CHAPTER14
FAULT LINES
NATE
You knowwhat's fucked up?I've gotten really good at avoiding things.Like, expert level.I can spot a conversation I don't want to have from a mile away and find seventeen different ways to not be in the room when it needs to happen.It's a skill I picked up from years of living with Scott—always one step ahead of whatever shitstorm he was brewing.
But the thing about avoidance—it only works until it doesn't.And right now, watching Jake hunched over his laptop like he's trying to disappear into it, I can feel that familiar itch under my skin.The one that saysdo somethingeven when I have no fucking clue what that something is.
Jake sits there with his shoulders pulled up to his ears, defensive as hell.The sight of him like that—isolated, angry, shutting me out—it does something to my chest.
It’s been a few days since the engagement party.
Days of Jake treating me like I'm radioactive, leaving rooms when I walk in, avoiding eye contact like it'll kill him.I've been telling myself to give him space, let him cool off.
But we're living in the same fucking house, breathing the same air, and this tension is choking everyone.
I pour coffee, mostly because I need something to do with my hands while I figure out how the hell to approach this.Jake doesn't look up, but his jaw gets tighter when he hears me moving around.
Every line of his body screamsleave me alone, but I tried that and it got us absolutely nowhere.
"How's school going?"I settle into the chair across from him, keeping it neutral.
His fingers stop on the keyboard for half a second."Fine."
The word drops between us like a rock.I wait for more, but he's already back to typing, hitting the keys harder than necessary like he's trying to punch through them.
"You figured out your major yet?"
"Yes, Nate."Sharper now.
I sip my coffee—it tastes bitter, matches the mood here.Through the window I can see Mom's roses, the ones she planted after Scott bailed.They're still blooming, stubborn as hell.
"Listen, I know things are?—"
"Just stop."Jake slams the laptop shut.Sound echoes through the kitchen like a gunshot."We talked about this at the party.I told you what I needed from you this summer."
"That's ridiculous?—"
He's already pushing back from the table, but fuck that.I'm not done.
"When did you stop believing I gave a shit about you?"
It lands exactly how I wanted it to—unexpectedly, cutting through his armor just enough to make him actuallythinkinstead of just reacting.For a second his mask slips and I see the kid underneath all that anger.
But then his phone buzzes on the table.The caller ID flashesDadand something cold slides down my spine.
Jake grabs it fast, but not fast enough.
Our eyes meet for a split second and there's something there—guilt maybe, or fear.
"Hey."His voice changes completely.Smaller, careful."Yeah, give me twenty minutes."
I watch his face while he listens to whatever Scott's saying.His free hand fidgets with the laptop edge, and there's tension in his shoulders that wasn't there before.I know that tension.I used to carry it myself when I was trying to read Scott's moods, figure out which version of him I'd be dealing with.
"No, that's fine.I'll bring the files."Pause."Okay.See you soon."
He hangs up and starts gathering his stuff, moving with that frantic energy you get when you know you can't keep someone waiting.
