Never let go [mxm] ON HOLD

Chapter 15

"Justin, please go to your room..." Ross said quietly, barely managing to control his feelings, as he spoke those words through gritted teeth. The look on Justin's face was enough to bring him to his knees with how painful his heart clenched ,knots formed in his lower abdomen and made him hold his breath. Justin looked so disoriented and lost,expression not settled and eyes staring at Ross but not really seeing him. He looked like a young boy who was accidentally exposed to something little boys shouldn't witness. He was in a state of shock. It was devastating, Ross never saw his son like that and knowing it was all the fault of the woman that now stood beside his son only further ignited him . What did she tell him? What did she tell him?

Ross felt his control slipping away from his grasp as he gathered all of his will to prevent himself from lashing out , first he needed to get Justin out of here.

"Justin..." he repeated again, this time his tone more urging. But Justin stayed rooted, his father's voice seemed to go unheard by his ears and Ross bit his lip, chewing on it and slightly bruising it as anxiety started to form in him.

He gulped but his throat was so dry that he struggled, his palms clenched with sweat and his all figure was stiff- he was as lost as his son.

Locking eyes with his son was enough to crash his world, all the memories surfaced and rushed in his mind . The day Justin was born, Ross' last talk with Jennifer before she disappeared , Justin's first birthday and the first time he said 'Dad', the day Ross left his parents' house and moved with Justin to their own place, the first day of Justin at school... And it kept going , like a man that was on the verge of death he saw everything. Everything that he loved and cherished and gained and experienced from bad to good ,everything that was his... and his everything stood before him and Ross was afraid of losing him .

"Justin, to your room." this time Ross spoke firmly, driven by fear that snapped him back to his senses. It was his job to protect his son, it was his job to make sure he wouldn't get hurt and it was his job to keep him unharmed by anyone, including his mother. He didn't know from where she gathered she could show up at his house like she had any claim , maybe she was desperate, maybe she was clueless, it didn't matter. Jennifer crossed a line.

Justin's eyes flashed with something Ross couldn't decipher, his son seemed to reign his composure, his expression still unreadable but more calm. "Dad..." Justin voice came out as a whisper, his eyes darted as he searched for words and for Ross it was more than enough.

"Please leave us alone ,Justin ." Justin's brows knitted as sudden determination took over him. "No, dad i-" but Ross knew Justin enough to know that his son wanted to stay here and figure things out and he had the right to do so considering this all matter concerned him and it was his mother. But Ross knew he was also not ready for this and the last thing he wanted was to have Jennifer open her mouth and blurt something that could cause him pain, Ross didn't know what she told Justin before he arrived and interrupted her but he was sure as hell that he wouldn't let her finish.

"Justin! To your room, now!" Ross rarely yelled at his son but now it was required as much as he despised using that tone, that was the only way to pass through Justin's stubbornness.

Justin glared at Ross intensely, before snorting and leaving the room with a muttered 'whatever'.

Now it was just the two of them, Ross and Jennifer. She didn't spoke as he made his way towards the couch, passing her without casting her a glance, she only followed and took a seat. The silence remained, Ross stared at the black screen of the television, refusing to meet her eyes that were looking at him. He almost smirked as he noticed at the corner of his eye that her fingers were fidgeting, the silence made her uncomfortable.