Carolina Confidential

“Don’t let people live rent free in your life.”

For a long time, I thought it was just a clever line. Now I know it’s survival. Because when you let people stay without paying their share—not in money, but in value—they’ll bleed you dry before you even notice you’ve been emptied.

My life isn’t a crash pad for the ungrateful. If you want space in it, you contribute. Respect. Effort. Honesty. Presence. That’s the rent. And if you can’t afford it, you don’t get a key.

I’ve dealt with enough squatters to know the signs. They come empty-handed and act entitled to the best seat at the table. They drain your energy, clutter your peace, and they don’t just leave a mess—they leave stains that seep into the walls. Scars you repaint but never fully cover.

And for years, I paid that rent for them in silence. I covered their debt in time, in energy, in pieces of myself I’ll never get back.

I’ve learned the cost the hard way. Every freeloader carries a price tag, and it’s always higher than what they’re worth. They’ll eat up your time, drain your strength, and leave you wondering why you feel empty in rooms you used to love. Peace turns into noise. Energy turns into exhaustion. And by the time you notice, you’ve already been footing the bill.

But the same is true on the other side. The ones who bring value don’t drain you—they fuel you. Being around them makes the room feel lighter, your shoulders less heavy. They don’t take more than they give, and when they walk out the door, you feel fuller, not emptied. That’s the difference. That’s the rent being paid.

I’ve lived the cost of the first and the blessing of the second. That contrast is why the locks are changed. The door no longer swings wide for just anyone.

Here’s the truth: I don’t owe anyone space in my life. Not friends, not family, not people wearing pretty masks. Access to me isn’t automatic—it’s earned. If all you bring is excuses, chaos, or dead weight, you don’t get in. Your lease gets denied on arrival.

The room is reserved for those who add, not subtract. The ones who understand that time is the only currency we can’t earn back, and every minute should leave us both richer. The ones who pay their share without being asked because they value the space they’re in.

So let me make it plain. Contribute—or clear out. Add value—or pack your bags. Your lease here is written in how you show up, and I stopped signing off on squatters years ago.

Until next time,
Stay safe. Make good choices. And as always, stay kinky My friends.

~Dray Orion