Love Explosion [3]

Chapter 11 - Father Pt. 2

TW: Swearing, mentions of alcohol, mentions of vaping

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Chapter 11

October 28, Thursday

No one's POV

"Excuse me, I– I have to use the restroom." Nathan said to his wife, standing up from where he sat, giving a kiss on his little five year old daughter's head. Though, when he noticed that his wife and daughter weren't looking, he jogged away from the cafe, following after the shirking figure of who he was sure was his youngest son, marching away from him as if he were an angry toddler.

A stream of people were blocking Nathan's way to his son, but he wasn't going to allow that to stop him; for a man who left his family so easily, his determination is awfully strong.

At one point, Nate made a turn and arrived at an empty alleyway. Believing that he was alone, the blonde boy leaned against the chilling brick wall, sliding down and curling himself into a ball, seeming that his lanky figure did nothing to make him seem as high-and-mighty as he usually did.

"Nathaniel," The man called out, his voice quiet, even compared to the silence. Nate, flinching back from shock, looked up at the man wide-eyed. 978 days. 978 days since they last saw each other, 978 days since they last spoke to each other. 978 days for Nate to get used to the lack of him, and now he's back, as if he were never gone.

"Nathaniel," He spoke up again, slightly louder, a smile seeming to inch up on his face as he took leisure steps, going closer and closer to the shrunken boy.

Nate said nothing, just staring up at the man wide-eyed; the man who looked just like himself, but also like a stranger.

"Nathaniel, my son–" The man spoke, in an attempt to sound happy, but was cut off by Nate, "No." A simple and short word that came off so stern and filled with fury. Taken aback, Nathan's face fell, standing still again.

Nate stood from where he sat, holding his gaze with his once-father with an anger-filled glare. "I am not your son." He then spat out, swallowing his spit as if it would demolish his feelings. He didn't want to feel right then, not with the stranger named his father around.

A tension-filled quietude fell upon them before Nate broke it with a question, "Where– where were you?" Nathan's mouth gaped open, almost as if trying to answer, but the words were so crushed and broken that it was impossible.

"What happened?" Nate continued asking, sounding more angered, slowly walking closer to the man, "Why did you leave?"

So many questions, unanswered, leaving him without closure. And now with the opportunity to have them answered, it seemed almost impossible to stop the words from rolling off his tongue.

"Uh... uhm," Nathan stammered, a lump seemingly in his throat, noticed by his lack of responses.

"Fuck." Nate muttered, feeling the feelings he was trying to push down coursing through him to a point he couldn't even control; and that scared him, his lack of control with his feelings and thoughts.

"You know what? I don't want to know." Nate declared, turning around to leave again, but was stopped by a word– a mutter, a whisper, "Wait." Nate stopped in his steps, but didn't bother turning around.