Shattered Bonds

EPISODE 7

The party was in full swing. Nathan had left Tristan behind, weaving his way through the crowded house in search of Ethan. When he finally found him, Ethan’s face lit up instantly, and without hesitation, he pulled Nathan into a tight hug.

“Nathan, I’m so glad you came,” Ethan murmured against his ear, his arms lingering around him a moment longer than necessary.

Nathan chuckled, feeling the warmth of Ethan’s body against his. “Well, you did invite me. I figured I’d check it out.”

Ethan pulled back, grinning. “Come on, let me show you around.”

Nathan followed Ethan as he led him through the grand house, pointing out various rooms and details along the way. Eventually, they ended up in Ethan’s bedroom. It was sleek, stylish, and unsurprisingly lavish. But what caught Nathan’s attention the most was the framed picture sitting on Ethan’s nightstand. His picture.

His breath hitched. “You have… a picture of me?”

Ethan smiled, stepping closer. “Surprised?”

Nathan turned to face him, his heart pounding. “Yeah. I mean… why?”

Ethan exhaled softly. “I’ve liked you for a while now, Nathan. I just didn’t know when or how to tell you. But since you’ve already seen some clues, I guess it’s best I come clean.”

Nathan’s mouth opened, but no words came out. His mind was racing, his pulse erratic. He had wanted to hear something like this for so long, but now that Ethan was actually saying it, he didn’t know how to respond.

Ethan reached up, gently brushing his fingers along Nathan’s jawline. “Don’t say anything yet.” His voice was low, intimate. “Just wait for me, okay? I need to handle something first, but when I get back, I want to hear whatever it is you have to say.”

Before Nathan could react, Ethan leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against his lips. The warmth of it sent shivers down Nathan’s spine, making his heart race even faster.

And then Ethan was gone, leaving Nathan standing there, stunned.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Ethan hadn’t returned.

Nathan sat on the edge of the bed, anxiety gnawing at his insides. What was taking him so long? Was something wrong? And more importantly, what the hell was he going to say when Ethan came back?

Realizing he had been waiting far too long, Nathan decided to find Tristan first. He needed to let him know where he was before returning to Ethan’s room.

But as he stepped out and started heading downstairs, he froze.

Ethan was coming out of another room.

Disheveled.

Nathan’s stomach dropped.

And then he saw Tristan.

Tristan walked out right after Ethan, equally disheveled, fixing his clothes as he bumped into Ethan’s back.

Nathan’s breath caught in his throat, his entire body going numb.

Ethan turned and saw him first. His entire expression shifted in an instant—from relaxed to horrified. Guilt crashed over his face like a tidal wave.

Nathan couldn’t breathe.

Tristan, still oblivious to what was happening, was adjusting his shirt when he finally looked up and saw Nathan standing there. A grin appeared on his face as he casually called out, “There you are! Where the hell did you run off to?”

But the moment he saw the look in Nathan’s eyes, his smile faltered.

Pain. Betrayal. Utter devastation.

It confused him.

Ethan took a step forward. “Nathan…”

Nathan backed away. His hands trembled, his throat tightened. He felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

Ethan tried again. “Nathan, please, let me—”

But Nathan was already turning around, walking away. His vision blurred, his chest ached with something raw and unbearable.

“Nathan, wait!” Ethan rushed after him, his voice laced with desperation.

Something inside Tristan twisted violently, and a sickening feeling settled in his gut. Something felt wrong. Deeply wrong.

And he suddenly had a horrible suspicion of what it was.

Heart hammering, he bolted after them.

—

By the time he found them, they were outside, standing beneath the dim glow of the backyard lights. They were arguing, their voices low but sharp. Tristan hid behind the edge of the house, just out of sight, his pulse hammering as he listened.

“Nathan, please, listen to me,” Ethan pleaded. “I really like you. It wasn’t a joke.”

Nathan let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Oh really? If you did, then why the f**k did you sleep with my best friend, Ethan?” His voice cracked slightly, but he masked it with anger. “Of all people—why Tristan?”

Nathan’s breath hitched. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. “So what?” His voice was laced with venom. “Were you planning to have both of us at the same time? Keep me around while you got your f**k with Tristan?”

“No! I didn’t want that!” Ethan’s voice cracked. “I just wanted it for tonight, okay? I know you like me too, Nathan, but I didn’t want you to say it yet. I wanted to get this one thing out of my system, then start fresh with you.”

Nathan’s head spun. His stomach churned with disgust, disbelief, and unbearable hurt. “You wanted to f**k my best friend before committing to me?” He shook his head in pure disbelief. “Do you even hear yourself, Ethan?”

Ethan’s eyes were wild, desperate. “I know it sounds bad, but—”

“It is bad!” Nathan shouted. “You’re a selfish asshole, Ethan. You used Tristan. And you toyed with me.” You wanted to f**k Tristan, and when you got your wish, you thought you could just—what?—move on and pretend it never happened?”

Ethan stepped closer, desperation in his eyes. “I swear, I didn’t plan for it to be this way. I like you, Nathan. I really do. But I’ve always been attracted to Tristan, and when the opportunity came… I just—”

“You just what?” Nathan spat, eyes burning. “You just couldn’t resist? You just had to scratch that itch before you came crawling to me like a backup plan?”

Ethan’s silence was all the answer Nathan needed.

Nathan let out a bitter laugh, but there was no humor in it—only raw pain. He turned away, running a shaky hand through his hair. “God, I feel so f*****g stupid.”

“Nathan, don’t say that—”

“No, shut up,” Nathan cut him off sharply, whirling back around to face him. “You knew. You knew I liked you. And still, you—” He sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady his voice. “You had choices, Ethan. But instead, you decided to f**k my best friend first before giving me the time of day.”

“Nathan, please,” Ethan begged, reaching for him.

“Don’t touch me.” Nathan’s voice was cold as ice, his eyes glossy but full of anger. “Just stay the f**k away from me.”

---

Tristan felt like his entire world had just imploded.

He had thought it was just a random hookup. Meaningless. A way to forget everything. But now—

Now he knew the truth.

And worse—

He is the guy Nathan had liked for months.

Tristan’s heart cracked, then shattered. His chest ached with something deep and ugly. He wanted to scream, to run, to undo everything that had just happened.

But there was no undoing this.

Everything had already fallen apart.