After a quick moment of silence, I start blabbing, "I have four siblings. I am extremely close to my twin, Evan.
Carter looks at me with clear surprise that I have so many siblings and that I'm a twin.
Carter continues to listen while I say, "My parents are divorced. It happened when I was ten. It wasn't pretty, but I am glad it happened.
I glance at him as he continues letting me talk.
"I've always dreamed of making music for a career. But if I am being realistic, what I would really love to do is open a cafe with some music theme or with an open mic night. The thought of serving coffee in the morning while hosting open mic nights in the evenings would be a dream come true.
Carter looks at me with admiration, but before he says anything, I say, "Your turn."
Carter says, "Icannotbelieve you are a twin. I am so jealous." "Wait, A cafe is a great idea! I fully approve of this." Carter says, grinning.
Carter looks at me, takes a breath, and says, "Well, if we are going the family route, I have two younger brothers, and both my parents are together. They all live in Framingham, Massachusetts. They loved to watch my games when I played for Boston."
I blurt out, "Do they know you're gay."
Carter smiles comfortably and says, "Yes, a bunch of people know, including my best friend Becky and family." He explains how supportive they have been and that they just want him to be happy.
Carter stretches his arms above his head and faces me. "Second, my favorite movies areHarry Potter,as you may have guessed."
I grin, "That makes sense."
He chuckles, "then softens his expression. "What you don't know iswhyI love them so much. It's a comfort thing. Whenever I get anxious or start to panic, watching this series helps me calm down.
He shrugs and stares at the ceiling. "It's like, no matter what's happening, turbulence on a plane, someone yelling homophobic slurs, just…Anything,Harry Potteris a place where I can escape and calm myself. It sounds ridiculous, but it helps me relax and reset."
I see, hear, and sense an apparent vulnerability in his voice. I want to ask more about his mental health and if there is anything I could do to help in the future, but I don't want to pry.
So, instead, I squeeze his hand gently and offer him a soft smile. Carter glances over and smiles back, knowing that I understand him.
Carter rolls over onto his side and says, "Okay, a third fun fact is I have a freakish obsession with comedy sitcoms. LikeThe Office, Parks and Rec.,andBrooklyn Nine-Nine."
I look at Carter with excitement, which is why he says, "I know, it's pathetic."
I say in a giddy way, "I love those shows too! But youmustwatchSchitts Creek.
Carter looks at me and explains that he tried watching the show but couldn't get past the first few episodes. His words exactly, "That family is awful," comes out of his mouth.
I giggle and say, "It gets so much better, I promise. We are watching the entire series, and you have no say in the matter." He nods with reluctant agreement.
We continue discussing each other's "fun facts" in more detail for the next few hours, and by the time we finish, 3 a.m. rolls around. It's obvious neither of us is ready for bed, so we end up cuddling, with Carter curled up in front of me as the little spoon. I wrap my arms around him like a cozy blanket, feeling how perfectly he fits against me, and start to ramble about my neighborhood.
I go off on a whole thing about how nice Newark has been, how it surprised me in a good way, but how I wish I had enough money to live in the city. It would be nice to live carefree in the city, close to everything, without constantly checking my bank account. It turns into a full ten-minute babble session, my talking while tracing Carter's back.
At some point, Carter must have dozed off because I could hear faint snores coming from his mouth.
I pause, then smile to myself as Carter is out cold. I should get up. My brain tells me to head to the guest room, but my body doesn't move. It's too warm next to Carter, and he looks so cute, all snuggled up.
So I stay, still wrapped around him, breathing quietly and drifting off soon after.
Carter
It’s finally August 25, the night of the Mental Health Awareness charity event with my team. If you had asked me a few weeks ago how I felt about it, I would’ve said I was dreading it. But now? I’ve got a solid crew I actually like, and the fact that Nate’s going to be there has me genuinely excited.
I’ve been texting my college friend Becky over the past couple of weeks, which led to me inviting her as my date. I warned her upfront that she’s basically my beard for the night. She knows Nate will be there, and she agreed to be a distraction if needed so he and I can sneak off without raising any eyebrows.
Right now, Becky and I are at my apartment, just about ready to head out. I’m in a full Ralph Lauren suit and tie, and she’s gorgeous in a light blue dress that shows off almost her entire back, with just a few thin straps holding it together.
