Submerge

M O T H E R

It was a quiet afternoon when the unexpected knock on the door broke the silence of Nathan's apartment. Mason was lying on the couch, flipping through channels aimlessly, trying to keep his mind off everything. Nathan was in his room, working on some assignments. The knock was persistent, growing louder with each passing second.

"Mason, can you get that?" Nathan called from his room, clearly preoccupied.

Mason sighed and got up, heading to the door. He opened it to find his mother, Claire, standing there with a strained smile on her face. The sight of her made his heart sink. The last thing he needed was another confrontation.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Mason asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Claire's smile widened, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I came to see you, Mason. And Nathan, too. I regret how things went down on the Fourth of July. I wanted to apologize and make things right."

Mason hesitated, unsure of her intentions, but Nathan appeared behind him, his curiosity piqued. "Mom? This is unexpected."

Claire stepped inside, her demeanor warm and contrite. "I know, Nathan. I just couldn't stop thinking about our argument. I wanted to come and see you both, and hopefully, we can put it behind us."

Nathan exchanged a glance with Mason, who shrugged slightly. "Alright, Mom. Come in," Nathan said, stepping aside.

Claire walked into the living room, her eyes scanning the apartment as she made small talk. "This is a nice place you have here. How have you been, Mason?"

Mason forced a smile. "I've been okay, Mom. Just trying to get by."

Claire nodded, her expression sympathetic. "I know it's been hard, Mason. I'm really sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Nathan sat down on the couch, still wary but willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. "It's good to see you trying to make things right, Mom."

They talked for a while, the conversation light and filled with forced pleasantries. Claire's eyes, however, kept darting towards the hallway, leading to the bedrooms. Mason noticed but didn't say anything. He wanted to believe she was genuine.

At one point, Claire excused herself. "I just need to use the restroom. I'll be right back." Nathan and Mason nodded, continuing their conversation about the latest episode of a show they had been watching. But Mason couldn't shake the feeling of unease creeping up his spine.

Minutes later, Claire reappeared, her face a mask of fury, holding a small bag of weed she had found in Mason's room. "What the hell is this, Mason?" she shouted, storming into the living room.

Mason's heart sank. He had forgotten about that stash. He stood up, his face pale. "I can explain—" Claire's hand flew out before he could finish, the slap echoing in the room. Mason staggered back, holding his cheek in shock.

"You junkie!" Claire screamed, her eyes blazing with anger. "This is why she died! Because you're a worthless, drug-addicted failure!"

Nathan jumped up, stepping between them. "Mom, that's enough! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Claire's fury was unrelenting. "I know exactly what I'm talking about! Emma died because you couldn't keep your shit together, Mason! You're the reason she's gone!"

Tears streamed down Mason's face, the pain of her words cutting deeper than the slap.

Nathan turned to his mother, his face a mask of barely controlled anger. "Get out, Mom. You have no right to come here and treat him like this. LEAVE NOW."

Claire's face twisted with rage and disappointment, but she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The silence that followed was deafening.

Nathan turned to Mason, his expression shifting from concern to anger. "Mason, what the hell were you thinking? Keeping weed in my apartment? Do you have any idea what could happen if someone found out? You're spiraling out of control!"

Mason looked up, his eyes red and swollen from crying. "it's just fucking weed! it's not like i brought heroin in here! Just leave me alone."

Nathan's eyes widened with shock and hurt. "Leave you alone? Mason, I can't just stand by and watch you destroy yourself. I love you, but you're making it impossible to help you."

Mason's anger flared, his voice shaking. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't feel guilty every second of every day? I don't deserve your help, Nate. I deserve to suffer."

Nathan's voice rose, frustration and desperation clear. "Suffer? Mason, you're not the only one who lost Emma! We all did! But drowning yourself in drugs and alcohol isn't going to bring her back. It's just going to ruin your life!"

Mason's face twisted with pain. "Then maybe I'll make it easy for you. Maybe I'll just end it all, like Dad did. Then you won't have to worry about me anymore!"

The words hung in the air, a chilling silence following them. Nathan's face went pale, his eyes wide with fear and rage. "Mason, don't you dare say that. Don't you even think that. You think ending it will solve anything? It'll just destroy everyone who cares about you. It'll destroy me."

Mason shook his head, the tears flowing again. "I'm tired"

Nathan's own eyes filled with tears as he stepped closer, grabbing Mason by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Listen to me, Mason. You're not alone in this. I can't lose you too. We will get through this, but you have to fight. You have to want to live."

Mason's resolve crumbled, and he pulled away from Nathan, his body trembling with emotion. "I can't"

"Mason, wait!" Nathan pleaded, his voice breaking, but Mason was already moving towards the door.

"I need some air," Mason said, his voice hollow. "Just... leave me alone."

Before Nathan could stop him, Mason was out the door, the echo of it closing leaving Nathan in a state of helpless despair. He stood there, his fists clenched, anger and worry battling within him. How could he protect his brother when Mason was determined to self-destruct?

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The next chapter will be on Wednesday too as i promised! i just felt like double updating since my writer's block for this story is gone, & I'm honestly just trying to get this story DONE.

plz make sure to comment & vote! 

Also check out my new story "Pieces Of Me"