Chapter 16

Ready, he broke into popular glamrock, not just songs he’d written but some the audience knew. At times he’d flick his wrist in a stereotypical gay movement or rock his butt and the audience understood the humor of it and roared.

Raven’s breath caught at the sound of his voice, which was full and clear whether in the low sexy or high tenor tones. He had an incredible range. He also had CDs, and Raven realized he must have earned his money as a touring entertainer.

How sad, he thought, that Hunter acted as if he were a nothing. It made no sense at all. It was how a once viciously abused child thought of himself, and it hadn’t been true then nor was it now.

In that moment, sitting there holding a sweaty beer bottle untouched in his hand and thinking those thoughts,Raven understood with sudden insight why Hunter had left him.

I reinforced that abuse, that lack of acceptance of who and what he is. I asked him to leave off his makeup.Shame sat like acid in his stomach.