Second Chances [BxB]

foreword

Hi, all!

Welcome to the long-awaited (and countlessly requested) follow up to Sebastian Steel's story, post 'Oakleaf Academy For Boys'. I have combined it with a follow up to Declan Hudson's story, post 'The Treehouse'. While these two stories are not related to each other, I strongly recommend reading both of them before this book!

I'd like you to bear in mind that this story takes place three years after Sebastian's last appearance in 'Oakleaf Academy For Boys', which means that he is no longer a dumb seventeen year old kid. He's grown, he's changed, and while he's still Sebastian, he's a different version of the boy you met at Oakleaf. You'll see for yourself what I mean by this soon!

And while I laid the groundwork for Declan's character in 'The Treehouse', he was only ever seen from Mickey's and River's perspective. In this story, we see — for the first time — the world through Declan's eyes. And the topics that were mentioned only briefly in 'The Treehouse' (Declan's parents, his living situation, his past relationships) are explored in much greater depth here.

I know this pairing is a little random, but for years I attempted to write and rewrite Sebastian's sequel (I have at least five incomplete drafts), and I was never happy with the results. But recently, as I sat on a train from London to Cambridge, with nothing but my thoughts to occupy me, an idea came to me out of nowhere, and I decided that I just had to shove these two into the same universe. Something about the pair of them together just makes perfect sense to me. And the more scenes I wrote of them together, the happier I became with this choice. I hope you'll all agree with me!

So, prepare to see some familiar faces, as well as some new ones, and get ready to fall in love with these guys all over again, because I sure as hell have.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of past drug use, addiction, and recovery. Depictions of depressive episodes, as well as panic attacks. References to a past abusive relationship. And finally, implied sexual content (not explicit, but it is there). Please take care.

Lastly, I haven't drawn up a playlist for this book, however, if you're interested, I listened to The Smiths constantly while writing this, so do with that as you will. Also, the song 'Brown Trout Blues' by Johnny Flynn is the absolute perfect song for Sebastian and Declan, and encapsulates everything that this story is about (and is just a brilliant song in general — Johnny Flynn is my religion).

Anyway, please enjoy!

- Pix