The Shutout

Realizing I might be a bad person because when one MC hurts the other, I want the other to hurt him back before I consider the slate wiped clean🙈🙈🙈🙈

So. My thoughts on this veered wildly from the start to the end, so I'm writing my review in the order which I felt the things.

I found the first 20% of this kinda boring and I almost DNF-ed it(so glad I didn't). Part of this was because I hated Max sooo much at the start.

I'll give him a pass for the first shove. It was a surprise —understandable.

Wanking over the idea of him then acting like Jack had actually done something to him. Hmm.

Demanding a blow job, then freaking out and treating Jack like a leper, then throwing him out. Side eye.

Rubbing one out to a photo of your bestie while you speak to your dead wife is......I give up. I don't know what it is but it's certainly a choice.

Leaving him home alone on Christmas yet this man's off season revolves around Max and his kid. And not even telling him before they go? Nasty spirit.

Every time he thought of him, he'd pull his dick out and start pumping. He was literally thinking about how much he'd hurt Jack and how he could see the hurt and defeat in his eyes. Then he's pulling out his dick? Ewww.

Multiple times, Max would know he'd done some despicable shit then he'd just skulk around and not apologize. Until Jack was forced to make the first move regardless. Courage the cowardly dog was braver than this man.

He calls it 'inadvertent cruelty'. Sigh. Is it inadvertent if you know it's a shitty thing to do/say but go ahead regardless?

'He needed to see me, needed to see all the affection and good wishes in my eyes that I had for him.' And by 'good wishes', he means his dick, btw. He can't fool me.

60% in, Max makes a vow to never hurt Jack again. Y'all. Might as well call him a Vow Keeper because....Y'ALL. If redemption were a person, it would be Max.

Man said “I’m going to take care of you now, not the other way around anymore.” and meant that shit. Can't hate.

'His list of worries was starting to get under my skin. After living under a black cloud for the last three years, I’d finally found the sunshine, and now I was supposed to worry about everyone else’s opinion of the sunshine? Fuck. That.'

“No. I mean, we shouldn’t have to play it safe. It’s no one’s business who you or I care about—who we want to be with.” 

“People don’t see it that way.”

“Well, people are ignorant pricks.”

“Uh, two weeks ago, you shoved me away and quit talking to me.”

Sidenote-💀Love a good passive aggressive reminder of past crimes.

I ended up really loving their dynamic because once Max was on board, he was gung-ho and eager to tell everyone and their cousin about them BECAUSE he knew Jack had been shamed for his sexuality before and didn't want to ever be part of that, while Jack was so scared because he knew what 'Overwhelmed Max' looked like and he didn't want that for him because it would be a natural result due to the fame thing— even if it meant staying closeted forever. 🥹

See two people loving each other so much in diammetrically opposite ways😩

A quick commercial break for funsies....

'My dick was yelling "let the man pass" , while my ass was unloading concrete road barriers and oversized load hazard tape.'

Sorry but this description of Max's initial reaction to bottoming killed me💀💀💀

Back to regular programming....

The way they expressed their love for each other >>

“I told you to fuck off. Doesn’t that mean anything?” 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I promise, with context, this is a really sad thing to have to ask.

The way Max steps up to be the rock when Jack is now 'Overwhelmed Jack' and is unable to???

“I want you to know what I see.” Reclaimed that moment for them.

Max really won me over, let me tell you.

“It won’t get any easier,” he warned, looking back at me.

“I know,” I assured him with a kiss. “There’s arthritis to think about and maybe hip replacements a few decades from now, but we’ll manage. We can get creative.” I wriggled my brows.

❤️🥹❤️🥹❤️🥹❤️🥹

I hated Max so much at first but by this point, I was so, SO sold on the vision.

And when he did that THING at the game? Lol I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer as loudly as everyone in that stadium but sadly I had to remind myself that it's Monday morning, and I'm at work, and I have pending deliverables that I've been ignoring in favor of finishing this book first.

Seriously though, this was everything and then some.