Straight Until You

Chapter 13 — Breaking Point

The drive home felt endless.

Asher barely remembered leaving campus.

One minute he had been standing in the courtyard staring at Nathaniel like a stranger.

The next—

he was sitting in the passenger seat of Mateo’s truck while rain hammered violently against the windshield outside.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because everything inside Asher felt numb.

Not angry yet.

Honestly—

that would’ve been easier.

Instead, his chest just hurt.

Sharp.

Heavy.

Constant.

Mateo drove silently beside him with both hands tight against the steering wheel.

Too tight.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

In the backseat, Luca looked equally tense for once.

No jokes.

No teasing.

Which honestly terrified Asher more than yelling would have.

⸻

Luca had arrived first.

Of course he did.

The second Asher answered the phone sounding wrong, both brothers apparently dropped everything immediately.

Typical Reyes behavior honestly.

Overprotective to a concerning degree.

Nathaniel had still been standing there when Mateo’s truck pulled into the courtyard.

Asher remembered that part clearly.

Because Nathaniel looked genuinely panicked seeing Mateo step out of the truck.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Not fear for himself.

Fear of losing Asher completely.

And somehow—

that realization hurt worse.

⸻

Nobody spoke during the first ten minutes of the drive.

Rain filled the silence instead.

Heavy.

Relentless.

Asher stared blankly out the passenger window while trying very hard not to think about Nathaniel’s face.

A mistake honestly.

Because every time Asher closed his eyes, he saw him.

The guilt.

The desperation.

The way Nathaniel looked completely destroyed the second Asher stepped away from him.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

⸻

Mateo finally spoke first.

Quietly.

Carefully.

Which honestly felt worse than shouting.

Mateo: “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Asher’s throat tightened immediately.

Because suddenly—

saying it out loud would make everything real.

A serious issue.

An actual serious issue.

Luca leaned forward slightly from the backseat.

Protective.

Tense.

Waiting.

Asher swallowed hard once before answering.

Asher: “There was a bet.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

The atmosphere inside the truck changed instantly afterward.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

Mateo’s jaw tightened visibly.

Luca looked murderous immediately.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because for once—

neither of them interrupted.

⸻

Asher laughed softly afterward.

Not warm.

Not amused.

The sound hurt even his own chest.

Asher: “Apparently humiliating me was entertainment.”

Mateo: “No.”

The word came instantly.

Firm.

Certain.

Asher looked sideways toward him slowly.

Mateo’s expression remained terrifyingly calm.

Which honestly meant he was furious.

A disaster.

An actual disaster.

Mateo: “That boy looked sick watching you leave.”

Asher looked away immediately.

Toward the rain again.

Because somehow—

he already knew that.

And worst of all?

Part of him still cared.

What the f**k was wrong with him?

⸻

In the backseat, Luca finally snapped.

Emotionally.

Violently.

Luca: “I’m going to kill him.”

Mateo nodded once calmly.

Mateo: “Get in line.”

Under any other circumstance, Asher would’ve laughed.

Instead—

his chest tightened painfully again.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Because despite everything—

he didn’t want Nathaniel hurt.

Not physically.

That realization felt humiliating all by itself.

⸻

Meanwhile, Nathaniel Anderson was actively falling apart.

Jordan found him an hour later sitting alone in his penthouse apartment staring blankly at the city skyline.

The lights were off.

The untouched dinner his mother left earlier still sat cold on the kitchen counter.

Nathaniel hadn’t moved since getting home.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because for the first time in years—

Nathaniel genuinely hated himself.

⸻

Jordan entered carefully.

Followed by Dylan.

Neither spoke immediately.

A rare event honestly.

Because Nathaniel looked horrible.

Not sad.

Destroyed.

Jordan sat slowly across from him.

Jordan: “Did he go home?”

Nathaniel laughed quietly.

Humorlessly.

Nathaniel: “Mateo picked him up.”

Dylan visibly winced.

Reasonable honestly.

Because if Mateo Reyes personally picked somebody up—

things had become catastrophic.

⸻

Nathaniel rubbed both hands over his face roughly.

Exhausted.

Overwhelmed.

Panicking internally.

Nathaniel: “He looked at me like I was disgusting.”

The words came out quieter than expected.

Rougher too.

Jordan’s expression shifted immediately.

Because suddenly—

this wasn’t dramatic heartbreak anymore.

Nathaniel genuinely looked broken.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

⸻

Dylan leaned back against the couch slowly.

More serious now.

Dylan: “You should’ve told him sooner.”

Nathaniel nodded instantly.

No argument.

No denial.

Because honestly?

There was nothing left to defend.

Nathaniel: “I know.”

Silence settled heavily afterward.

Nathaniel looked down toward his phone automatically.

Still no messages from Asher.

Nothing.

The absence hurt more than expected.

A serious issue honestly.

An actual serious issue.

⸻

Then suddenly—

Nathaniel stood abruptly.

Jordan blinked once.

Confused immediately.

Jordan: “Where are you going?”

Nathaniel grabbed his hoodie from the couch without hesitation.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because suddenly his expression looked determined instead of numb.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Nathaniel: “I’m fixing this.”

Jordan looked horrified instantly.

Jordan: “With Mateo currently alive?”

Nathaniel ignored him completely.

Mostly because nothing mattered right now except Asher.

Nathaniel had spent weeks falling in love with him accidentally.

Now the idea of losing him felt physically unbearable.

⸻

Back at the Reyes house, tension filled every room.

Mrs. Reyes had noticed something was wrong immediately.

Of course she did.

Mothers noticed everything.

Asher sat curled into the corner of the couch while Luca paced aggressively across the living room ranting about rich people.

Mateo stayed quieter.

Honestly worse.

Because quiet Mateo was dangerous Mateo.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Mrs. Reyes sat beside Asher carefully before brushing gentle fingers through his curls.

Soft.

Comforting.

Safe.

And suddenly—

Asher almost cried.

A disaster honestly.

An actual disaster.

⸻

Mrs. Reyes: “Baby.”

That single word nearly destroyed him emotionally.

Asher looked down immediately.

Because suddenly his vision blurred painfully.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because Asher almost never cried.

Not over himself.

Not over heartbreak.

Yet somehow—

Nathaniel had reached places inside him nobody else ever touched before.

And now everything hurt.

⸻

Luca stopped pacing instantly.

Concern replacing anger immediately.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Luca: “Hey.”

Asher laughed softly again.

Still broken sounding.

Asher: “I’m fine.”

Three different people in the room looked offended immediately.

Reasonable honestly.

Mateo: “No you’re not.”

Silence.

Real silence.

Asher swallowed hard once.

Then finally—

quietly—

Asher: “I really trusted him.”

And suddenly the room went completely still.

Because heartbreak was one thing.

But trust?

Trust meant something different in the Reyes family.

Trust was sacred.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

⸻

Mateo looked down toward the floor for one long second.

Then slowly stood.

Asher immediately looked up.

Because Mateo’s expression had changed completely now.

Calm.

Cold.

Terrifying.

A disaster.

An actual disaster.

Asher: “Mateo.”

Mateo grabbed his truck keys from the counter.

Mateo: “I just want to talk to him.”

Luca barked out an actual laugh.

Psychotic behavior honestly.

Luca: “That’s the exact sentence people say before committing felonies.”

Mrs. Reyes looked exhausted suddenly.

Reasonable honestly.

⸻

Asher stood quickly afterward.

Heart racing immediately.

Because despite everything—

the idea of Mateo confronting Nathaniel made panic twist violently in his chest.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Asher: “Don’t.”

Mateo paused.

Looked toward him carefully.

And suddenly—

everyone in the room noticed it.

The fear.

Not fear for himself.

Fear for Nathaniel.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Luca blinked slowly.

Then dramatically pointed.

Luca: “Oh my God.”

Asher immediately regretted existing.

A serious issue honestly.

⸻

Mateo watched Asher silently for several long seconds.

Observing.

Calculating.

Then quietly—

almost gently—

he spoke.

Mateo: “You still love him.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Asher froze instantly.

Because somehow—

he hadn’t let himself say that part out loud yet.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

And worst of all?

Mateo already knew the answer before Asher spoke.

Because slowly—

painfully slowly—

Asher whispered:

Asher: “That’s the problem.”