Here’s chapter 3 of the new book, “Dangerous Roommate.” Enjoy reading. Let me know your thoughts about this chapter in the comment section below.
Maybe he was just tired. That’s what Frank had told himself as he stood near the entry of his atelier. The entire hundred-twenty square meter space was filled with various molds of different models, from children to adult men and women of various sizes, on the walnut shelves. At first glance, he was delighted to see how he progressed in his craft. He had done so much compared to other artists his age.
Yet, they weren’t enough for Frank. His conscious mind knew he loved sculpting. For the life of him, he didn’t know what happened and how and why he had found himself like this. It had been a while since he had set foot inside. It had been a while since he had felt the spark as he did.
While staring at his working table, he pictured how big his smiles were, how his heart was filled with so much joy just thinking of sculpting and nothing else. When his eyes moved to his professional casting machine, he noticed the dust covering its surface. Damn. He realized it had been too long.
He walked until he reached his working space and pressed his fingers on the surface. After a gentle rub, he raised his hand to see how his fingertips had turned gray. He sighed, realizing how his atelier had become a gigantic dust collector than a creative space. He lowered his head, mourning himself, thinking, what if he would just quit? He thought San Carlos would be in better hands without him.
Then, he slowly raised his head, revealing how the look in his eyes had shifted. Though he looked determined, they were shaky. His face flushed as he felt anxiety blanketing him from head to toe. He didn’t know what to do and definitely had no idea how his new life could go.
This thought alone was enough to give him shivers. He briefly shut his eyes, thinking it was helpful to ease.
But then, it was cut short when he heard the door behind him open. He swiftly turned his head and saw Valon entering. His eyes widened as he wasn’t expecting him that day. Though he slanted a grin and waved his hand, welcoming a great friend, he felt otherwise.
“I’m glad to see you here. I thought you wouldn’t want to visit me anymore,” he said.
While Valon was tight-lipped, Frank stood, facing him, watching him as if it was the last time, with his eyes running over the man’s eccentric, Bohemian fashion style. Even though they had worked together for quite some time, he still struggled to get used to his messy curls and his odd choice of scarf to match the earrings hanging on his ears and his clothing. Yet, at the back of his mind, he knew he would miss these exact things about him.
“Why did you have to resign? You’ve been doing great.”
Valon chuckled. “Come on. Stop downplaying yourself. We both know the last exhibition wouldn’t be a success without you.”
Frank clucked. “But still…”
“I know you can do it, Frank.” He paused and tucked both hands in his pockets while eyeing him. He sighed when he saw his frown. “Time runs so fast. Is it?” He paused again and watched him nod. “We’ve been working together for how long?”
“Five years,” Frank stuttered. Though his scarlet face and eyes weren’t enough to hide his gushing emotions, he still tried to keep his composure intact. “Why didn’t you tell me about this beforehand?”
Valon shrugged, looking more carefree than ever. Smiling like he had never seen before. “I didn’t know, too. I didn’t know I would.”
“Did your plans change after meeting Clay?” he asked, anticipating his reply. But as soon as Valon flashed an ear-to-ear grin, nodding, he sighed. Though disappointed, his heart swelled with happiness, even though he looked outraged. He was happy for his friend, wishing him all the luck in his life. After all, he deserved it. As a colleague, he was happy about the growth he had seen in him and the positive changes Clay brought to him.
“We’ll move abroad and get married.”
Frank’s face glowed. “Wow. Congrats. That’s so… wonderful,” he said, though he felt the other way around. He didn’t expect to see him leave. He had gotten used to relying on Valon’s leadership since his first day in San Carlos. Underneath his stoic and collected persona, he was at war against himself. He felt his ravaging emotions could drown him at any minute if left uncontrolled.
“Would you still like to return and continue your lives here, or…”
Valon shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll see how life goes there.”
For a second, Frank felt envious. His senses returned when he felt Valon’s soft tap on his shoulder.
“Anyway, good luck. I have to go. I still have to….” Valon paused to flick his head in a direction, hoping he would understand he missed Clay so much. For him, it wasn’t surprising at all. Since he had introduced the doctor after the art exhibition, there was never a day he skipped Clay as his main topic. He always had something to talk about him. His likes, dislikes, his interests. Whatever.
When he saw the same look on Valon’s face, it didn’t take much time for Frank to understand the cryptic message. “Fine. I know you want to see your beau. Just go. Bye.”
“Thanks, man. Bye,” Valon said nonchalantly with his typical, annoying grin. A typical loving yet somehow insulting Valon smile. He didn’t even wait for him to react or say something when he turned his back to him.
Frank scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” he whispered, watching Valon as he walked away, relishing the moment to appreciate the man’s standoffish fashion choice.
In his mind, Valon had charisma, as if he was born with it. On the contrary, Frank didn’t. He was uncertain whether he could do a great job just as the previous department head had achieved. Unlike Valon, he didn’t have that much money, power, and fame. He wasn’t born with it. As much as he wanted to run away or hide, there was no way he could escape this path anymore. He returned his eyes to Valon’s path, watching him as he was getting further and further away.
The fact became louder. After Valon left his post today, what should he do now?
“I’m pretty fucked,” Frank muttered under his breath.
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for spending time reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I wrote this part months ago. This chapter, in particular, reminded me of those times when I sat before my desk, seemingly prepared to type in words, but I struggled to keep it up.
It took an external motivation to get it through, and, at that time, the NaNoWriMo event was upcoming. At that time, I thought, “This could be a great opportunity to try and give this a shot one more time. You’d done an excellent job with ‘The Rival,’ so you could do it, Mecyll.”
You know, it’s easier said than done because writing a chapter with a clear intent to finish it requires more than just a skill. Since I started writing fiction, I realized how much this work demands my ability to be naked and the guarantees to answer whether I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to face my fears, conscious or unconscious.
So, being able to write this down meant I managed despite the countless times dancing around with depression and enjoying the roller coaster rides my anxiety provided me.
This is why I don’t know how to thank you for your support, regardless of the scale or contribution size, from sharing my work with others or buying my books. It doesn’t matter because, for me, every small act you show is appreciated.
Again, thank you, and have a great day!
If you like to support my writing life, here’s what you can do:
- Get a copy of “The Rival” Uncensored Gay Romance Novel.
- Read “Dr. Clay” (Cult of Eros #1)
- Check out my latest book, “Non-Native Speakers Only.”
- Find more writing tips on my website (i.e., content writing, freelance writing, copywriting, self-publishing, novel writing, and many more!)
- Subscribe to my Substack newsletter.
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