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Page 1712 (Patreon)

Published:
2024-12-30 15:06:38
Imported:
2026-06
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Charlie: 🤨

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Comments

E

🤨🤨🤨

Elsie 3

Ughhhh nooooo!!! Nick, you’re KILLING us!!!! 😩😭😩😭

Olivia

these past few pages have been breaking my heart, poor nick 😣😣

Ulises

Yeah that conversation is coming pretty soon

ACxo

Charlie’s protective boyfriend mode is activated

Fenna Elin

THE TEARS IN CHARLIES EYES 😭😭😭

Merel

Charlie's tears 😭 Nick, stop lying to your boyfriend (and to yourself) !!

Brittany Cournoyer

Oh man….these kids are about to be grounded for doing this to us! Lol

Sarah Jacobs

Sideways kitty in panel 3 is judging you Nick!

Jo Mary

Aww poor nick 💜

Chloe ♡

charlie is so patient with him 🥺

Katrina Chavez

No nick! don't just try to play it off!

Synz

i'm gonna put nick into a little jar and then shake it really hard

Deborah Gordon

Nick continues to Nick. 🤦‍♀️ Come on, Charlie, you’re going to have to force it.

Lisette

Nicholas Luke Nelson!! Sweet boy please just open up babe

OSM

Nicholas Luke Nelson talk to your boyfriend!!

Beam Bugge

mmm yeah charlie is an expert in repressing negative emotions you're not fooling him nick

ashley ✨

oh nick baby :((( nick pls to talk to charlie

arlo🦕

come on let’s open up now!!

Lissie

*sighs* Nick needs to talk to Charlie 🥺 He's clearly hurting and Charlie is concerned 💜

gaby

oh you can definitely tell that charlie is really concerned at this point, my heart hurts for nick ): also the tears in charlie's eyes i am very unwell </3

Ashley Robinson

Charlie doesn’t have to dress up like Spider-Man. He’s spidey senses are tingling all over the place.

Vantacy_1912

Okay now Mr. Nelson, you know you are not going anywhere with that dodging skill.

Katy

Sometimes people need space to come to us when they're ready. And all we can do is let them know we're there for them❤️

Pansexualdarling

Dearest Nicky, Ya boyfriend has done this a time or two himself. Ya not as sneaky as ya think ya are.

Krystyn

🤨🤨 Strongest case of denial !

aaronhotchnerswhore

Nicholas I beg u pls open up if u keep holding it in it'll make it worse 💗

Katrina

Oh Nick it is not good to repress negative emotions Charlie would know what that feels like trust me you can talk to him Nick he would never leave you just because your being vulnerable despite whatever your deadbeat dad instilled in you. Charlie is obviously very concerned but unfortunately he has to wait until Nick is ready to open up but at least his suspicions were confirmed and now knows that something is seriously wrong with Nick and he knows that it is a fake smile.

Noemiette

It's really heartbreaking that the only way for Nick to have his guard down is for his brain to hit him while at his most vulnerable, while he is asleep and isnt conscious enough to put his mask immediatly back on. But at least now Charlie got an honest glimpse at what's under the mask and a confirmation that something is very wrong

Jo

I absolutely love getting these pages, but also the strain of doing this one day at a time through the hard stuff is just 😭🥺😩. (worth it!)

Loveislove

FFS - I think Charlie is going to start to feel hurt if Nick's avoidance at talking continues 😢

EllieRLM

Charlie's gonna to go full Geoff on Nick... And send Nick to find his own Geoff !

Barb

Why is he so procrastinating... please😭😭!

Merel

Nick defaults to playing it off. He has always been just 'fine' so he doesn't know what's going on with him now or how to talk about it. Charlie definitely knows something is up though... I think Nick does want to talk to Charlie but he's scared as well. Meanwhile Charlie might start to feel like Nick is avoiding him for some reason. Could this lead to their fight? Communication is everything but these boys are still learning and growing. They'll get there in the end ❤️

Justin S.

Kitty and Charlie are like hmmmm....

Elfi

No, not that fake smile again, Nick! 😔

Caro

nick being big but small and vulnerable at the same time is something that hits me hard and without caution, we are seeing the boy fight with his demons more and more and then we can see how charlie is his anchor too, and nick is a human like everyone and he don’t need be brave everytime, because he need people as the same way he is there to them

Gracie

Charlie’s starting realize I think

Loveislove

We are getting a full picture of everything now - Nick's brother, dad, uni, losing Charlie. The problem is Nick does know about some of it and seems to be choosing to not tell Charlie - that is not going to be well received by Charlie who is trying so gently to help. He doesn't want to feel rejected or that he doesn't matter either - shades of the novella 😬

Gracie

Also Charlie tearing up is gonna be the end of me

Leonie

alice when i catch you you’re paying for my therapy bills

Elsie 3

I think one of the many reasons this is crushing me is bc Nick playing it off like it was nothing also erases how beautifully Charlie was there for him overnight. Like, I know Charlie is happy to be there for him without needing acknowledgment or appreciation, and I know Nick can’t be a perfect bf ALL the time, but still…ughhhh!! Come on Nick!!! Let your man in!!!!

Lisa

Nick; the king of sweeping his feelings under the rug 🥺😔

Jennifer Paddock

Dear Nick, Your "Haha" isn't fooling anyone, especially Charlie. Love, Patreon

Marie

Nick ❣️❣️❣️ It's so hard to ask for help but everyone loves you, you giant marshmallow 😭

Carrie Lindley

I get the feeling hitting that application submit button (which in the US Common App is accompanied by a celebratory shower of confetti) could become a real crisis moment for Nick.

Neenie

Looks like Kitty switched sides after some excellent cuddling and comforting

Ana Alicia Aranda De Contreras

Oh Nick, be more honest with Charlie, you can't be perfect all the time, you're a great person and it's okay to ask for help🥺

Christie

Oh boys, Nick, talk 🥺💜

Charlie

Yeah, I wouldn’t believe he’s ok either Charlie. Just keep watching. And waiting and then be brave like he was for you. 🥰

Ania W.

After a moment of weakness, Nick quickly falls back into his old habits. How difficult it is to get rid of a mask that has been worn for years...

Kit

Charlie: singing the "why you're always lying" meme 😂

Claudine

Nick has learned from his dad to man up instead of showing your emotions. We only saw one situation where it happens, but God knows how many times it happened 😥 I like how Charlie lets Nick set the pace, but I think Charlie has to make the first move to get Nick to talk.

aniatka

I hope that those Charlie's glimpses Mean he feels that sth very very bad is going on and he will be very vigilant rn. Also could this be my new year's wish for Nick to open up? Pls 🙏🙏🙏

Ellen🌈✨

why do i think Charlie and Sarah will have a talk about Nick first, both raising their concerns? the two people that care for him the most and know him properly, i don’t think we’ve seen a long conversation between them before (in the comics)🤷‍♀️

.

oh nick :(( and you can see how concerned charlie is atp

Ania W.
>>159759397

This is not a lie. For Nick, this is reality. He hid so much behind the mask of joy that it was his natural reflex. At least that's what I think.

Nikki

This is so hard 😢 Nick’s obviously had his personality and emotions crushed and dismissed to the point of avoiding things completely because he is either scared of people’s reactions or doesn’t want to be seen to be bothering people and be a burden. But I worry the flip side of this is Charlie is going to feel Nick won’t open up to him and is being dishonest, and Charlie might feel under appreciated, which could hurt their relationship. Emotional rollercoaster 😕

ucfnurse

Gooooo Charlie!!!☺️😊👍👀💞💓💐🌝🤞☕️🎊✌️🕊️☮️

Elsie 3
>>159758659

Gahhhh I keep trying to tell myself that fight isn’t going to happen but I can see this too. Definitely going to need this Patreon group to get me through if/when that happens!

Jo S

Charlie needs to remind Nick of the conversation they had in the Louvre where they promised to tell each other if they had things going on!! I hate Nick creating this chasm between them. Charlie is upset and will feel rejected and disappointed. Come on Nick open up and trust your boyfriend! 🥺🥺🥺❤️

Merel
>>159758659

I don't think *the* fight will happen exactly as it did in the novella, but this storyline does seem to be leading up to some major miscommunication...

Theaterboi27

Nick is saying he still has a few weeks to send off his essay. JTBC, at this point, is he still planning on sending the essay to Kent only? So, the few weeks comment means he is still contemplating a discussion with Char about Leeds??

val

my heart is breaking more and more after each new update

Katherine Gales-Loyd

In Nick and Charlie, it’s mentioned that they talked about university twice. I think we are leading up to the second conversation about a Nick leaving.

Jessica Richards

Okay, so where is Tara when we need her?? She is SO GOOD at cutting through his "I'm fine" bullshit and calling him out in a gentle way. Nick is going to need more than just Charlie to navigate this, just like Charlie needed more than just Nick, and Tara is a great person to start with because he doesn't need to protect her feelings (whether consciously or not). I feel like it's going to take hearing other people's stories about mental health and anxiety struggles for Nick to realize and admit to himself (let alone anyone else) that he is, in fact, in crisis.

Merel
>>159760515

Hasn't Nick already decided at this point that Leeds is his first choice? Volume 5 ended with Nick and Charlie briefly discussing that.

ellie 🤍

i think this is so important in the conversation of “nicks mental health was overlooked”. i think that we see here that he really does close himself off and put others above himself :( we all know that charlie would be there for him through everything but it’s up to nick now to open up and let down his walls. i know he will get there eventually 🤍

brie
>>159760515

He already told Charlie that Leeds was his first choice a while ago, after uni tours!

Elfi

I get the feeling that Nick will procrastinate sending off that essay, because he still hasn't completely decided and he's anxious about all those things, but probably this will only lead to more anxiety...

Calfic

I keep thinking of the bridge to the Manuscript by Taylor Swift "And the years passed Like scenes of a show . The Professor said to write what you know. Lookin' backwards Might be the only way to move forward . Then the actors Were hitting their marks And the slow dance Was alight with the sparks And the tears fell In synchronicity with the score And at last She knew what the agony had been for" (The rest of the song doesn't really apply.). . Nick REALLY needs to get real about his feelings about his past and what happened to him. He can't move forward without that reckoning. And I don't mean for the essay, which I consider to be biphobic to Nick at the moment. Or even for his career, but so he can feel like he is a full person. It isn't "weird" or "stupid" and just because it is not Charlie's trauma, doesn't mean that it isn't trauma. And as someone whose birthfather was never in her life, I'm not blaming, AT ALL Sarah, for how she handled everything. I have SO MUCH respect for single moms, as mine was one until I was 6. However, that doesn't mean she was perfect, as we know, no one is, lol. Also, I do blame Stephane for abandoning him and David, and for implying that boys can't be sad or can't need emotional care. And I honestly hope that Charlie brings this up with Geoff.

Cole Morin

Charlie don’t let him fool you! Just keep giving him encouragement to talk, be patient with him when he uses humor to mask how he’s feeling like he is right now (I’m giving a stern look at Nicholas) and most important a safe environment making it easier for him to feel comfortable enough to open up. That last one sounds familiar 😅

Liz

Make him talk Charlie! ❤️

James

It’s the ‘Nick open up about your feelings’ challenge

Ellen🌈✨
>>159760515

in the UK, through UCAS, you apply for up to 5 courses (can be different uni or course combinations), all with the same personal statement

Maddy

I'm going to throw something🧍‍♀️

Auna 🍉

We all so desperately want Nick to open up and stop deflecting and repressing. But sadly it's just not that simple. Poor kid has such deep seated childhood trauma that I don't think he has an inkling of self awareness of his masking habits. So, I agree with many of the comments -- it's unfortunately going to lead to Charlie feeling like Nick is avoiding him and lead to some major communication blowouts. 😩 And that's what it's going to take for him to do a deep dive and get help/support.

Maddy

NICHOLAS! WE JUST HAD A TALK ABOUT CHARLIE SEEING RIGHT THROUGH YOUR BULLSHIT SMILE.

Brandy78

Ughhhhhh! You’re killing me, Nicholas!!!! You’re not fooling anyone! Talk!! 😔

Loveislove

Sarah has got to be in the loop soon on the uni applications. Honestly, I think Nick is not even acting like himself anymore. I was hoping he would open up after the nightmare. I can't visualize Kit playing this - it feels like it's been going on forever 😪. I'm getting kind of angry at Nick for making Charlie sad - argh - frustrated. I don't like being frustrated with Nick.

CinD

I’m starting to think 🤔 we are relying too much on Charlie to “help” Nick. What do you do when you see your BF spiraling and you’ve already tried to help on more than one occasion and it’s leading nowhere and things are getting worse? 👀 Maybe it’s time to get an adult involved, like Nick did when Charlie was spiraling needed more help than he could give. 🥹

lexi

mister deflection doesn't know how to talk about his feelings :(

Cas
>>159764384

This is the first time that I've been on the patreon and seen only one page a day so it does feel like it's been going on forever... I've been rereading on tapas to get a better sense of the pacing

Carly Louise
>>159764384

One page a day (or less) will make it feel much longer term than it is within the story timeline 🩷 I'm remembering Kit in the first season playing Nick as putting on a happy face so I think he's got this 🫰

Calfic
>>159765667

I really think Charlie needs to talk to Geoff. Geoff wouldn't be able to treat Nick, since he is Charlie's boyfriend, plus I think he splecializes in ED, but he could give Charlie resources and maybe even practice Charlie having a conversation with Nick. (including the part about how Charlie and Nick have different trauma, not that one trauma is less than the other.)

Loveislove
>>159765667

I've been thinking this too - Charlie can be there to support Nick but not fix him. It's time to bump this up to Sarah. Nick is obviously getting into serious issues as his mental health is at risk, his relationship with Charlie and he is jeopardizing his future at uni.

CinD
>>159765667

Yeah Sarah and Geoff would both be a major stepping stone in getting Nick the right help.

Tanya

I love the ritual of a new page each day. Thank you, Alice! It's a small detail, but I thought I'd mention it since it stuck out to me: I'm not totally clear on the word bubble format when Nick talks about the application. The second caret almost makes it look like Charlie says he has a few weeks left.

Calfic
>>159765667

I think Geoff might be better for an initial conversation, since he may also see more how Charlie's ED has effected Nick more, but I could go either way, and either would be an excellent choice.

CinD
>>159765667

I do hope this all leads to Nick getting therapy. It doesn’t solve every little problem but it’ll definitely feel like life jacket when Nick feels like he’s drowning in a sea of uncertainty

Dippity_Dip

Bro looks like he’s about to bring up eating disorders in the ocean😭

Calfic
>>159764384

I understand you being angry, but just like I don't think it would have been fair for Charlie to be expected to take care of Nick's feelings when he was mentally unwell, I don't think we can expect Nick to now, and Charlie has Geoff, his friends and Tori to vent to. Nick isn't doing this to be cruel, he just has REALLY bad coping mechanisms and I don't think it is possible for him to just get better or even to open up without some intervention, that isn't just gentle prodding.

Loveislove
>>159764384

Absolutely Nick is not in a good place and hurting Charlie is not what he is intending to do I am sure. He has officially lost perspective. He is still a kid, like Charlie. Adults needed. I just hope it happens before we see some new version of the novella fight.

Calfic
>>159764384

I think Charlie is realizing that just being a kind boyfriend wanting to help Nick isn't really going to help him and it is making him sad and frustrated.

Calfic
>>159759399

Charlie is just a 16-year-old boy. He needs to confide in Geoff or Sarah, or why not both? He can't do this on his own.

Zoe

I know he can’t help it as Nick was always taught to “stop crying and man up” but I’m getting worried Charlie is gonna get mad soon because Nick is shutting him out and won’t talk to him 😭

Calfic
>>159758965

Yes, but let's not make it about Charlie. He was wonderful, but someone in a mental health crisis really can't be expected to be perfect or to respond perfectly to help. Charlie didn't. Again, Charlie can vent to Geoff, Tori, his friends. I think Charlie is probably just mainly worried about Nick.

Calfic
>>159758942

I just think that being gentle, isn't going to do it, sadly. Maybe Sarah would be the best. When I was a bit mentally unwell in high school, my mom played the mom card, and kind of insisted I get therapy even though I said I was "fine". (And I was comparing my trauma to her teenage tauma, her parents are the worst, and my mom was like "We don't do that in this house, and what you are going though is still real".)

Claudine
>>159759399

You definitely got a point here. Charlie can't do this alone, i don't think nobody can. This is too much...

Elsie 3
>>159758965

I think mostly all just to say- my heart goes out to them both. These moments are so tough.

Calfic

One more thing. I think that Charlie has done amazing, and my heart is breaking a little, because he is trying REALLY hard, and he loves and cares for Nick SO much, but sadly, the gentleness isn't quite working, which isn't Charlie's fault, it is just that Nick's feelings are so buried, and he may not even know the extent of them himself. So it's so critical to get an adult involved.

Calfic
>>159770115

He might, but that might not be the worst thing, in the long run.

PupFenrir

Ohhhhhh..... I think this is it, Nick is going to talk to Charlie about how he has been feeling about Uni and leaving Charlie.

K
>>159767137

I thought it was pretty cool that it goes straight to Nick's mouth Might not have noticed Nick in the panel if it wasn't for it

Emily

Nick just needs to take his own advice from Netflix nick. “I know you like everything to be fine and happy and perfect all the time. But you don’t have to be perfect with (Charlie)”

DogBefriender22

As if I couldn’t relate to Nicholas Luke Nelson any more than I already do… oh Nicky baby 💔 The masking, the ‘I’m fine’ing, the fake HaHas, the brushing it all under the carpet… until the inevitable and unavoidable breaking point (which can take months/years/decades to reach…) I am desperate to see Nick unpack this all ASAP and start healing and moving away from his past, we all are… but the timing and the stages of this are so REALISTIC! Another testament to Alice’s brilliant writing… It takes time. When your autopilot always takes you to ‘Everything is OK and I don’t want to burden anyone and my problems aren’t as serious as xyz’s problems so I should just shut up and put up with it’ and has been doing this your whole life, it can feel ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to take the harder, much less comfortable route of being honest and opening up (even when you know it’s the RIGHT route!) HOW do I do it? What will happen afterwards?? OMG will I make things worse?? I won’t be able to cope if it’s any worse than it feels already…) 🤯 🤯 Watching Nick stuck in this place feels so real to me - especially when I was his age, and even in to my 20s and 30s… So many people stay stuck here for a long time, unintentionally causing hurt and damaging relationships along the way... it will be very interesting (but painful no doubt!) to see how this affects N&Cs relationship over the coming days/weeks/months… All I can say is THANK FUDGE we all know that Nick & Charlie do get through this and are endgame! 🥳 🙏🏼 ❤️ PHEW!

June
>>159770115

This could potenially be the start leading up to that fight they're having in the novella 😭

June

Nick always says to Charlie that he wants him to tell him when he isn't fine and they promised each other in Paris to tell each other when they got stuff going on.. but now Nick is the one who is starting to shut Charlie out and not telling him how he really feels and covers it up with "i'm fine"💔 I really hope Nick eventually start to open up even though it will take time because he has so many feelings and trauma buried deep down from his past..😫

Merel

I've been thinking about the parallel scene in Chapter 7 where Charlie tells Nick he had a bad dream about him being mean. Even though Nick wasn't there when he had the bad dream, Charlie still told him about it the next morning at school. I have a feeling Nick wouldn't have done the same. The only reason he told Charlie here is because Charlie woke him up from the dream and found him shaking and crying. You can't exactly hide that or spin it into something positive. If he hadn't been there, Nick would probably have masked the hell out of it and acted as if nothing was wrong the next day. Just pretend you're fine, don't let anything show to Charlie or anyone else. Only now the mask has slipped, Nick's brain betraying him in the vulnerable state of dreaming. He can pretend and say 'I'm fine' and smile that fake smile all he wants, but at some point he must make the conscious decision to let people see behind the mask and open himself up to someone, whether that is his boyfriend, his mum, his friends or a therapist. He's burning himself up at this rate and I don't think he even fully realises it's happening.

Evergreen

Hmmmm sitting on a “pretty much finished” college entrance essay that we still have “a few weeks” to send out, eh? I see you, Nick Nelson! 👀

Angie Michaelis

In the words of Nick Nelson, “Is everything fine?! I know you like everything to be fine and happy and perfect all the time…” 😭❤️‍🩹

Nieves Maria Oliver Ballaga
>>159765667

Oh my god!!!.... That's a perfect idea... Geoff can gide Charlie on how to make Nick seak help just like Nick's mom or aunt Diane on Netflix gided him on Charlies problems.... Loved this comment

June
>>159776265

I defintly think you are on to something here! I think now after all the mental health things Charlie went through and the anxiety & stress & pain Nick felt during that and now having to leave for Uni, a lot of his feelings that he has pushed down is coming back up and it might be a lot for him to handle and it will probably take a while for him to fully understand his own mind & feelings & thoughts and that might be why he is just saying he is fine because he don't know how to explain it yet🥺

Loveislove
>>159763827

He does know he masks but I think no idea how much and to what extent. If he knew this might lead to pushing away or hurting Charlie he would be devastated. This is tough.

artxsta
>>159775220

i remember alice replied to a comment on an earlier page that referenced this exact concept. charlie may start feeling shut out & think that it’s something to do with him / their relationship that’s making nick not speak out (both boys suffer from anxiety so it makes sense) and it will probs cause issues later. i’m interested in the way that charlie responds, saying that in the last year he told nick nearly everything that was going on w him and now he’s getting nothing— and nick will have to reassure him that it’s a personal flaw of his and not something to do w charlie

Sulagna Maitra

Nick! Good luck trying to hoodwink about your feelings to Charlie! 😉 👍 MI5's got nothing on those big kind eyes. One look and you will be spilling your guts out. 😊 But I do hope we see other characters around Nick as well, like his Mom.

Claire

Nick hiding it all -- he just cannot be honest with Charlie or himself. Charlie's facial expressions in the different panels here are so good. He is now very worried and will need to figure out how to help. Nick is looking like he is heading for some sort of crash or crisis -- hopefully Charlie will be right there to support him through it.

RCM

Nick, sweet love...there you go with the eyes closed again (it's becoming your tell sign...). This time, it's with your token HA HA trying to "wipe out" the intensity of your nightmare and terror over losing (aka being abandoned by) Charlie that you experienced over night (I suspect because you don't want Charlie to feel badly or worry about you!). You are in that place of taking one step forward and two backwards, and while that is progress, I know it is also hard for Charlie to watch you silently struggle. He KNOWS you, and is trying to sort out what to do to help you just like it took you awhile to sort out how to help him (or better said, to help him ASK for help). I'm also calling total bullshit on that essay being "pretty much" finished...and I LOVE the way Alice drew you a really elongated speech bubble that perfectly shows your "stretching the truth" anxious answer of "still got a few weeks..." It seems like your little heart cannot quit over-functioning for others. Those behavior patterns you learned so young that parallel being viewed as "a knight in shining armor" best boyfriend ever (which are the wonderful side) also serve as a protection to hide the root of your problem as you focus on others (the massive downside of these patterns), which revolves around self-abandonment...you were shown time and again that YOU weren't valued enough for your dad to not abandon you (I don't care if he showed up once every 3 years or something. He hurt you and made you feel like you weren't important enough, so you stopped worrying about yourself and started focusing on everyone else). I don't really think you are fully aware of the impact of this trauma yet...it sadly came naturally to you to "care for others" as your tender little personality was already so loving and kind and so, so gentle, and you likely received praise for being so caring (again, it is not all bad!)...but, Nick, leaves are swirling...showing change is coming. Deadlines are approaching....and I know your HA HA, I'm Fine words are sounding empty to Charlie...but when are they going to sound empty to you, too? (Mental health struggles can be so silent on the outside, even to the person suffering. Thank you for this powerful perspective, Alice-xx)

Allegra2346

Dude even Kitty has clocked Nick’s BS

Teri Lyn

Charlie is so concerned. Please tell me Nick is going to open up soon 😢

Brittney

Aww, Nick, I know he'll properly open up, but damn... like I know he probably doesn't want to because he doesn't want to overly worry Charlie but Nick, it's going to happen anyways, like he was there for Charlie and now Nick, it's time for you to allow Charlie to be there for you during all of this. It's hard to keep it all together before it all breaks apart, so Nick tell him please

RyGy

Gahhhhh. Nickkkkk please talk to Charlie!!!!

RyGy
>>159771832

I’ve been thinking that too. But Alice is making us wait

Lolli98

Charlie was so worried about Nick that night. And Nick just brushing it off like nothing happend must be very confusing and...hurting.😕 But I know Nick just can't help it. There will have to be something happening that wakes him up. And this won't be Charlie. Charlie will be there to support him though. I feel like the conversation about the essay is like "I still have a few weeks to go." = "Please make me stay here. I'm so scared of leaving you, because then I will be completely lost."

Nyssa Rawther 🍉

Nicccckkkkkkk. Charlie just wants to be there for you, the way you were there for him. I hope he opens up to Charlie soon 🥺🥺

Idaemilie

Oh dear 😶 🙏🏼 ❤️

Blissnfaith

Despite everything, it feels grounding to see them sat next to one another in form, the exact place at the start of their love story. As a reader I feel comfort as this little bit continues throughout all volumes in some way, like a thread. 🥰

Tanya
>>159767137

Indeed it does, I didn't see Nick there the first time around so it makes more sense now. ☺️

Murgy

Charlie's worry isn't going to vanish just because Nick says he's ok. Just like Nick's own feelings aren't going to vanish because he pretends to be ok. But we can't force them to talk early. But there is something comforting about seeing them together just quietly in form, a table to themselves. Something of a return to the beginning. And its also good to hear that Nick has nearly finished his UCAS essay.

David C Witkin

Nick feels overexposed and vulnerable. So he pulls back and pretends everything is ok. Charlie is confused and looks like Nick is sending mixed signals. Maybe he might get resentful? Or hopefully he will understand. I have a feeling Nick's emotional powder keg is still going to explode soon.

Luke

Getting a page one day at a time makes it feel like nick has been feeling this way for forever :(

Theaterboi27
>>159765667

I think Geoff can talk with Nick and Char together. My husband (24 years now) and I have seen the same therapist together and separately. Although I am sure this is up to the individual therapist.