Shattered Bonds

EPISODE 8

Nathan couldn’t stay at the party any longer. His heart felt like it was caving in, his chest tightening with every breath he took. The betrayal burned deep—hot and unforgiving. He just needed to get away. Away from Ethan. Away from Tristan. Away from everything.

He walked aimlessly down the dimly lit street, the night air cold against his skin, but the ache inside him was worse. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. Every step he took echoed with the memory of Ethan’s confession, the image of Tristan stepping out of that room still fresh in his mind.

A loud screech of tires ahead made him stop. A familiar car swerved to a halt right in front of him, and before he could react, Tristan was already jumping out.

“Nate!” Tristan called, his voice laced with desperation.

Nathan’s grip tightened in his pockets. He turned away and kept walking.

“Nate, please—just talk to me!” Tristan ran after him, his breath coming out in fast pants.

Nathan didn’t stop. “Go away, Tristan.”

“I swear, if I had known, I would’ve never—”

Nathan whipped around so fast that Tristan almost stumbled back. His eyes were burning, filled with raw emotion. “Never what, Tristan?” he hissed. “Never slept with him? Or never let me find out?”

Tristan flinched, guilt flashing across his face. “Nathan, come on, you know me—I would never hurt you like that on purpose. I had no idea Ethan was the guy you liked.”

“Does it matter?” Nathan shot back, voice breaking. “Does it f*****g matter now? Because at the end of the day, you still slept with him. And I can’t—I just can’t deal with this right now.”

“Nate, please. Just listen to me—”

“No.” Nathan’s voice was low, but firm. He took a step back. “I need space, Tristan. Stay away from me.” His eyes, once filled with warmth whenever he looked at Tristan, were now cold and guarded. “Go f**k Ethan again for all I f*****g care.”

Tristan’s chest tightened at those words. “Don’t say that. You know it wasn’t like that—”

“I don’t know anything anymore,” Nathan cut him off, shaking his head. “But I do know that I don’t want to see you right now. So just… leave me the hell alone.”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

Tristan stood there, watching his best friend disappear down the street, his throat tightening with emotions he didn’t know how to handle.

—Three Days Later—

Nathan had expected Tristan to chase after him again. But he didn’t.

For the past three days, Tristan had kept his distance. No texts. No calls. No waiting for him outside his house. At school, he changed his seat, no longer sitting with Nathan at lunch. He stopped picking him up for school. He stopped coming over to his house.

And somehow, that hurt even more than the betrayal itself.

By the fourth day, Tristan decided he couldn’t take it anymore. He had given Nathan space, just like he asked. But the silence was unbearable.

So when he saw Nathan in the hallway, he gathered up the courage to approach him. “Nate,” he called out, hoping, praying, for some kind of response.

But Nathan didn’t even spare him a glance. He just walked away.

Tristan’s hands curled into fists. He watched Nathan’s retreating figure, something heavy settling in his chest.

—Later that day, at the football field—

Tristan lay on the grass, staring up at the sky, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. He hated this. Hated how things had turned out.

Then he saw Ethan passing by.

Something inside him snapped.

Before he knew it, he was up on his feet, storming toward Ethan.

Without warning, he swung.

The punch landed hard against Ethan’s jaw, sending him stumbling back.

“What the hell?!” Ethan shouted, clutching his face.

Tristan stood over him, fists shaking. “Why did you do this to me? To us?” he growled. His voice cracked with something deeper than anger—something almost like heartbreak. “You made me lose the one person who was so important to me. Why, Ethan? Why did you have to do this to me?”

Ethan’s eyes flickered with guilt. He didn’t even fight back. He just stood there, rubbing his jaw. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, looking away. “I never meant for it to turn out this way.”

“Then what the hell did you mean for it to be?” Tristan demanded. “Because from where I’m standing, you used Nathan. You let him think you wanted something, and the whole time, you were just playing with both of us.”

“I wasn’t playing,” Ethan muttered, voice tight. “I just… I didn’t know it will turn out like this. I really do like Nathan."

Tristan scoffed, running a hand down his face. “You know what? Stay the hell away from Nathan,” he warned. His voice was deadly quiet now, his anger simmering into something colder. “Because you don’t deserve him.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

—A Week Later—

By now, everyone at school had noticed the change in their friendship.

Tongues were wagging. Rumors were spreading. And then, somehow, the truth leaked.

Now the whole school knew.

Everyone was talking about how Tristan had slept with the guy Nathan was in love with.

Some were sympathetic. Others were ruthless.

His teammates got hold of the news, and during practice, Tristan wasn’t himself. He missed shots. Lost focus. And eventually, he just walked off the court.

Dylan, the only person on the basketball team he actually considered a friend, followed him.

Tristan sat on the bench, elbows on his knees, staring at the ground.

Dylan plopped down next to him, stretching out his legs. “So,” he drawled, “I finally know why you’ve been acting like a moody little s**t lately.”

Tristan shot him a look.

Dylan smirked. “Trouble in paradise, huh?”

Tristan let out a dry laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Something like that.”

Dylan leaned back. “So who was the guy?”

Tristan exhaled heavily. “Ethan.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “And Nathan…?”

Tristan let out a bitter chuckle. “Nathan liked him. For months. And I had no f*****g clue.” He looked away, jaw tight. “I lost him, Dylan. He won’t even look at me anymore.”

Dylan was silent for a moment before sighing. “Look, man. I get it. This whole thing is a mess. But between you and me? You’re just as much a victim as Nathan is.”

Tristan scoffed. “Nathan doesn’t see it that way.”

“Yeah, well, he’s hurting. And when people are hurting, they don’t always see things clearly.” Dylan nudged him. “But for what it’s worth, I don’t think you meant to betray him. And I know you wouldn’t have gone through with it if you knew the truth.”

Tristan nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I just… I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, voice low. “I don’t want to lose Nathan. I can’t picture my life without him in it.”

Dylan sighed. “Then maybe it’s time to fight for him.”