"So...?"

I grin at Worth as he stood in the house, his eyes looking around in amazement.

"Did you buy this?"

"No, my parents bought a new house and they gave me the family home, the one I grew up in."

"What kind of spoiled, one-child-only shit is that?" He mocks, only to soon fold his arms. "When I was growing up, Micah and I shared a house with one bathroom and two tiny ass rooms. They weren't even the size of your unnecessarily large kitchen."

I grin at him awkwardly, grabbing his hand as I took him upstairs. I point towards the door at the end of the hall, smirking.

"If you want to share a bed with me, that's where we'll be sleeping-."

"Of course I want to share a bed with you! I have a hard time sleeping now if I'm not beside you." He confesses, soon grinning down at me. "I will admit...this will be hard to get used to."

I raise my eyebrow, curious as to how so. Only for him to look at the clock and shake his head.

"If I was in the prison...I would be having rec right now."

"Well, now you can eat and have rec 24/7! You can walk around as much as you want, dress how you want, be how you want with no repercussions or scrutiny. No one to constantly beg to ride your dick...except maybe me." I tease, causing him to snicker. "No really though, you can do what you really want. Don't stress about anything else. It's not like how it used to be, it's not going to be how it used to be."

Worth nodded, looking like he believed my words. Except I could tell that everything he's been holding in, he's now thinking over.

What's a better way to distract...? We did leave from that state about a week ago so... Oh!

"How about I have a get together for you?" I ask him.

He looked at me like I was crazy, delusional even if we want to go all the way.

"Get together? Who the whole is going to 'get together' for me?"

I grab his hand, going upstairs to our room. That's when I grab his book bag and pull out a yearbook. Wiggling my eyebrows, he shrugs.

"Okay?"

"You do realize we're back in the state I originally lived in right? The place I went to school to before I moved?" I remind him.

The look of excitement that began to cross his face was exactly what I was looking for. Better yet...I already planned it in advance.

I just wanted to make out to be like I just thought of it. Except I looked through his old bag and found his yearbook. I forget, around the time he was brought was around the end of the year for him. Clearly if he had this and had no signatures in it yet.

My plan has already been made.

It's fool-proof!

"That would be...nice, but no one would show up. They have lives, and it's been forever since then."

Wrong. More than sixty something were coming for him. He needs to have more faith. I wouldn't let him down, and he soon figured that out later on today.

Except I didn't want it to go the way it turned out being. Especially with the one person I didn't recognize entering, but he sure recognized Worth.

Because right now I was...snooping on them. Why did that guy want to talk to Worth so bad?

I look around the corner, seeing Worth talking to some guy I've never seen before. I don't even remember him entering through the front...and I'd remember someone attractive like that too.

With the way he was looking at Worth I began to remember how he once dated a guy named...what was it? He dated him instead of me because I moved. What was his name-?

"Devin get the fuck out of my face with that bullshit!" Worth shouts at him.

Yeah, that was his name!

"Worth I'm serious. Micah told me everything, I have no reason to lie. Besides, how would I know of such details? I'd had to have been told by someone. Who do you think it was that told me this was even going on?! I wasn't invited or even made aware of such a thing. Of course I'm going to be a little upset. Especially when the guy you fell in love with is a liar-."

"Shut your mouth. Micah is just upset because he let too much shit roll out his mouth than usual. This time it came back up his ass and I didn't have to snitch on him. Nate told me, and I heard it. And I believe in him." Worth turns to face Devin again who looked irritated.

I...felt horrible again as that memory was resurfacing. It was only a week ago yeah, but with those words being said right now...it feels so recent.

"He continues...to lie to you. You've caught him in multiple lies, so why wouldn't he lie about this? He is even entrapping you with the possibility of you two having a child together! He's...he's the worst of the worst! Ask him...just ask him." Devin pleaded with him, grabbing his arms as he looked up at him sadly. "I am still in love with you and I know you never said it back to me, but I don't care. Together, or not, I still want the best for you. He lied to you. Micah is in jail because of your confession; he used you. Now he's just...promoted and his life is so great... He's a master manipulator, liar, and just...a horrible per-."

"Stop talking horrible about the person I love." Worth sneers, and Devin looked heartbroken.

My eyes divert off of them because I began to...

"Nate? Why are you just standing here?"

I look, seeing one of Worth's friends holding a glass of punch. When I look forward Devin and him we're already looking at me.

Now I saw Devin rush towards me, grabbing my arm as he pulled me somewhere. Before I knew it we were in front of everyone and Worth pulled me from him, glaring at Devin.

"If you're just going to bring negativity, then leave-."

"Worth, don't you see? Nate is the problem! How can you be in love with someone who's lied so easily and used you! He's done all the things you hate: lie to you, use you, take advantage of you, and manipulate you! Can't you see?!"

"Get...out!" Worth shouts in his face, only for Devin to glare at me.

I felt my face being hot, because I know it was pink with embarrassment. So many people were looking now and a lot of people were here for Worth. Kids were even present...just no shame.

"Please...just ask him, just ask him right now. Ask if he lied to you and used your confession to get Micah in jail. He betrayed your trust, manipulated you into confessing, and used it to his leverage to have you to himself as well as promoting himself easily. It's so obvious...just ask." Devin begged.

I saw Worth look at me, and I don't say anything. He just sighs now because I could tell he wasn't buying anything he said.

I see him grin at me, taking my hands in his.

"Nate...tell Devin you told the truth and used Micah's confession to get him in jail. That it wasn't my confession and that you didn't lie to me." Worth says, grinning as he waited.

My lips parted to talk, but when nothing came out his grin cracked. I saw Devin waiting for me to say all of what Worth said too. He waited for me to admit it and I...

"Just say it, if you didn't lie it'll be easy for you to just say you didn't." I hear others chime in.

"Is he lying?"

"He can't even say he told the truth. He probably did lie."

"What a bitch."

I inhale sharply, my hands yanking out of Worth's now. He looks at me in wait still as I could see the panic almost in his eyes. That nervous grin was still there in wait.

"Nate? Just say you told the truth, it's easy. You wouldn't lie for this long...you love me and you don't do that to the people you love-."

"This isn't fucking fair!" I shout now, and Worth looked surprised. "You're...you're expecting me to be honest from the very jump about th-that?! You were filled with anger...anger! - with the very idea that someone would help you out of prison to save you from your horrible brother taking the most advantage of you! He kept you in this cycle of abuse and you were willing to for him because he saved your life. He saved your life, only for you to want him to die in his place. To suffer in a possibility of life in prison or death?! Yet I'm the bad guy for wanting to help you out of that?!

"Yes...yes I lied, okay?! I used your confession because that was what they needed. Micah spouted his shit, but I didn't think to use that because all they wanted was your confession. Except it's not fair! Why should I have to lie and be afraid of trying to help your ass out of that condemnation?! I'm in the right here, this is so fucked up! The way Devin is putting it is wrong! I didn't try to lie, manipulate, and use you to promote myself, who cares about that?! He doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. I did all of this because I love you and you were hurting. You were abused there too...

"I wouldn't have truly loved you if I allowed you to stay there. For us to just be running around hiding like school children just to do anything a normal couple does? And for what? Because you're choosing to get yourself killed and fuck up your life for the real issue. The real liar, manipulator, user, and all of that! Micah, your brother, is the problem! Not me! I seem to be the only one who truly loves you in spite of it all, and you want to be mad at me...for just wanting to set you free?"

I felt tears going down my face, seeing Worth just look at me.

I saw Devin still glaring at me, but his eyes would glance over at Worth for a reaction. Except there wasn't one...there never was one when he was angry or hurt.

"This was...supposed to be a h-happy day-."

"I didn't ask for your help."

I flinch, seeing Worth with his hands clenched as he was fighting back tears. He looked angry at me and was actually showing it.

"You didn't need to ask-."

"I didn't want...help! I wanted to die there. I was content with that, with the idea that I'm at least help to someone I care about. Even if I'm being used, but it's just reoccurring. You're just like everybody else." He sneers, and I became angry too.

"Not at all-!"

"Yes...you are. You used me in the very beginning to try and sympathize with me. Then when you went past that you used me to try and get my brother in because you hated him. You lied to me so many times...just to try and get Micah in there, going against what I wanted. You lied to me about using his words when you used mine! I trusted you when I shouldn't. You manipulated me into trusting you enough and even telling you that much. You are like them because of that. You just wanted to get revenge for how my brother treated you and me. You're not any different from the rest...even despite my love for you." Worth just says so easily.

If he could say that I knew that that's what he must've been feeling all this time. I was so hurt because...he really believed I did it to get revenge on his brother? What the fuck? It's like he didn't hear anything else I just said.

"I did this because I wanted to set you free from that hell, from your pain... I didn't want you to be hurt anymore...I didn't do it for some stupid revenge, I did it to save you from yourself. You were allowing yourself to continue in suffering, I had to...because I love you, nothing else." I whimper, and I saw his eyes were just blank on me.

Devin was all smiles now and I just wanted to wipe that smile off his face. Except Worth was still just emotionless.

"Liar." He says blankly close to my face. "Don't try to set yourself on a pedestal different from others because I already see you for what you are. A liar, just like the rest. You're no different."

I felt something in me crack.

"Break up with me." I just say calmly, and he snorts. "What's so fucking funny? You can talk down to me like that and I don't laugh, but you can laugh at this? Break up with me if I'm supposedly no different. Do it!"

"No, just because I see you for what you are doesn't mean I want to just leave you-."

"You don't see me for who I am, at all!" I cry, and he doesn't say anything. "Break up with me."

"Nate I'm not doing that-."

"Then I will. I'm done." I just say right then and there.

His whole face became pale when I said that. I turn away from him as I just wanted to leave now. Except when I was at my car I felt him grab my hand.

"Nate, I don't...I don't think you know what you're saying-."

"Says you, but I'm serious, I'm done. You can easily say that shit to me like I...I don't love you. If you can say that so easily then you must've been feeling that way for some time. Maybe this is my destiny...to help you out of jail and that's it. Maybe yours is...to-."

"Be with you, that... is my destiny. I did say that stuff, but I was just angry. You did use, lie, and manipulate me so by technicality you're just like the rest. It doesn't mean I don't love you still."

I wanted to cry again, shaking my head as I pull my hand from his.

"Liar." I sneer, saying the exact same thing he'd say to me. That clearly put him off as he realized I was mocking him. "When you love someone you don't think such horrible things of them and believe they'd do such horrible things to you to hurt you... If that's what you interpret my love to be, then I don't want to love you anymore. It clearly hurts you-."

"Don't say that!" Worth grabs my hands again, shaking his head. "Please don't break up with me. I love you...I'm sorry. I also...live with you so that'll be awkward."

I don't say anything because I really was going to break up with him. He...he doesn't know me at all if he really said all of that shit.

"Fine...I take it back," I just say, and he smiles excitedly, "But I need a break from relational things. I think you should really think on what you want and think on your trauma. You might be...really surprised what you come to find out. Especially when you find out how much you've broken my heart."

Worth's expression looked hurt, I don't know why. I am the one really hurting. He thinks I'm a horrible person...when I believed he was the best person worth it all in my eyes.

What's up with that?

I know...his circumstances and I know he's just traumatized. Still in that state of mind and thought...seeing it in a misconstrued way like what I did was wrong.

Yeah, I could've been honest from the very jump! Except with what he's gone through and how he has gone about it...it wouldn't have helped in my case.

It honestly would've probably hurt what we had and I wouldn't have gotten anywhere. He'd deadass still be in that prison to be honest!

He was happy when he was with those people, and then one person...Devin, fucks it all up. Micah just can't let him live in peace.

"So...are you leaving?" He asks me nervously, and I sigh.

"No, this is our house." I mumble, going around him now. Except he grabs my arm and I don't look at him. I didn't want to at this point. I was too...irritated.

"I am...sorry, but I am still just going over it all. It hurts too much, and I do feel betrayed somehow; yet deep down I know you were trying to help me. It's...weird." He tells me quietly.

It was like hearing a little kid almost. It still hurt...his words, even despite what I know he's been through. He should know me better than that.

I don't know...I'm not used to this. Being around someone who's so...I don't know the word for it.

All I know is that there has to be some way to fix this. Because I know there has to be...to possibly continue what we have.

___________________😶

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