When Love Break Ties

Chapter 27: Abby's Breakdown

Nathan felt the tension in the air even before Abby returned home that evening. The weight of the silence between them was palpable, growing heavier with each passing day. After their last argument about his family, the fragile balance they had managed to maintain had shifted once again, and Nathan was left unsure of where they stood.

When Abby finally walked through the door, her face was pale, and her eyes looked hollow. She didn't say a word as she kicked off her shoes and slumped onto the couch, her body collapsing into the cushions as though she had been carrying the weight of the world all day.

Nathan hesitated, unsure of how to approach her. "Abby?" he called softly, walking toward her with slow steps. "Are you okay?"

She didn't respond at first. She sat with her elbows resting on her knees, her hands covering her face, and Nathan could see her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. Something was deeply wrong. Abby wasn't one to easily break down, and her silence now was unnerving.

He knelt down in front of her, gently pulling her hands away from her face. When she finally looked up, her eyes were brimming with tears. "It's happening again," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"What's happening?" Nathan asked, concern filling his voice. He could see that she was on the verge of breaking down completely, and it terrified him.

"My family," Abby choked out, her hands shaking. "They won't leave me alone, Nathan. They keep pulling me back into their mess. The legal issues, the drama—it's like I can't escape them."

Nathan felt a pang in his chest as he listened to her. He had heard bits and pieces about Abby's ongoing battles with her family, but she had never opened up fully about the extent of the pain they caused her. Now, it was clear that she was at her breaking point.

"Abby..." Nathan reached out to take her hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry you're going through this. I know it's been hard."

Her breath hitched, and tears began to spill down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do anymore," she confessed, her voice breaking. "I try to move on, to live my life without them, but every time I think I'm free, they drag me back in. I hate them for it. I hate them for everything."

Nathan's heart ached as he watched her crumble in front of him. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but the truth was, he wasn't sure if it would be. Abby's family issues were complicated, and they weren't something he could fix with words alone.

He sat down beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. "I can't keep doing this," she whispered. "I feel like I'm losing myself, like I'm drowning in all of this chaos, and I don't know how to get out."

Nathan held her tighter, his mind racing. He had always admired Abby for her strength and independence, but seeing her so vulnerable now made him realize how much she had been holding inside. For all her defiance and confidence, she was just as fragile as anyone else.

"I'm here," he murmured, stroking her hair softly. "You don't have to go through this alone."

But even as he said the words, Nathan felt a growing sense of distance between them. Over the past few months, their relationship had been tested by both of their families, and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the cracks that were forming. Abby's bitterness toward her family had seeped into their relationship, and Nathan couldn't help but feel that it was affecting the way she saw him as well.

As Abby's sobs subsided, she pulled away slightly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I don't know why I can't just cut them off completely," she muttered, her voice thick with frustration. "They've done nothing but hurt me, and yet I still feel like I owe them something."

Nathan nodded, understanding all too well the conflict she was describing. He had felt the same way about his own family at times—torn between love and resentment, loyalty and the desire for freedom. But while Abby's family had caused her undeniable harm, Nathan's connection to his own family felt more complex. He hadn't been able to shake the guilt of pushing them away, even if it had been under Abby's influence.

"I think..." Nathan began, choosing his words carefully, "that it's hard to completely sever ties with the people who raised you, no matter how much they've hurt you. There's always a part of us that wants to believe things can get better."

Abby scoffed bitterly. "You think there's any hope for my family? After everything they've done? They only care about themselves. I was just a pawn in their stupid games."

Nathan winced at the bitterness in her voice. "I'm not saying you should forgive them, Abby. I just... I don't want you to carry this pain with you forever."

Abby stared at him for a long moment, her eyes filled with both sorrow and anger. "You don't get it, Nathan," she said, her voice low. "You'll never understand what it's like to have a family that destroys you from the inside. Your family... they may be controlling, but they love you. Mine? They only ever cared about what I could do for them."

Nathan swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. Part of him wanted to defend his family, to insist that they had their flaws too, but he knew this wasn't about comparing scars. Abby's pain was real, and it ran deep.

Still, the more she spoke, the more Nathan felt that growing distance between them. He loved Abby—he truly did—but their experiences with family were so different, and it was starting to affect the way they saw each other. While he still clung to the idea of family as something worth fighting for, Abby seemed to have given up on the concept entirely.

"I just don't want you to push everyone away," Nathan said gently, his hand still resting on her back. "Not everyone is out to hurt you."

Abby tensed at his words, pulling away from him completely this time. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Pushing people away?"

Nathan bit his lip, choosing his next words carefully. "Sometimes it feels like that, yeah. I know you've been hurt, but... I don't want to see you isolate yourself from the people who care about you."

Abby's eyes flashed with anger. "People like who? Your family? You want me to play nice with them, is that it?"

"That's not what I'm saying," Nathan replied, his frustration growing. "I just want us to have a life where we're not constantly fighting battles with our families. I want peace, Abby. Don't you?"

"Peace?" Abby repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "There's no such thing as peace when it comes to family, Nathan. You of all people should know that by now."

Nathan felt his stomach tighten as the conversation took yet another tense turn. He had hoped to comfort Abby, to bridge the gap between them, but now he felt further away from her than ever. The woman he loved was breaking down in front of him, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that they were growing apart.

"I just don't want us to lose each other in all of this," Nathan said softly, his voice filled with a sadness he couldn't hide.

Abby looked at him, her expression softening slightly. "I don't want that either," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "But it's hard, Nathan. It's hard when I feel like the whole world is against me, and you're the only person I can rely on."

Nathan nodded, his heart heavy. He pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly as the weight of their struggles settled between them. He wanted to be there for her, to help her through the pain, but he also knew that their relationship was reaching a breaking point.

As the night stretched on, Nathan couldn't shake the feeling that, despite their love for each other, the challenges they faced might be too much to overcome.