Cameron x Nash Short Stories - cash -

Light My Candle Part Eight

"Dad!" Chris cries out in shock, Cameron lands on the floor with a thud and is frozen in terror. His heart races as he meets the enraged gaze of a man usually seen as a gentle giant.

Pastor Gonzalez is loved by his entire congregation, he's charming and genuinely kind. He truly listens when he listens to the troubles of the people who seek him for advice. He's never raised his voice at anyone, not even his children when he disciplines him.

But this is no ordinary situation.

"What are you doing to my son?!" The pastor yells as he advances towards Cameron who is sprawled half naked on the floor. He had been on top of Chris, kissing him and they still had their boxers on when they were interrupted.

"I...I-I w-was-" Cameron stutters, he has no idea what he can even say, it's very clear what they were doing. There is no other plausible explanation.

Cameron meets Chris' desperate gaze, an intense look of guilt crosses Chris' face that Cameron assumes is because of the guilt Chris feels at being caught by his father doing something expressly forbidden in the Scripture. But Chris breaks his gaze with Cameron and when he meets his father's eyes, he has a look of fear.

"Dad... dad I'm so glad you came back early. God sent you back early... I-I told him to stop, dad. I told him that it was wrong b-but he forced me! He forced me to kiss him and he said he'd tell everyone if I didn't do what he wanted. I didn't want you to think less of me..." Chris cries and tears glisten in his eyes, they're real tears, pain-filled tears because he knows what he's just done to the person he claims to love is unforgivable, it's absolutely horrible but Chris can't imagine a life without his family. In an instant he made the decision to chose his family over Cameron.

He can't bear to look at Cameron, he can't bear to see the look of utter betrayal on the face of the person who has been his best friend, his lover, his protector so he keeps his eyes trained in his father who's look morphs from rage to heartbreak at the tearful confession that his son just made to him.

"Chris... wha-" Cameron starts to speak, he doesn't know what to think, what to feel. Confusion and pain swirl inside his mind as he tries to make sense of what has just happened.

"You. You do NOT speak to him. We trusted you, Cameron. We treated you like a second son and you try to take advantage of my son," the pastor interrupts with clenched hands and a low voice. It's the closest he's ever been to losing his control and assaulting someone, every cell in his body cries out for revenge. Every fiber of his being calls out for him to avenge his son.

"Pastor-" Cameron starts to speak again but he doesn't know what to say, his mind is frozen.

"Get out," the pastor growls as his fists begin to shake with rage. "GET OUT!"

The warning in the pastor's tone snaps Cameron out of the shock he's in. He quickly grabs his clothes and runs out without even bothering to get dressed.

As soon as he's outside in the cold night, he breaks down. He bends over, as if the wind has been knocked out of him and begins to cry tears of absolute pain and heartbreak.

"Oh, God." He sobs as he crumbles to the ground, his clothes fall to ground beside him as he buries his face in his hands.

His mind is whirling, he feels overwhelmed, he feels betrayed, he feels pure, unadulterated pain like he's never felt before.

He feels disbelief that the boy that just promised himself to him would betray him in such a cruel way seemingly without a second thought.

Chris barely hesitated. He lied to his father and he lied to himself.