Shattered Bonds

EPISODE 30

As their second year at university began, each of them had spent their semester breaks in different ways. Nathan’s parents were proud of him for being the bigger man, managing his feelings for Tristan while still maintaining their friendship without causing issues in Tristan’s relationship with Drake. Despite the pain, Nathan remained steadfast, proving his loyalty as a friend above all else.

Nathan had traveled to New York to join his cousin, who worked as a doctor at New York General Hospital. Rather than wasting time, he decided to learn more and keep himself occupied, knowing that Tristan would be spending the holidays with Drake. Meanwhile, Carl traveled to Canada to visit his parents during each semester break. Dylan, being a full American, stayed in the country, focusing on his basketball group and participating in competitions. Jersey, as always, returned home to London, but this time, Drake tagged along.

Drake had previously spent a semester break in London, and Tristan hadn’t been happy about the sudden decision. It had strained their relationship, leading Tristan to decide to spend his holidays at his maternal home instead. Though he and Drake stayed in touch via phone calls, things weren’t the same. Tristan kept in contact with everyone but never mentioned to Nathan that he would be spending the holidays alone. In fact, only Jersey knew, while Dylan only found out a week before school resumed.

When Dylan informed Nathan that Drake had traveled with Jersey instead, Nathan was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Drake to leave Tristan alone. Without hesitation, he informed his cousin that he would be heading back home the next day, booking the first available flight.

Nathan landed at the airport at noon and immediately took a bus to Tristan’s maternal home. As he sat on the bus, he thought to himself, If I had known Drake wouldn’t be around, I wouldn’t have gone to New York at all.

When Nathan arrived at Tristan’s maternal home, Tristan’s grandparents were surprised to see him but happy nonetheless.

“Grandma, Grandpa, it’s so good to see you again,” Nathan greeted with a warm smile.

“Nathan, dear! What a surprise!” Tristan’s grandmother beamed, pulling him into a hug. “We didn’t know you were coming.”

Nathan chuckled. “I didn’t exactly plan it. I just found out Tristan was here alone, so I thought I’d drop by.”

Tristan’s grandfather stroked his beard thoughtfully. “That boy didn’t mention he was spending the holidays alone. I assumed one of his friends would have joined him.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Nathan replied. “Is he around?”

“He went to the market,” Grandma said. “But you must be tired from your trip. Why don’t you settle in Tristan’s room? You can come down for a late lunch afterward.”

Nathan shook his head. “Thanks, Grandma, but I’ll just wait for dinner since I arrived late.”

“Alright then,” Grandpa nodded. “You know where his room is.”

Nathan made his way up to Tristan’s room, feeling a sense of familiarity as he entered. The room was just as he remembered—simple yet cozy, with a few books stacked near the desk and a hoodie lazily thrown over a chair. Nathan set his bag down and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

"If I had known Drake wouldn’t be around, I wouldn’t have gone to New York at all," Nathan thought to himself.

He walked to the bed, running his fingers over the soft fabric of the blanket. He had spent so much time here before Tristan got into a relationship with Drake. But things were different now. He didn’t let his mind linger on that thought for too long. Instead, he lay down on Tristan’s bed, sinking into the familiar scent of Tristan’s cologne.

Before he knew it, his exhaustion caught up with him, and he dozed off, waiting for Tristan’s return.

---

A while later, Tristan returned home, dropping the groceries on the kitchen counter. His grandmother simply nodded at him when he told her he was heading to his room, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes. He barely noticed as he climbed the stairs, opening his bedroom door.

The sight before him made him freeze.

Nathan was on his bed, fast asleep.

For a moment, Tristan simply stared. He hadn’t expected this. Nathan had said he would return a day before school resumed, yet here he was, nestled comfortably under his blankets, as if he belonged there. A slow smile tugged at Tristan’s lips.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and dialed Dylan’s number. The call was answered almost immediately.

Tristan: "You told Nathan I was here alone, didn’t you?"

Dylan chuckled. "Yeah, I did. Why?"

Tristan: "Because Nathan is currently in my room. On my bed. Sleeping."

Silence. Then—

Dylan: "Whoa. Dude. I love you, okay? But not as much as Nathan does. Because there’s no way I’d cut my vacation short just to be with you because your boyfriend chose to travel with someone else."

Tristan sighed. "It’s not like that, Dylan. Nathan’s just—he’s Nathan. You know how he is."

Dylan’s tone softened. "Yeah, I do. And I also know that no matter what’s happened between you two, he’s still the one person who would put his life on the line for you. Don’t forget that."

Tristan: "I know. And I’d do the same for him. Anytime. Any day."

Dylan: "Good. Anyway, enjoy your little reunion. See you next week, Monday."

Tristan smirked. "Yeah, see you." He ended the call and turned back to Nathan, shaking his head before a mischievous idea struck him.

He snapped a picture of Nathan sleeping and uploaded it to their w******p group chat with the caption:

"Look who showed up unannounced, comfortably occupying my bed 😂."

Dylan was the first to comment. "Hahaha, I see someone missed you a little too much."

Carl followed. "The definition of best friend goals."

Then came Drake’s message.

"Nathan is there with you?"

Tristan replied, "Yeah."

But after that, Drake said nothing.

Tristan frowned slightly, but he put his phone down, deciding to deal with that later. Instead, he walked into the bathroom to take a long shower. By the time he was done, Nathan was still sound asleep. Rather than waking him, Tristan climbed onto the other side of the bed, lying down beside him.

---

[Nathan Wakes Up]

Nathan stirred, the warmth of the bed comforting him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Tristan sitting next to him, casually playing a game on his phone.

Nathan: "Hey, Tris."

Tristan looked up, and before Nathan could react, he tackled him into a tight hug.

Nathan (laughing breathlessly): "Tris—Tris, you’re choking me!"

Tristan loosened his grip, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry. I’m just really happy you’re here."

Nathan sat up, stretching. "If you had told me you were spending the holidays alone, I would’ve come sooner."

Tristan rubbed his neck. "I didn’t want to bother you. It was a last-minute thing."

Nathan scoffed and rolled his eyes. "lol, Tristan. I’m your best friend. When has anything about you ever been a bother to me?"

Tristan smiled, a little guilty. "I know, Nate. I’m sorry."

Nathan: "So… how was it? Spending the holidays alone?"

Tristan shrugged. "It was fine. A little boring, but manageable."

Nathan: "Liar. You were miserable."

Tristan smirked. "Okay, maybe a little."

Nathan laughed. "I knew it."

The two continued chatting, catching up like old times. Later, they had dinner with Tristan’s grandparents and spent the rest of the week bonding before returning to their apartment on Sunday.

---

Lunch with Dylan – Tristan’s Worries About Drake]

Once school resumed, Tristan tried calling Drake, but he wasn’t picking up. It had been days, and he hadn’t returned any calls. Frustrated, Tristan vented to Dylan over lunch.

Dylan: "Dude, what’s eating you up? And when is Drake coming back?"

Tristan sighed. "I don’t know, man. I’ve been calling since Saturday, but he hasn’t been picking up or calling me back."

Dylan frowned. "That’s weird. Why not call Jersey?"

Tristan: "I did. He said he doesn’t know why Drake isn’t answering. They’re not together at the moment, but he said if he sees him, he’ll tell him I’m worried."*

Dylan leaned back. "Have you guys been fighting?"

Tristan let out a humorless laugh. "Not really. But we had a disagreement when he just casually told me he was flying to London with Jersey—the night before he left."

Dylan blinked. "Wait. What?"

Tristan: "Yeah. We practically live together, Dylan. We talk every single day, but he waited until the last minute to tell me he was leaving. I had plans for us. A whole itinerary. I booked things. I lost money."

Dylan whistled low. "Damn. That’s messed up."

Tristan: "Exactly. And now? We barely talk. The last real conversation we had was when he asked if Nathan was with me. When I said yes, that was it. He just stopped responding properly. Gave me dry replies. So, I stopped texting."*

Dylan raised a brow. "Wait—so the last time you actually spoke was when he found out Nathan was with you?"

Tristan nodded.

Dylan exhaled. "Look, man, I don’t know what’s going on with Drake, but I do know one thing—he loves you. Maybe he’s dealing with something. Maybe he’s just being an ass. Either way, you need to talk to him when he gets back."

Tristan: "If he comes back."

Dylan shot him a look. "Relax. He will. And when he does, you two better figure this out."

Tristan sighed, staring at his phone screen, the unanswered calls glaring back at him.

"I hope you’re right."

---