V e l v e t V e s t s

00:05

.

Ghost

.

I heard the door slam shut loudly and I craned my neck over the couch, toward the front door. I waited for him and, just as expected, he came in with a dark cloud over his face. His dark hair looked roughed up and he looked annoyed, frustrated and drained.

My eyes stalked him as he dragged himself inside the living room, getting to the couch facing the one I was seated on. It was thirty minutes past midnight and I knew exactly where he had been.

And just with one look, I knew he failed.

Nate failed to get Ellie.

"Why do you always fail?" I asked him in a low voice, hoping he could detect the true disappointment in my voice. Ellie was the light in his life, whether he admitted that or not. And he just lost her... for the second time.

Nate cut his blue eyes to my face. "Shut the fuck up Ghost." Nate growled at me.

I ignored him and questioned him further. "Why are you so stupid to let her go?"

"Ghost, I said shut up."

"You're a fucking idiot."

"Shut up."

"She was something rare and special."

"Ghost-"

"You failed."

I wasn't prepared for the sudden impact but I managed to dodge the flying punch with my quick disappearing act. I had quick feet but Nate always had the advantage of quick thinking and a knack for a slight of hand. So his punch quickly deterred and came from the other direction. He caught me by the end of my cheek and I nearly stumbled at the collision. It killed but I didn't stop.

"You're a-"

Nate grabbed me by the front and threw me against the wall, his face coming right to mine. "I said fucking shut up Ghost or, God help me I'll fuck your trap shut myself," Nate sneered at me, his eyes turning darker but no fear was present in me. I stayed quiet for a bit, not moving to pull myself away from Nate but I stayed quiet to analyse everything.

With the hold he had on the front of my shirt, I could still register the tremble in his posture. He was really angry and I knew he'd get like his. But this was a different kind of tremble.

"She let you go." I whispered, surprised to see the pain flash in his eyes. Nate was never good at expressing himself as he tend to keep a hard face on. And he managed to keep people at arm's length with his lack of emotions. But now, Ellie made him feel everything. He lost something and he didn't know what the consequence of that loss would entitle.

I watched when Nate slowly started to fall apart. "No fuck." I spat out and quickly pulled myself out of his loosened grip. He stumbled backwards and nearly hit the coffee table in the middle of the room. I grabbed his upper arm quickly before he could fall and crushed him to my chest.

His arms slumped down his side but I held on regardless. Nate was like a brother to me and we only shared a hug when something massive happened and the one needed the other. All my life, I've only known Nate and Uncle Jack and they're the only ones I considered family. They meant more to me than my own life and God, did it kill me to see my own blood like this.

I stilled when I felt Nate's hand come around me and he fall apart right in my arms.

"I fucked up." He said in a low voice and if his face wasn't so close to me, I wouldn't have heard it.

"You can still get her." I assured him.

"You didn't hear the finality in her voice. That's it. I fucked up."

I shook my head. "You can't just give up on someone like Ellie. She is really hurt with how you reacted and how you gave up so easily on them. No girl wants a man that backs down from the first fight and she expected you to fight. You didn't so you disappointed her. You went back to her to make it right but you failed again. You're losing this fight but that does not mean there won't be game turning moment. You can't just give up again because that's what Ellie is expecting from you. And I know you Nate, giving up isn't in your nature. With all the games we used to play when we were younger, you would never get to bed unless you beat me. The Nathaniel I know doesn't give up. Not ever."

"She gave up," he said back, defeated.

I shook him with him still in my arms. "She's not the one fighting this battle. You are."

"She-"

"She waiting for you man, whether you want to believe it or. She's waiting for you to pick up your shirt and fight for her." I told him again and again, hoping it would be drilled in his head that he couldn't give up. "Plus, you know girls, they like their heroes."

It was silent for a long time after that, and I could feel Nate processing everything in his head. He was thinking it all through and I prayed he could find it in himself to fight again. I wasn't going to sit back and watch Nate throw away the next best thing in his life. He deserved as much especially after all he went through. Having your Father locked up for no reason and missing that male figure in your life would really bite someone's ass. After losing your Mother before you got to know her properly would certainly left a scar. So Nate deserved at least a bit of happiness. And Ellie would give him more than a bit of happiness.

Nate's phone started ringing and Nate shuffled out my arms to pick up the call.

"Shar." He greeted, his voice losing all traces of shakiness. His face turned hard and he clenched his jaw when Shar started speaking through the phone.

"Shar, you can come and beat the fuck out of me. I'm home."

Fuck.

/////

I'm sorry for the colourful words in this chapter but I just wanted to show you a bit of Ghost and Nate's relationship. Just to make it clear, they aren't brothers. Ghost is Nate's cousin and he's living with Nate and Uncle Jack (Nate's father). 

Hopefully you enjoyed this short chapter. I kinda like their relationship, but you guys only got a small part of it and I got the full picture in my head, so you probably don't feel the same way. 

Sorry if you expected some Reed and Ghost moment. There should be some next chapter...

tempesh.tumblr.com [Do follow]!

ask.fm/xpurechances

Insta: nvx1_

twitter: @xPureChances

N e x t i n l i n e:

L a c y  L e a t h e r s: 00:07

Laters!

-n