Chapter 1
January 2026
Noah Montgomery-Liang Splashed Cold Water on His Face. the Book Tour Was Wearing Him Down. It Had Been Two Months on The Road, City After City, Interviews, Hotel Rooms that All Blurred Together. the End Was Just Within Reach. One Last Night in Boston.
He Hadn’t Expected the Tour to Be that Big. He Didn’t Expect the Book to Climb the New York Times List. All He’d Wanted Was to Write Down What It Felt Like to Lose the Love of His Life. Everything Else that Followed Had Been an Unexpected Blessing and A Curse.
He Patted His Face Dry and Studied His Reflection. the Man Staring Back Wasn’t the Boy He Used to Be. Grief Had Carved Lines No Moisturizer Could Erase. “black Don’t Crack” Had Always Been the Joke, but There He Was, Cracking Anyway. a Salt-And-Pepper Goatee Shadowed His Face, Grey Threaded Through Curls that Brushed His Earlobes, and The Dark Bags Under His Grey Eyes Told the Real Story. He Was Tired.
A Knock on The Door. It Creaked Open, and A Head Poked In.
“they’re Ready for You, Mr. Montgomery. Standing Room Only.”
“montgomery-Liang,” He Softly but Quickly Corrected Her.
Her Eyes Widened. She Had Shocked Herself with The Mistake. “i Apologize, Mr. Montgomery-Liang.”
The Bookstore Was Packed, Warm Against the Storm Outside. Snow Fell Heavily on The Greater Boston Area, Promising that The Streets Would Disappear Under a Thick White Blanket by Morning.
When Noah Stepped on Stage, the Room Erupted. He Let the Applause Wash Over Him, a Moment of Comfort in The Chaos of Touring. the Table Beside Him Was Stacked with Copies of His Novel, Glossy Covers Catching the Light. He Picked One Up, Posed for Pictures, and Then Cleared His Throat.
“first Love. a Novel by Noah Montgomery-Liang,” He Began. “this Book Is Personal. It Tells the Story of How I Met the Love of My Life and How I Lost Him. Usually, I Read a Few Pages, but Tonight…well, This Is the Last Stop of The Tour. I Want to Do Something Different. I Want to Share One of My Favorite Memories of First Meeting Him…my Alabama Gent. I’d Seen Him in Passing for Years, but The Night I Truly Met Him, I Finally Saw Him, and He Saw Me, Was the Night Our Entire Lives Changed.”
October 2005
Trapped! That’s how Noah Felt His Entire Life. Everything Had Been Planned for Him Since Birth. His Mother and Father Were Prominent Figures in The Community. in Their Early Days, They Were at The Forefront of Social Change and Justice. It Was No Surprise that When Noah Was Born, All Eyes Were on Him.
Every Detail of His Life Had Been Planned Meticulously. He Feared Disappointing Anyone. So, He Suffered in Silence. Every Cocktail Ball, Founders Day Ball, Church Function, Etc., Was Like a Slow March to Death. how Could He Carry on That Way? He Was Merely Existing, Never Living. Not Even His Polished Upbringing Could Save Him from The Monsters Inside His Head.
Through the Dark of The Night, Noah Ran. from Top to Bottom, He Was Dressed in The Best and Most Expensive Suit. Another Damn Small Town Debutant Ball that Forced Him to Perform.
He Ran from Everything and Everyone He Had Ever Known. His Mind Was Made Up. He Was Racing Towards the End. Every Breath He Drew Was One Closer to The End. Sweat Poured from His Rich Chocolate Skin. the Wind Whipped Through His Thick Curls.
“right Off the Bridge,” He Thought to Himself. “yes, I’ll Do It in The Middle of The Town. I’ll Show Them. You Parade Me Around Like a Show Pony, Then I’ll Give You a Grand Exit.”
Noah Came to A Stop. His Body Was Exhausted from The Run and From the Pretentious Life He Lived. There He Stood, Looking at The Red Wooden Bridge that Joined Both Ends of The Small Alabama Town He Called Home.
In the Night, the Bridge Looked Haunted. Maybe It Was Haunted by All the Dreams Lost and Lives that Had Not Been Fully Lived in The Town of Ashgrove. Noah Was Prepared to Add His Name to That List of Souls.
The Mighty River, Two Hundred Feet Beneath It, Roared Like a Mighty Lion. One Tall, Barely Lit Street Lamp Cast a Yellow Fluorescent Glow. Noah Approached the Rotted Wood Railing and Began to Climb It. the Dark, Rapid-Moving Waters Below Called to Him. What Should Have Been Frightening Was More Calming than Anything Else in His Life.
From the Dark, a Low but Soothing Voice Called Out, “noah? Noah Montgomery?”
His Heart Froze, and He Jerked Violently. He Slowly Turned Around Mid-Climb. a Tall, Lean Figure Moved from Out of The Darkness and Into the Light. the Man’s Black, Wavy Hair Fell onto His Shoulders. Noah’s Grey Eyes Landed on Matthew Liang. He Instantly Recognized Him.
they Had Both Graduated from Ashgrove High School a Few Months Ago. They Weren’t Friends. Matthew Had Enjoyed the Perks of Being a High School Jock. the Star Wrestler for The School Wrestling Team. the Gorgeous Jock that All the Southern Belles Went Crazy Over. He Was Exotic in A Presentable Manner.
“i’m Not Gonna Tell Anyone,” Matthew Said. “i Was Planning to Jump. Been Trying to Build up My Courage.” There Was a Brief Pause. Their Eyes Briefly Met. “maybe We Can Jump Together.”
Silence. Noah Studied Him. There Was Something Exhausted About Him, Too. Something Painfully Familiar. Finally, Noah Spoke.
“what? Aren’t You Supposed to Talk Me Down? Try and Save Me or Some Stupid Shit Like That?”
“nah,” Matthew Echoed. “two Small Town Boys from Decent Families, Both of Us Apparently Drowning in Our Feelings About Life or Expectations or Other Bullshit. I Can’t Talk Myself Down or Up, but Seeing Someone Else Here to Do the Same Helps. So, Together?”
“why Would I Trust You?” Noah Asked. “you Couldn’t Jump by Yourself. or Maybe You Just Want to Learn About Me and Run Off and Tell Everyone What You Discovered in My Final Pathetic Moments.”
“who Would I Tell if We’re Both in The Water? We’ve Passed Each Other in High School. Moved About Like the World Was Ours, but The Whole Time Spinning out Of Control. I’m Matthew Liang. We Graduated Together. You Were the Valedictorian. I Hung on To Every Word of Your Speech. I Was Moved by The Part Where You Said, “we Are the Future We Make.” That’s What You Said…right?”
Matthew’s Words and Acknowledgement Softened the Edges Around Noah’s Sorrow. It Eased the Weight of His Depression. Something Cracked Open After That.
Noah Scoffed. “other Bullshit. That’s Why I’m up Here. the Type of Bullshit You Don’t Talk About.”
Matthew Nodded. “the Type of Bullshit We’re Afraid to Talk About.”
Noah Sniffled. “you Have No Idea What I’m Talking About. You Don’t Have This Burden.”
Matthew Looked Away for A Moment. Then His Eyes Found Noah Again. He Felt Braver in His Stance.
“maybe I Do. Maybe I’ve Known the Burden My Whole Life. I Just Hide It Well.”
Without Ever Saying It, They Knew They Were Confiding in One Another. They Were Saying the One Thing They Had Been Afraid to Say to Another Soul.
Matthew Cleared His Throat. “maybe the World Would Be a Lot Less Scary if We Said It to Each Other.”
They Held Each Other’s Gaze Under the Glow of The Moon. the Humid Alabama Night Haunted Them Desperately. a Flash of Lightning with A Roar of Thunder Made Them Both Gasp and Breathe Nervously.
“together,” Noah Said as He Held His Hand Out.
Matthew Gave Him a Head Nod. It Was a Quiet Understanding Between the Two. He Took Hold of Noah’s Hand. Warmth and Tenderness Slowly Spread Through Him. It Was Enough to Make His Precious Olive-Green Eyes Water. Matthew Climbed the Rotted Railing. He Was Suddenly at Eye Level with Noah. Those Grey, Striking Eyes Pulled Him and Turned Him Into Stone.
“so, This Is What It Feels Like to Be in The Presence of Noah Montgomery?”
Noah Laughed. Matthew Watched as The Man’s Cheeks Rose and Touched the Corners of His Eyes. It Was a Beautiful Laugh. It Touched Matthew, and He Found Himself Laughing as Well.
“i Don’t…” Noah’s Words Were Cut Short by The Sudden Crack!
The Bridge Lurched Hard Beneath Their Feet. Noah Fell Backward with Various Curse Words as The Wood Exploded Beneath Matthew’s Feet. Matthew Instinctively Reached for The Railing, and The Rotten Timber Gave Way.
Noah Watched in Utter Horror as Matthew Disappeared.
Then He Jumped in After Him.
The River Swallowed Them Whole.
The Freezing Water Slammed Into Noah’s Chest. It Stole the Air from His Lungs. the Darkness Overwhelmed Him as The Current Dragged at Him. the Sky Opened, and The Rain Began to Fall Heavily.
“matthew!”
A Hand Burst from The Water Before It Vanished Beneath the Current. Noah Dived without Thinking.
Their Fingers Collided. Noah Grabbed Him with Every Part of His Being. He Held Him as If He Mattered. Matthew Wrapped His Arms Around Noah and Held Him with The Same Type of Energy. They Suddenly Mattered to One Another.
“you Saved Me,” Matthew Pointed Out.
Noah Glanced up At the Hole in The Side of The Bridge Where They Once Stood. His Eyes Diverted Back to Matthew.
“i Did. I Guess I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye Just Yet.” His Answer Was Honest and Moving.
“me Neither,” He Mumbled.
As They Held Each Other, Noah Noticed Matthew Liang for The First Time. for The First Time, He Truly Saw Him. He Had a Face that Noah Would Never Be Able to Describe without Sounding Obsessed. Sharp, Dark Hair that Fell Carelessly Down to His Shoulders, Striking Almond-Shaped Olive-Green Eyes that Looked Like They Were Hiding Something, and Smooth Golden Skin that Warmed Under the Sunlight.
Matthew Was Restrained, Unreadable, with A Quiet Elegance About Himself. He Was Never the Type to Demand Attention, but Somehow Every Room Bent Toward Him Anyway.
“so, What Now? We Just Live with The Bullshit?” Matthew Asked.
“maybe We Can Help Each Other Live Through All the Other Bullshit.”
Somewhere in The Distance, the Sound of Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart Played Like a Scene out Of a Movie. Just Below the Surface of Rushing Water, Noah and Matthew Held Hands. Their Fingers Were Interlocked. that Night, They Had Done More than Save Each Other. They Had Found the Other.
January 2026
Applause Rolled Through the Bookstore; Faces Were Wet from The Love They Heard in The Memory Noah Had Shared. He’d Never Told Anyone how He First Met His Alabama Gent. Fear Had Kept the Story Private. It Had Been Private until Tonight. It Was, He Thought, the Purest Thing He’d Ever Given Away.
He Stood, “i’ll Open the Floor for A Q&a, Then I’ll Sign Books.”
As He Moved to The Edge of The Stage, the Overhead Speakers Spilled Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart. noah Blinked. Toni Again. the Room Laughed at The Coincidence.
“looks Like I Made Someone a Toni Fan,” He Said. “any Questions?”
A Voice Called from The Back, Low and Familiar. “have You Ever Released a Photo of Your Alabama Gent?”
The Sound of It Was Deep and Steady. It Cut Through Him. His Throat Went Dry. “who Said That?’ He Managed. “where Are You?”
“i Did,” the Voice Answered.
The Crowd Parted Like a Curtain. Standing There, Casual and Calm, Was Someone Noah Hadn’t Expected. the Face Was Fuller, and The Hair Now Hung Carelessly Across His Forehead, Despite Being Cut. However, Those Pink Lips and Those Hunting Olive Eyes Were Still Him. Ten Years Had Sharpened Some Things and Softened Others, but Noah Knew in A Way that Had Nothing to Do with Hope. It Was Him.
Noah’s Hands Shook. the Microphone Slipped from His Fingers. Every Eye in The Room Turned Toward Him.
“matthew?” He Whispered.
The Gasp from The Room Hit Him Like a Wave. His Chest Tightened. the Next Thing He Remembered Was Darkness; He’d Passed out On Stage.
To Be Continued
© Beckham G 2026. All rights reserved.
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