Review: To read this second chance story you will need some tissue.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2014
This is a short story, but for once I do not mind. What I however do mind, is lack of editing - there are misspellings and missing words. Had this been better, I would have given it all five stars.Payton and Noah started off as friends the day they were assigned to share the dorm. After a while they became lovers. In the early twenties the most people feel grown up, but in reality they are still unfinished. Especially if they still attend the school. And I feel that the author had it quite right in this story.In the beginning it may seem as if Payton is the good guy, the one who was betrayed, and that Noah is the bad guy, the one who let Payton down. But I changed my mind while reading the story. They are both to blame for what happened.I feel that Payton and Noah were probably more in love than loving each other. Why else would Payton belittle Noah for his choices without feeling any remorse, any guilt? Why else would Noah cheat on Payton? Payton never asked, had never wondered, never saw the problems Noah was battling. He felt superior to Noah because Noah went out clubbing, while Payton himself stayed at home and studied. And still Noah had better results, but even that Payton did not acknowledged.Then we meet the two men some years later. Payton continues pretty much the same way he had left off. He is quite self-righteous, still not listening. Even his best friend Adam who had supported him "back then" is not quite on "his side" now. Of course, it is partly because he knows more than Payton, but probably also because he judges Payton as stuck in old patterns. Noah has served his time. He had messed up his life very seriously, but he had come through, damaged but living. I cried for him, for them.The story shows that changing is doable, if you add some will to it. And when you let go of all prejudice, you may find out that another person is good enough even when flawed.