Call Me Romantic (BxB)

Chapter 29

{ꔫ NASH ꔫ }

When Sam pulls up to his house, he leaves the car without turning it off or shutting the car door behind him. The rest of the car drive was as tense, and Sam wouldn't tell Nash anything, no matter how much he begged. Sam opens the screen door to his house before pushing the front door open and leaving it open. 
 
Nash turns off Sam's car for him and slips out of the car too. His legs feel heavy as he steps towards Sam's house. House full of trauma and violence. A house right next to his.
 
The glass door swings open, and Mrs. Carter, Amelia, stumbles onto the pavement, which leads to the front door, and falls onto the grass. Suddenly, Nash gets his feet moving to help her up. "Oh god, are you okay, Miss?" he asks as she holds onto Nash's arms. Her hair is brushed, but everything else about her is messed up. She has bruises along her arm and one on her cheek that will evolve into a black eye.
 
"thank-" Her voice is hoarse, and she stops staring at the ground; her face looks shamed. "Is this really how you're going to meet me?" Her lips form a playful smile, but it fades quickly when she sees Nash isn't laughing, not even smiling. Nash had no idea it was this bad. He knew Sam's dad was an ass, and Nash was starting to catch on, but stuff like this is hard to come to terms with. Sam never told him, all this time... "Come with me, okay? My moms will keep you safe."
 
Nash takes her to his house, which is only a few feet away. When he comes in, Sienna and Ember are folding laundry together and talking about bills. When Ember glimpses up, her face drops from her sternness into worry. It makes her eyebrows knit together, and a big frown spreads into her lips. 
 
Seconds later, Sienna turns, her face also morphing into sadness. "oh, honey." Sienna gets up quickly and takes Mrs. Carter away from Nash. Ember and Sienna help Mrs. Carter to the couch, and just as her muscles relax, she stiffens up. "Where's Sam?" All of her process of relaxing flies out the window. Mrs. Carter has this tremble in her limbs. Nash knows Sam went inside. Sam went inside when his dad was having a tantrum. Shit.
 
 
     ———————————————

 
Ember and Nash make it to Sam's house within 3 minutes after Mrs. Carter tries to fill them in. It began when Mrs. Carter dropped a picture, making it shatter on the floor. Todd, Sam's dad, argues about the glass on the floor, marriage issues, family issues, and son issues all at once. Mrs. Carter said she stuck up for her son for the first time in a while because she knew he was happy where he was. 
 
She doesn't want to take that away from him because her husband can't act his age. Well, that didn't go so well considering the bruises on her. She didn't get into that part of the story, though she will have to eventually because Sienna called the police on Todd's and they'll need all the details.
 
They can hear glass shatter before the air is filled with Todd yelling. He's saying so much but so little at the same time, like,
 
"DO YOU THINK I'M PROUD OF THIS? THIS FAMILY THAT I'VE MADE?"
 
And-
 
"YOU THINK I WANTED A GAY SON AND A WHORE WIFE?"
 
Ember looks over at Nash with a furious glance. She always hated when people would shut down their kids because they were going through sh*t. She's done it herself, with Val, but never this much. Thank God Val isn't home right now; she would be freaked out.
 
"Stay behind me," she whispers, before leading to the kitchen quietly. Nash can barely move. His mouth feels dry, and he sweats buckets. Hoodies are not very comfortable anymore, all of a sudden. 
 
Todd is bigger than Sam, about 6'4, and an overweight guy in his late 40s. There's no way Ember is going to be able to pry Todd off. Not if he attacks her, and at this rate, he probably will.
 
Nash grabs a vase and tilts his head so he can listen better behind the corner. The big vase is a deep red but holds nothing inside. No roses, no flowers, no plants, nothing.
 
Sam is trying to calm his dad, but Ember is about none of it. She's humbling him down to the point where his ego is going to be shattered. Things about abusers are that they will crawl up the legs of the ones who truly still love them. So he leans on his son for the downfall.
 
"Sam, get this crazy bitch out of here. This is none of her business." His voice is threatening. If this is how Sam gets treated daily, no wonder he bites and resorts to violence. That's how he was taught to defend himself in situations like these. It's not healthy, but it's more understandable now than it was before.
 
There's a shuffle before Sam replies, "Dad, she's just trying to help. She's not attacking."
 
"Are you on her side or mine? Don't you love me?"
 
"I just.."
 
"You know." footsteps and angry huffing, "I MADE you. I can take you out of this world if I want. If you love your father, then you'll do this for him." a soft thud, then nothing. Like time just stopped.
 
Nash pops his head out, and he sees Todd fully pressing Sam to the wall, ready to bare his claws at any moment. He has his collar from Sam's shirt gripped. Ember is off-site from where Nash is looking. 
 
"Let him go." Ember cuts in, grabbing his shoulder, but he just pushes her away, making her stumble back. Nash feels like his brain is going to jump out of his head and run because he is terrified. He holds the vase close to his chest for any sort of comfort.
 
"Get the hell out of here. And you-" shuffling again, and Sam yelps, "You go get your mother. Or else you'll look like her next. Go it?"
 
"yes-" Sam chokes out. That's it; Todd needs to go. Not permanently, but for a while now. He knows this won't kill him. Nash slides out of the corner, realizing he's out of his arm's reach, so he does something that can work well or completely screw everyone. He's willing to take that chance at this point. 
 
He throws the vase at Todd, and luckily, it crashes into his head and smashes before Todd falls to the floor, limp. It's only after Nash realizes Todd is seconds away from threatening to choke Sam to death. Sam falls to the floor as well, and Ember, having quick feet unlike Nash, rushes over to Sam.
 
"Oh God, Sam, are you okay?" She helps him up, and he rubs his neck. 
 
"Fine," he mumbles. He's shutting down again. Nash is still in shock at what he did. He never really did anything violent to a person. That doesn't matter right now. Nash jogs over to Sam and wraps his arms around his waist, helping him up. "I'm so sorry," Nash mumbles into his chest.
 
"No, thank you," he replies softly.
 
Nash looks up and can see a soft smile on Sam's lips that quickly fades. "Is my mom okay? Did you guys call the police?"
 
Ember holds a hand up and says, "Amelia is with Sienna, and they've already called the police. It's okay, kid; you're both safe now."
 

     ———————————————

 
Everyone is outside, even the neighbors. Everyone is watching and whispering with their family as Todd gets shoved into the back of a police car. The way Todd stares out at Sam with a sense of bitterness and betrayal makes Sam shrink into himself. Mrs. Carter gets sent to a hospital for any concussions or internal bleeding, and Sam will be visiting her later.
 
She'll be safe away from the man who has abused her and manipulated his son for so long. Meanwhile, that man will get an ice pack for his headaches and no comfort at all in prison. Nash feels proud that he hurt Todd; that might be messed up, but it's not even close to the number of times he affected others. It's just a taste of his medicine. 
 
Sam is standing next to Nash, staring at the police car his father is locked in. His jaw is clenched, and he's holding Nash's hand. Sam's sweaty hands squeeze Nash. Nash lifts his eyes to Sam, seeing his distress. He now wishes that he would've done more to figure out what was happening in his life instead of brushing it off as Todd just being close-minded. 
 
"Surely he will realize how he ruined the people he's supposed to love." Nash comforts him by pulling away from his hand and running it up Sam's arm.
 
"he won't. He's narcissistic." Sam replies, his voice no longer holding hope for the man who raised him. Just then, a cop hikes up the sidewalk. She has a buzzed head and wears blue and black police gear. She invites Sam to chat with her in private and says that he'll be back to question Nash next. 
 
Sam lets go of Nash's hand and leaves, taking and walking with the cop around the neighborhood, and she provides comfort for him by offering him a water bottle, which he accepts.
 
 
     ———————————————