History

Chapter Sixteen

~Nathan's POV~

The door closes behind the group and descends the room into complete silence.

My mind is in an uproar. How could Kota keep such a thing from me for all these years? I had thought we were close. Closer than the others in our group. We'd been together the longest, before we even had the others we now called brothers. And the fact that she lived on the same street as us but I never saw her, how could I be so oblivious?

I'd known Kota was becoming distant, pulling away and taking a backseat during family meetings. Noticed it happening when we were doing the Ashley Waters mission. However, I chalked it up to the mission itself. All of us were being pulled in a million different directions -- whether it was at school, other missions, or our personal lives-- and were too focused on our own issues that I didn't put much stock into it. Looking back now, I see that wasn't the case. He'd been falling in love and choosing a girl over us.

Anger rears its ugly head and my hands clench into fists. Words threaten to spill from my lips, my go-to defense when things aren't going my way, but the person I want to shout them at is no longer in front of me. I know that I'm being irrational, yet can't seem to control the feelings wanting to overcome me.

Luke pulls me from my thoughts with an ill-placed joke.

"Well, I think that went well."

Several of my brothers glare in his direction before directing their attention elsewhere, but I keep my focus on him deciding he is a good outlet for this fury courses through me.

"You think that went well?" I snarl in disgust. "Some girl shows up and causes mayhem within our family. Kota has been pulling away for years over someone we had no idea existed and now she just randomly happens to be dating another one of our brothers. And to top it off, she had a fucking kid with Kota? How in the world do you think any of this is going well?" My last words are a shout.

I know my words have hit their mark because Luke takes a half step back before catching himself. However, he doesn't get to speak up before North does it for him.

"I'm telling you this once Nathan before I lay you out. Cool your jets before you say anything else. I get that you're upset. Trust me, I think we all are, but none of them had no control over the things that transpired here today. If you even think for one minute of putting some kind of blame on Sang, I swear to God right now, you will be in for a world of hurt. Kota loves that woman. Sean cares for her, if he doesn't love her already as well. That little boy is our nephew. I won't be the only one threatening you, but I can guarantee I will be the one to silence you one way or another. They have already been through too much and deserve happiness. If Kota is your brother, you will stow your shit before confronting him with anything."

He doesn't say anything else before stalking out of the room and out of the house as well, the door slamming behind him.

Everyone is stunned into silence. North isn't one to usually have the most calm understanding of things, yet today he has shown a side of him we've never seen before. It just adds more aggravation to my already turbulent emotions.

Silas doesn't say anything but him following after North speaks volumes. The five of us remaining look among one another. Luke and Gabriel give shrugs of their shoulders before leaving to their rooms, leaving Victor and Blackbourne with me.

"I'm just as confused as you are Nathan," Victor confides, "but North is right. As much as we want to know about Sang and where she came from, we have to trust both Sean and Kota in their judgement. We know Kota has been distant since that mission at Ashley Waters. Maybe we didn't fully understand what he was going through, but we knew he wasn't the same guy he's always been. Put yourself in his shoes. Try and understand what he has been going through and learning that it was even worse than he thought imaginable. He wasn't there for his son Nathan. He will never get those years back with him." Victor swallows thickly, pain radiating from within him. "Sean was so ecstatic to introduce us to his girlfriend. For the last six months, she is all he has been able to talk about. Maybe we should have put it together sooner, but how could anyone ever imagine a scenario such as this playing out? Right now we have to be there for our brothers."

I know he is right. As is North, but I can't help the way I feel. Before I can defend myself and my words, Victor speaks up once more.

"North told us before we even walked into the living room that we needed to prepare ourselves for fallout and I think he is right. Kota had already been questioning his loyalty to the Academy. Hell, he even questioned his faithfulness to us. He may have never outright said or done anything to that effect, but we all felt it. If we aren't careful, we will lose him forever. And honestly? I wouldn't blame him."

He stops his rant, seeming to consider saying something more, before deciding against it and fleeing from us as well. Not long after, I hear the piano keys sounding throughout the house.

My eyes fly to Mr. B hoping he will contradict Victor's words. We are a family. They are all I have known for so long. We've been through too much together for one of them to just throw it all away over a girl. But it isn't really just a girl is it? It's his blood family.

While many of us didn't have either parents in the picture anymore, Kota had known what a loving family should feel like with his mom Erica. She was what every person would want as a mom. Even if they had gone through hell to get to where they were now. I know Kota had always secretly dreamed of having a family of his own with a wife and kids galore. But would he give us up so easily in order to have that fantasy? We couldn't be replaced at a drop of a hat could we?

"Nathan," Mr. Blackbourne's voice brings me out of my mini panic attack. "Go for a run or head to the gym. Find a way to get out this aggression and maybe think through what it is exactly that has you feeling this level of upset."

"How can you be so calm right now? There has to be something we can do!" I plead desperately.

"Right now, the best thing we can do is get ourselves under control. As much as I want to demand they stay here and hash this out with us present, I know that is not the best course of action. We will drive everyone further and further apart. Be patient. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. We must have faith in our family, in our brothers. That is what being a family means."

His hand clamps down on my shoulder as he passes by to show his understanding, but he too soon disappears to deal with the onslaught of everything that occurred this afternoon.

Grabbing my keys, I head to the garage and jump in the closest vehicle. Only punishing myself at the gym will clear my head right now.