Lip gloss, eyeliner, eye shadow, nail polish? Back in the small town where I grew up, a boy would have never dared to dress like him. When an assignment to create a video news segment from one of our professors places us both in the same group, personalities clash, and what started as fascination on my part turns into instant dislike, which he seems to immediately return. He's smart, quick-thinking, creative…but also snarky, moody, defensive, and basically the complete physical opposite of every guy I've ever been attracted to. And yet, despite the fact that I think he needs an attitude adjustment, and he thinks I'm just a backward country hick, I've quickly come to realize that sometimes the line between love and hate really is paper thin.P.S. An HEA would definitely be preferred to an HFN ending. Photo Description: Two young men stare at each other through a chain-link fence. They are holding hands through it; one has nail polish and lip gloss.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.Read it online or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 11 - Bonus Volume.__________Genre: contemporaryTags: first love; college; coming out; gay-for-you; enemies to loversWarnings: noneWord Count: 68,123

    I lived alone and worked from home. I’d disappear into my safe space for days, maybe even weeks, at which point my cousin always showed up to drag me out of my house to interact with the world whether I wanted to or not. On one of our outings, I met the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen in my life; Finn Becker. So what if he was trying to stab his cheating ex at the time? Finn was everything I wasn’t – sassy, feisty, hilarious, full of life – and everything I needed. To my amazement, Finn was interested in me too. Could I move beyond my insecurities and accept his love? Could I ever make such an amazing man happy? *This M/M romance is for readers 18 and up! It has no cliffhangers or cheating and a very happy HEA. It contains a feisty, grade A sass factory who would do anything for his love, a man who needs love more than anything else in this crazy world, and lots of steamy sexual healing. **My stories tend to be low on angst because it hurts my heart. They are, however, packed with sexy scenes, heartwarming moments and a healthy dose of humor. Author’s Note Thank you for your interest in my book! My stories tend to be low angst because it hurts my heart; I like getting to the good stuff and live for fluff. If “instalove” isn’t your thing, my books may not be for you. I want my readers to finish my books with a smile on their face and a fierce case of the warm and fuzzies. Laughter is guaranteed, and each read delivers its own type of drama. Thanks again for taking a look and happy reading!