Starting Over: rewrite

Prep and Misstep

Thank you for the support. I hope you all enjoy this next update.

"Hey, E, are you..." Nate stops as he sees Chuck and me waiting for him. "When you called, I thought it was an emergency. Like your water breaking." He glares at Chuck. "Obviously, I was wrong."

"It is an emergency, Nate."

"There's someone you need to talk to." Chuck says, and the FBI agent comes in from the other suit.

"The FBI knows that your dad's in town. And they believe he's about to commit another crime." I explain to Nate.

"Like what?" Nate asks.

"Like extortion and kidnapping." Chuck informs him.

"Hear him out, Nate. It's a lot." I urge him. Nate takes my hand as I lead him to the couch, where he can sit and talk.

"When your father escaped to Dominica. He could only get his hands on enough money to get himself set up. He should have reinvented himself. But instead...he lived the way he'd always lived. Now he's got nothing left. "The gent explains to Nate.

"Yeah, well, if my father's poor, what's the point of us going to live with him? I mean, we don't have any money." Nate exclaims.

"But the Vanderbilt's do." Chuck points out.

"Yeah, look...why would my grandparents pay us to go live with him when they can't even help us out here?" Nate asks. The FBI agent looks over to us. "I mean, they hate my dad."

"Which is a good enough reason for them to give him the money. Keep him away and leave you and your mom behind." I explain to Nate, and I see the hurt all over his face.

"We've been monitoring your father's calls. He's trying to get in touch with your grandparents." The agent explains.

Oh, we...well, I mean, if this is true, why didn't you just come to tell me this yourself?" Nate asks him.

"We didn't know if you or your mother knew what was wrong on." The agent responds. Nate lets out a giant sigh. "After all, she helped him escape in the first place."

"I reassured him that you wouldn't just leave." I state.

"Especially without saying goodbye to your friends and girlfriend." Chuck adds, which causes Nate to lower his head.

"I'll let the three of you talk this over." The agent gets up and leaves.

"This is way too much." Nate complains to him. I grab his hand, rubbing soothing circles on it.

"Your dad can still get away if that is what you want. But...running doesn't solve anything." I advise him. "You have the power to end this now."

"How?" He asks me.

"By turning your father in." Chuck says to him.

"What would you do if it was Bart?" Nate asks me.

"If I loved Bart as much as I know you love your dad, I would do everything to save him. Even if it means turning him in." I answer.

"He's never going to forgive me."

"He's scared, Nate. He thinks he has no other options. He's trying to find the easy way out, and...people have always given him that. He needs you to be strong because he isn't able to."

"Will you...will you both be there with me?" He asks, looking from me then to Chuck.

"Of course." Chuck and I answer at the same time.