Skeleton by Suki Fleet
This story is highly recommended!
The Blurb…
Jan has given up on love, at least the romantic kind. He loves his five-year-old son Henry more than anything.
But when Henry starts school, Jan is introduced to Matthew, a very sweet but shy young man who helps out in Henry’s class. Although he tries desperately to ignore his attraction, Jan finds himself falling for Matthew–he’s everything Jan needs.
But amid creepy silent phone calls and possible break-ins, things start to fall slowly apart for Jan. Matthew wants to trust Jan, but the skeleton Jan has been trying to keep buried in his closet and the guilt he feels threatens to destroy everything good in his life.
An Excerpt…
Beyond the distant trees, the sun is sinking, leaving fire-shot ribbons of blue, clouds like the tail ends of meteors.
Jan opens the gate and stops in front of the front door, pulling Matthew with him under the shelter of the overhanging roof.
“I want to know everything about you,” Jan admits, bringing his hand up to gently brush away the raindrops from Matthew’s cheek, while trying desperately to hold his gaze.
There is a fire in his veins, burning through the tips of his fingers, and he wonders if Matthew can feel it. He wonders if that’s why Matthew’s breathing changes, if he needs his inhaler.
Reluctantly breaking the contact, Jan pulls out his keys to open the front door.
It occurs to him that this is the first time he has ever brought home anyone he wants to sleep with this badly. For Henry’s sake, he always told himself he needed to keep this part of his life separate. But now, looking at Matthew half-drowned, shivering, and otherworldly in the most beautiful way, Jan thinks maybe he just hadn’t found the right person to bring home before.
What did I think?
Such a lovely story and told in a way that captures the emotions beautifully. The characters are wonderful – from Jan and his tremendous sense of guilt, Henry with his quiet counting and Matthew with his own troubled background.
There is a real sense of tension running through the story as Jan battles with his feelings. This story is told in the present tense which enhanced the tension. The descriptions immersed me in the story and pulled me on the emotional journey. Plus there is an element of mystery.
This is a novella. I read it in one sitting. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the detail between Jan and Matthew falling in love, but I was drawn to the end for a very satisfying short read.
4 stars
About the Author
Suki Fleet currently lives in the heart of England. Her childhood was quite unconventional and she spent some time living on a boat and travelling at sea with her family. Since she was very small she has always dreamed of writing for a living, but though she has written original fiction online for years and encouraged many new writers to keep going and follow their author dreams, it is only recently she got the courage to make her own dream a reality and actually send something off to a publisher.
By day she runs her own business selling fabric (her second love) and spends time juggling family commitments, by night she weaves the stories that the characters in her head dictate. These stories often start with pain or longing but always end with love.
http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3
http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/
Buy Links
