Shattered Bonds

EPISODE 23

Tristan's Mom Calls Him to Have a Serious Talk

After Tristan's mom had sent Drake away, she called him into the living room, a serious expression on her face. She gestured for him to sit down, her eyes scanning him with concern.

"Tristan, I want you to explain to me why you asked me to lie to Drake. Why did you put me in that position?" she asked softly, but there was a firm undertone in her voice. She had always trusted her son, but today, something felt off.

Tristan shifted uncomfortably, his gaze not meeting her eyes. He opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. Finally, he let out a sigh, sitting down heavily on the couch, his head in his hands.

"I... I don't know how it happened, Mom. I didn't mean for it to go this far, but when I saw him at the club, everything changed. I didn't know why, but I couldn't stand the idea of anyone else looking at him the way I did," he admitted, his voice raw with emotion. "It was like a switch flipped inside me. Jealousy, possessiveness... all of it hit me like a truck. And then there was the kiss... I kissed him, Mom, and I don't know why. It was just in the moment. I was caught up in it."

He looked up at her, eyes full of confusion and self-doubt. "What if Drake doesn't feel the same way? What if he thinks it was a mistake, like how Carl fell for Nathan? What if I'm just fooling myself again?" His words tumbled out in a rush, the weight of his emotions overwhelming him.

His mother sat back in her chair, blinking in surprise. She hadn't expected her son to feel this insecure. "Tristan, you've got to stop imagining things for other people. You've got to stop with all these 'what-ifs,'" she said gently, yet with a firmness that made Tristan pause. "Drake is a good kid. If he has feelings for you, they’ll be genuine. You can't control how he feels, and you shouldn't assume you know. What’s important is that you talk to him about this, talk things through, and stop avoiding it. The more you avoid it, the more complicated it gets."

Tristan's shoulders slumped as he listened to her words, but he couldn't shake the fear gnawing at him. "But what if... what if this pushes him away?" he asked, his voice small, almost pleading. "What if all this... this acting like everything’s okay... just drives him further from me?"

His mother gave him a long, thoughtful look. "What if it does? What if you sit down with him and talk it out? You’ll never know until you face it, Tristan. I know it's hard for you, but you can’t hide forever. What you're doing might just cause more harm than good."

She leaned forward, her hand resting on his. "Tristan, you need to open up. You need to have that conversation. There’s no easy way out of this, but you can't build something with Drake if you're hiding behind your fears and insecurities. What if this turns into something you regret? The 'what-ifs' will keep haunting you if you don't take action."

Her words echoed in his mind as he sat in silence, her wisdom cutting through his doubt.

"Stop running away from it, son. Don't let the fear control you. Just... talk to him. You'll figure it out from there."

Tristan nodded, but inside, he still felt conflicted. The weight of the conversation lingered, and he felt the heavy pressure of making the right decision.

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Tristan’s Decision to Visit His Maternal Home

That night, Tristan sat in his room, the soft glow of the desk lamp illuminating the papers scattered across the table. But his mind was far from focused on anything. His mother’s words kept replaying in his head, and despite the storm of emotions swirling inside him, one thought persisted.

"I need to get away. I need some space," he muttered under his breath. He knew that he couldn’t continue like this. The conflict, the confusion—it was eating away at him. Maybe a change of scenery, a break from the chaos, would help him clear his head.

The next morning, Tristan stood in front of his parents, his decision made. "I’m going to visit my grandparents for a bit," he said, his voice steady but betraying the uncertainty that lingered beneath the surface.

His parents exchanged a surprised glance, but his father, ever the silent one, simply nodded. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Today," Tristan replied quickly, before his father could ask any more questions. He was already halfway to the door when his mother stopped him.

"Tristan, are you sure this is what you need?" she asked, her tone softer now. "If this is about running away from your feelings, it won't help."

He paused at the door, turning back to her. "No, Mom. It’s not about running. I just need space to think. I’ll be back soon, I promise."

His mother didn’t say anything else, though her eyes followed him with a mixture of concern and resignation. She knew her son all too well—this wasn’t just about visiting his grandparents. He was running from something bigger.

As Tristan prepared to leave, he saw Nathan standing outside, gazing at the view, lost in thought. Tristan walked over to him, hands in his pockets, and without thinking, blurted out, "I’m going to visit my maternal grandparents. I could use some company. Do you want to come with me?"

Nathan turned to face him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You want me to come with you?" he asked, as if it were the last thing he expected. But after a moment of thought, he nodded. "Sure, why not? I’ve been there before. It’s a nice place. I’m in."

Tristan gave him a small smile, grateful for Nathan’s willingness to come along. Maybe it would be good to have someone there—someone who knew him well enough to keep him grounded.

They packed their bags quickly, and soon they were on the road, heading to the small town where Tristan’s maternal grandparents lived. The ride was quiet at first, the car filled only with the hum of the engine and the occasional sound of Nathan flipping through his phone.

After a while, Tristan finally spoke up, his voice quieter than usual. "Nathan, do you ever feel... like everything’s changing around you, but you can’t keep up? Like you know you have to make a decision, but you don’t know what the right choice is?"

Nathan glanced over at him, sensing the seriousness in his tone. "Yeah, I get that," he said slowly. "It’s like you know something’s got to give, but you’re too scared to take the leap. But... you can’t stay stuck in the same place forever, can you?"

Tristan stared out of the window, his fingers tapping against his leg nervously. "What if I make the wrong choice? What if this messes everything up even more?"

Nathan didn’t answer right away. He didn’t need to. He just placed a hand on Tristan’s shoulder, a silent reassurance that whatever happened, he wouldn’t have to face it alone.

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