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Back Surrender Your Sons Save as PDF
Chapters (43)
  1. Author’s Note with Content Warnings
  2. CHAPTER ONE
  3. CHAPTER TWO
  4. CHAPTER THREE
  5. CHAPTER FOUR
  6. CHAPTER FIVE
  7. CHAPTER SIX
  8. CHAPTER SEVEN
  9. CHAPTER EIGHT
  10. CHAPTER NINE
  11. CHAPTER TEN
  12. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  13. CHAPTER TWELVE
  14. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  15. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  17. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  19. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  20. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  21. CHAPTER TWENTY
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  31. CHAPTER THIRTY
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  41. CHAPTER FORTY
  42. EPILOGUE
  43. Acknowledgments

“I’d understand you too. I don’t know what kind of shit show we’re going home to. I don’t know how we’re escaping this island. I’m not even sure how far we’re gonna get out of this cave…but if you’re okay with it, I’d like to take you on a date. Where we both put on suits or really bougie sweaters or…wear whatever you want, but I want to date you.” I ramble so fast, my throat catches at the end. “Do you want to go on a date with me?”

“Yes, please.”

“You’ll date me, a man?”

Marcos’s expression freezes for a brief, frightened second as a lifetime flashes before his eyes—everything saying yes will invite into his world: dating a man, kissing a man, holding a man’s hand, the bars, the flags, the confessing, the screaming, the crying, the ultimatums, the hope for more—and then the warm dawn of his smile appears. “I will date you, a man. After what we just did, I’m gonna need to do that again.”

My heart runs laps around my chest. I’m not lying anymore—I’m gay and everyone’s going to have to deal with it. And I’m with Marcos, a boy at my own speed. Ario—bless him—will move to college and find a grown-up boyfriend with no family drama (best of luck there), and I’ll be okay with it. Because I’m not escaping for Ario anymore. I’m escaping for me.

I’m going to hustle Marcos onto a boat and away from this shitbox for good. And if he and I can escape Nightlight, we can take on anything.

I collect a shard of limestone from the cavern floor and hunt through the wall of hearts for an opening. In a gap between UB + CR and
PS + JH, I draw a new heart waiting to be filled. As soon as I finish scrawling CM + MC, his arms come from behind and wrap my chest like an octopus. I shut my eyes as he holds me and sways.

“Drew said we’re less of a target if we’re together,” I whisper.

“We’re together,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

A third voice echoes from behind us: “Um…”

Marcos whips toward the voice like a crack of lightning and leaps in front of me. Except I refuse to let Marcos take whatever punch or shot this staff member is about to deliver. I jump from behind him, into the center of the torchlit sanctum…

It isn’t a staff member. At the top of the incline, Molly huddles shoulder to shoulder with Lacrishia and all six Beginners.

“Ah, shit,” Molly winces. “This is awkward.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

THE SPEAR