Broken homes

The chase

Lily walked out of detention feeling tense, her heart still racing from what had just happened with Shawn. She barely made it two steps into the hallway before she saw Nate standing there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Her stomach dropped.

"Nate," she started, but he held up a hand, stopping her.

"Don't," he said, his voice eerily calm. "Just... don't."

Lily opened her mouth, but no words came out. She could see it in his eyes—he already knew.

"I waited for you," he continued, his voice low but sharp. "I waited outside the door, Lily."

Her breath caught in her throat.

He saw.

Shawn walked out behind her then, his usual cocky attitude gone. He ran a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at Nate.

Nate scoffed. "Of course. Should've known." He looked directly at Lily, eyes burning with something she hadn't seen in him before. "So, what? Was I just a placeholder? A distraction while you figured out your feelings for him?"

Lily swallowed hard. "Nate, it's not like that—"

"Then what is it like, Lily? Because from where I'm standing, it looks pretty damn clear."

Shawn stepped forward, but Nate cut him off with a glare. "And you," he snapped. "You've been circling her like a vulture since the moment I showed up. You couldn't stand seeing her with someone else, could you?"

Shawn clenched his jaw but didn't say anything.

Lily felt like she was going to be sick. She had never wanted to hurt Nate. He had been good to her, patient with her, someone she could rely on. But deep down, she knew... her heart had never been fully his.

"Nate, I—"

"I don't wanna hear it," he interrupted, shaking his head. "You already made your choice."

He turned and walked away without another word.

Lily stood frozen in the hallway, watching him go.

For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel angry. She didn't feel frustrated.

She just felt empty.

Beside her, Shawn sighed. "That could've gone worse."

She turned and stared at him, disbelief all over her face. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? He had to find out eventually," Shawn muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Better now than later."

Lily exhaled, shaking her head. "I just lost Nate. I lost Cory. I lost—" She stopped herself, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And for what, Shawn? What even are we?"

Shawn didn't answer right away. He just looked at her, eyes searching, lips pressed into a tight line.

"I don't know," he admitted.

And somehow, that hurt more than

Lily didn't think. She just ran.

Her shoes pounded against the school's tile floor as she pushed past students, ignoring the stares and whispers. All she could see was Nate's back as he stormed down the hallway, his pace quick and determined.

"Nate! Wait!" she called, her voice cracking.

But he didn't stop.

She caught up just as he reached the school's exit, grabbing his arm. "Please—just talk to me."

Nate yanked his arm away like her touch burned him. When he turned to face her, his expression was ice-cold.

"Talk about what, Lily?" he snapped. "The fact that I just watched my girlfriend—the girl I trusted—kiss another guy?" He let out a humorless laugh. "Nah, I think I got the message loud and clear."

Lily's breath hitched. "It wasn't planned. I—" She shook her head, trying to find the words. "It just happened."

Nate scoffed, his eyes flashing. "Just happened?" He took a step closer, his voice lower but more intense. "You don't accidentally kiss someone, Lily. You wanted it."

Lily opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Because he was right.

Nate exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You know, I really thought we had something." His voice wavered slightly, but he covered it quickly. "Guess I was just fooling myself."

Lily's throat tightened. "You weren't. I care about you, Nate."

His jaw clenched. "Not enough."

Silence stretched between them. Lily felt the weight of everything crashing down on her—her choices, her feelings, her mistakes.

"Nate, please... don't walk away like this."

He studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. And then, finally, he spoke.

"I hope he was worth it."

With that, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Lily standing there—breathless, broken, and completely alone.

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