Between The Tides Of Pain & Rapture | MxM

Chapter 22

Nathan could taste the cocky smile on Logan's face before he scrambled to get a distance from the younger man. He staggered away from the couch, his eyes never leaving Ira as he rushed towards her, pleading, "I can explain. This isn't what it looks like." It was exactly what it looked like, though. He was kissing a man in his own home while his wife was in another room—he had no shame, and he was truly despicable.

Ira's blood had run cold in front of his eyes as he watched her trying to process what was happening, the bastard she had married. With his heart in his throat, Nathan reached out, hoping to comfort her, but moved away from his touch with tears in her eyes as though his touch might sting her, and it probably would consider the betrayal she must've felt.

He reached out again, "Please—let me explain."

"You stay away from me!" she shouted at him before slapping his hand away. "You—you lying bastard! I know something was off about you."

"I didn't—"

"All those years we were together—is this why you always made such an issue to sleep with me?! I thought it was me—I thought I was the problem—but it was always you!"

It was clear as day that he was a bad person. He had betrayed Logan at one time in the past, and now Ira, a woman who had always been there for him despite their differences. What was wrong with him?1 He was truly meant to suffer in his lifetime. He should suffer.

Anika pushed open the kitchen door and limped outside. Her face contoured into a deep worrisome frown when she asked with a barely there voice, "What's all this shouting?"

"Ma," Ira cried as she rushed up to Anika, holding onto her arm for comfort. And although she didn't cry, the tears in her eyes were still there. "I caught him—he—he was kissing that man!" She pointed to Logan, who then got up, leisurely fixing his jacket with a smug smile. He didn't say a word, didn't interfere, but there was no denying how he lacked sympathy, and understandably; he was surely a bastard, Nathan thought.

"No, let me explain," Nathan rushed to defend, his attention on his shocked mother. "Ma, please just listen. This isn't what it looks like."

"Then what does it look like?!" Ira lashed out.

"Logan was just—"

"Logan?" Anika finally spoke, her eyes wild as they went back and forth from Nathan to Logan. "As in Logan Anderson?"

Nathan felt his legs go lax and his voice trembled, "Ma."

"I asked you a question and you bloody hell will answer!" the old woman shouted, shocking everyone in the room. Even Logan arched an eyebrow, although, it was an amusing one.

When Nathan bowed his head, fearing how she might react, Logan stepped forth and answered, "Yes."

Ira's eyes went to everyone before they settled on Anika. "What are you talking about? You know him?"

"You're the boy who Nathan always followed," Anika said to Logan. Immediately the old woman's face changed. It became black and emotionless and it frightened Nathan dearly. She did not say a word for a moment, she only looked at him with disappointment in her eyes, and it told Nathan something he had dreaded his whole life. She always knew; she knew about him—about how he was an abomination, an abnormality, a bastard, and a sinner—for a long time yet chose to never speak a word of it. "I thought we left this all behind in Georgetown?" she yelled at Nathan. "I thought you grew out of it?!"

"He couldn't grow out of it even if you and that husband of yours had tried to beat him out of it," Logan hissed behind Nathan.

Ira frowned before eyes narrowed at Anika. "You knew about this?"