Ollie on the Out by Gianni Holmes

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I hate being touched
But not by you

Drew
I had a normal childhood until my father caught me fooling around in bed with one of my male friends. Since then, I’ve been nothing but a disappointment for them. Leaving town always seemed like the answer, but even accomplishing that did not prevent the feeling of disconnect I have with the rest of the world. Until I meet Oliver Mattis.
Ollie has haphephobia, an irrational fear and aversion to being touched. If I hadn’t witnessed his body, broken and bruised, I would not have understood his meltdown when his father tries to comfort him. Almost two years later, Ollie’s still struggling to maintain relationships with even his family. His number one rule is that no one should ever touch him. I intend to follow that rule no matter how much I want to comfort him. Until one night his need outweighs the risks.

Ollie
For reasons unknown to me, Drew has appointed himself my protector. But all I see when I look at him is temptation, one I cannot indulge in. Not because he’s my father’s best friend but because I am terrified of his touch…of everybody’s touch. In therapy, I’ve learned a new trick that turns me into someone else. It’s mental. It’s deliberate, but for a couple of hours, I can be almost normal. Maybe, just maybe wearing this disguise, I can afford for Drew to hold me the way I haven’t been held in two years. My father forbids our relationship, but the intimacy Drew exposes me to is bittersweet. Will he understand my limits or push me away, especially as I make the tentative step of enrolling in Stonewell University?