Chapter 2: Chapter 2

He hadn’t always hated Christmas. The truth was, as a child, he looked forward to the holiday every year, just as his friends and family had. He loved hanging up his stocking, decorating the tree, helping his mother bake cookies, and even writing an annual letter to Santa. Each year he had participated in the big celebrations and loved every second of it.

No, it wasn’t until college that he had realized all that happiness wrapped up into a few December days was nothing more than a charade.

He had even enjoyed that last party at the dorms before leaving for Christmas break at home his junior year. There had been liquor and friends, and he vaguely remembered some drunken carols. But what really stuck with him clearly was finding his boyfriend, Theo, going down on another man. In Matthew’s bed. And he would never forget the smile on Mark’s face when Matthew had walked in on them. God, even now his gut clenched. Mark was an ass, and had been after Theo all semester.