful rustic copper faucet.The back door is to the left of the kitchen and opens to the driveway. A large window overlooked a big, beautiful backyard. At the end of the yard was a hayfield that stretched on as far as I could see. Walker said it belongs to the neighbors behind him. Aside from the kitchen, the first floor has a living room, d

When we got to the beach, the crew was already there, and I was both excited and nervous. I’m excited because I discovered I love the beach, but I'm nervous because I'm finally ready to wear my new swim shorts in front of everyone. Yes, everyone knows I'm gay, but no one has seen me dress like I am. Well, except Walker. I didn't like the swim shorts I originally had. They weren't comfortable, and I didn't feel like myself while wearing them. It took a while to find something I liked. Something that was more me, and when I did, I bought every color they had. They're not like the ones I usually see guys wearing, the kind that are loose, baggy, and hang down to your knees. These are different; they're short. Very short. They stop just below my butt cheeks, and are tight, showing off my butt. They're colorful and have a little slit on the sides that shows a little more skin, and makes me feel pretty. They're more feminine, more me. As I walk toward everyone, they say hi, and no one ba

Tristan's POVMy head throbbed as I opened my eyes. I reached up to grab my head, but paused when I saw an IV in the back of my right hand. I looked around and found I was in a hospital room, and Walker was in the chair beside me. Relief flooded me at the sight of him, but it also made warmth spread through my chest.I don't know why seeing him sitting there made my heart beat the way it did, or why it made my stomach flutter.He's sleeping with his head leaned back against the chair, and his lips closed, as if even in his sleep, he can't relax. I stare at him until I hear someone yawn from the other side of the room. I lift my head, look down, and I'm surprised to find the whole crew is here.Jason lay on the floor with a pillow and blanket, while the others sat in a chair. Everyone was asleep except Derek and Alex. They both stood when they saw me looking at them. “Hey, how are you feeling?” Alex asked as he approached.“Like my head is in a vise and someone is cranking it, trying