Gratitude and Gravy by Ashton Cade

Alton:
We were kids back then, but now, we’re grown up. Paul is all man. And boy, do I regret what I put him through.
I was in love with my friend and couldn’t deal with my parents finding out I was gay. Being a teenager in the closet, it was all too much, and I just left. I’m not proud of it; I thought I’d eventually get over him. But I could never forget Paul. I’ve been back in Snow Lake a while, and we’ve just been ignoring each other, pretending those passionate nights never happened, pretending that I never broke his heart. Even pretending I’ve stopped thinking about him. The reality is, he’s never entirely left my mind since. Sure, he’s gotten over me. He had a serious relationship with a man who passed away. But it took my own parents passing away before I could come to terms with being my own man and knowing what I really want in life.
I’ve made my bed and now I have to lie in it.
But every night, I long to have Paul back in that bed—even if I don’t deserve him.

Paul:
Being a twin means you’re never alone. But there’s one thing that even a twin can’t provide: true, romantic, head-over-heels love.
If I’m honest, I only felt that way once, and who knows if it was real. I was just a teenager, and everything seemed so new, so beautiful with Alton. But when he left me, I knew I’d been living in a fantasy world. When Alton drifted away, or should I just say it…? When Alton left me without saying goodbye, I cried in my twin’s arms. Sure, I eventually moved on to a more mature relationship with another man. But life has no guarantees, and that ended too.
Now that we’re stuck in Marty the Party Planner’s inescapable holiday web, I can’t get away from Alton. And it seems he can’t stay away from me.
Should I be grateful that he’s back in my life? Or careful to protect my heart?