Old Flame

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. There was no doubt it was Nathan. He was tall, lean but muscular, his dark hair was shaggy and in need of a haircut, and his walk was one of a kind. It screamed confidence, boldness, and determination. That's who Nathaniel Pierce was.

Suddenly, I remembered why we broke up in the first place. I walked into his room and found Katie Mathis in his bed. She and I were nemeses since the third grade when she pushed me off the top of the slide, spraining my wrist. Petty, I know, but I despise her.

When I found them, they were cuddled up and asleep. He was only in his boxers while she was in her bra and panties. He insists they didn't have sex, but in the state I found them, why would I believe that? He and his friends threw a party at his house the night before, and he got wasted.

I reacted badly and started grabbing things off his dresser and desk and started chucking them at the sleeping pair. Mainly him. The first hit was a book directly to his face.

I was devastated. Nathan and I had been dating for 3 years, and we were finishing up our junior year in high school. I was so sick from grief that my mom let me finish out the last 3 weeks of school with online classes so I didn't have to see either of them. And then, it was like my prayers were answered when my dad got a new job in Georgia, on the other side of the country. We left Nevada the first week of June to move into our new place. The whole time up until we moved, Nathan tried to get me to talk to him. But I didn't want to hear his lies, so I avoided him at all costs. And when we moved, I could finally put it behind me and just move on.

Watching him walk towards me now, his dark brown eyes burning into mine, I went into flight mode. I turned around and ran the opposite way. I heard him call out for me, but I didn't care. I just kept going. When I reached my car, I got in, pulled away and steered towards home.

The whole way home my mind did nothing but race. Why is he here? It shouldn't shock me. His family is loaded with money, and his dad and mine were good friends. It wasn't like he wouldn't find out where I went, and he was assertive enough to follow me all the way here.

When I reached home, I went to my little brother's room and let myself in. He was lounged on his bed, phone in hand, scrolling through social media.

"Gee Brooke, good thing I wasn't indecent. What ever happened to knocking?" My brother and I were close, but we also got on each other's nerves. We are only eleven months apart.

"Shut up, Jamie. Did you know that Nathan was here?"

He sat up at this and from the look on his face, I could tell this was news to him as well. "Nathan's here?"

"Yes! I was at the mall, and I saw him. He was looking right at me."

"What did he say?"

"I didn't give him a chance to say anything. I just ran out of there and came home. How did he know I was there?"

"Probably Mom," he answered in thought. "You know she wanted you two to work things out before we left."

"That's never going to happen. She doesn't know how he really is."

"You think he knows where we live?" Jamie wondered.

"If he's talked to Mom or Dad then yes."

I left Jamie's room and went to my own. I pulled out my phone and texted Mom.

Me: Did you know Nathan was in town? She immediately texted back.

Mom: Don't be mad sweetie. He just wants to talk to you.

"Ugh!" I let out and tossed my phone onto my bed. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I froze. You have got to be kidding me. Jamie made no movement to get the door, so I gathered enough courage and headed down the stairs.

I took a deep breath before I turned the doorknob. Standing before me was a handsome boy with dirty blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. He was tall and sported a contagious smile when he saw me. He stepped forward and kissed my lips.

Relief flooded me when I realized it was Sully, my current boyfriend. He lived next door, and we met the first day we moved in. We hit it off quickly, and we have been dating for the whole summer. I really like him. I smiled at him with genuine happiness.

"Hey," I said. I let him through the doorway.

"Hey, beautiful. Did you find what you were looking for at the mall?"

As soon as he said mall, I remember back to Nathan. "Um, not everything. I'll have to make another trip soon."

He chuckled. "Typical girl."

I playfully smacked his arm. "Shut up."

He laughed at me. "School starts next week. Nothing like waiting 'til last minute."

"I'm a procrastinator. You know this." I walked to the kitchen as he followed me. "You want a sandwich? I'm making me one. I'm starving."

"Sure. I'll help you."

We made our sandwiches as we made small talk. Sully and I just clicked with everything. He was so easy to talk to. He was complete opposite of Nathan. While Nathan was brooding, Sully was sociable and cheery all the time. Nathan was possessive. What's his is his only. Including me. He was a jealous person when it came to me. But Sully was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He was genuinely in a good mood all the time.

As we ate, my mind kept going back to Nathan. I should tell Sully he's here. When we were done with our sandwiches and Doritos, I turned to him. "Sully, there's something I need to tell you."

Just then, the doorbell rang again. Sully followed me to the door and when I opened it, my heart started racing as Nathan's deep brown eyes stared into mine.

"Nathan...what are you doing here?"

Nathan's gazed shifted from me to Sully. His eyes narrowed. "Who the hell is this?" He asked me, but his eyes never left Sully.

Sully replied, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend," he said sternly.

I quickly intervened, "Ex...boyfriend."

Nathan's eyes shifted back to me once again. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. I thought I made that clear by moving across the country without talking to you."

"Yes, there is something to talk about," he insisted.

Sully cut in. "Hey man, she said she doesn't want to talk to you."

Nathan turned back to him. His posture straightened, and his face grew serious. "You stay out of this. It's none of your business."

"Brooke is my business. She's my girlfriend."

Nathan took a step forward, and I quickly stepped in the middle of the two. "Stop." They stopped but continued to stare each other down. "Listen, Sully. Let me just talk to him and get it over with."

He looked at me. "Are you sure? You don't have to."

"I know. It's okay. I'll come over later, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay. If you need me for anything, call me."

"I will." He bent down and kissed my lips. I saw Nathan clench his jaw and fists at the sight. Sully walked past him, and they stared at each other the whole time.

Once he was gone, I said, "So talk."

"That's your new boyfriend huh? Didn't take long."

"It took longer than for you to get Katie between your sheets," I spat.

"Can we talk inside please?"

I waited a few seconds before I stepped aside for him to enter. When he got inside, he looked all around. "This is a nice house."

"Cut to the chase, Nathan." I crossed my arms, still standing in the foyer.

"Can we sit?"

I loudly sighed and moved to the living room. I sat on the chair, and he sat on the couch beside me.

"How have you been doing?"

It aggravated me that he was trying to make small talk. "Great."

He realized I wasn't in the mood to "chat". "Listen, I came here to convince you I didn't do what you think."

"Oh my! Don't start that again! Just man up and admit it, Nathan!"

"I'm being serious Brooke. I went to bed that night alone after I texted you and told you goodnight. And I woke up to a book thrown at my face. I swear, we did nothing. She crawled into my bed after I was asleep."

"Bullshit, Nathan. How stupid do you think I am?" I couldn't help the way my heart fluttered at the sight of him. My heart still felt love for him whether I wanted it to or not. I'd loved him so much. As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't over it.

"I have proof."

We stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "What do you mean you have proof?"

He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and clicked on it a few times. He laid it on the coffee table and said, "Listen."

He hit play, and I curiously listened.

Nathan: Just tell her the truth Katie. We didn't have sex. My relationship is ruined because of you.

Katie: Why would I tell her the truth? Her thinking we had sex is the ultimate slap in the face. It's pretty epic if you think about it.

Nathan: Stop being a bitch. I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last woman on earth.

Katie: Well, it doesn't matter if you would or wouldn't. Brooke thinks you did, and that's all that matters to me. Bye, Nathan.

He reached over and hit stop. His eyes rose to mine. My heart was pounding. I didn't know what to feel. He'd been telling the truth this whole time. "You really didn't sleep with her," I stated.

He shook his head. "No." He reached over and took my hand in his. "I love you so much, Brooke. I would never do that to you."

I felt like I was in shock. What do I do? Nathan didn't cheat, but I was already dating Sully. I couldn't just break up with him. I already had feelings for him. Granted, they weren't as strong as the ones I felt for Nathan, but that was based on three whole years. Sully and I only had 2 and a half months. But we had grown really close in that time.

"I'm sorry, Nathan."

"Don't be sorry, Princess. I understand why you thought it." Hearing his pet name for me made my heart flutter.

"I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll be mine again. I've missed you so much. This has been the worst few months of my life."

"But I'm with Sully now."

"What kind of name is Sully?" He had a hint of irritation in his voice.

"His name is Matt Sullivan, and Sully is his nickname."

"Lame." I could see his jealousy coming to the surface.

"Nathan..." I warned.

"I'm not leaving this town until you're mine again." His face was serious, and I knew he meant it.

"I..." I started, but the words just wouldn't form.

"I love you, Brooke. I'm not giving up on you." He gave my hand a squeeze.

When Nathan finally left, I needed time to think. I went upstairs to my room and shut the door. I flopped down onto my bed, and my mind ran wild. What was I going to do? Nathan didn't cheat on me, and that changed a lot of things. But I moved on. Tried to put him in the back of my head. I started something with Sully. Sweet, caring, loving Sully. Not that Nathan wasn't any of those things. However, those occurrences were rare. But I couldn't just dump Sully and go back to Nathan.

I fell asleep racking my brain. It was dark when I felt the bed dip. It startled me. "Shh, it's just me," Sully said in a low voice.

I let out a breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry. I was just coming to check on you." I scooted over for him to lay with me. We had done this many times. In the middle of the night, he would climb the tree between our rooms and sneak in my window. Sometimes we would talk until sunrise. He took me into his arms and wrapped them around me, snuggling me to him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I've just been thinking about a lot of things, and I fell asleep."

"About your ex?"

I didn't answer right away. I debated on if I should tell him the whole story. "Nathan and I had been dating for three years, and I caught him in bed with a girl I've never got along with. When we moved here, I put him out of my head. I was moving on. But now, he has proof he didn't cheat on me at all. And I don't know what to do with that information."

Sully was quiet as his thumb rubbed circle on my arm. I knew he was afraid. "Sully?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to worry. I'm not going to break up with you because of this. I...um. I love you."

He turned his head to me and looked into my eyes. "You love me?"

We hadn't exchanged "I love you" yet. I nodded.

"Did you know that...I love you too." I smiled widely and he mimicked. I reached forward and kissed his lips. As we continued to kiss, all thoughts of Nathan disappeared.

I woke up to a bang across the room. I shot up in my bed and saw Nathan in the doorway glaring towards me. Sully shot up right after I did. "What the hell are you doing here Nathan?!" I yelled out. The morning sun was shining through my window, and I wondered what time it was.

"Three years we're together, and he's already in your bed!?" He walked toward us, and to keep him from trying to hit Sully, I got up and stopped him in his tracks. He snatched up my arm and started to yank me out of my bedroom. Sully was up in a flash, and I let out a yelp as Sully's fist collided with Nathan's face. Nathan released my arm and grabbed Sully by the throat. Sully rammed him into my bedroom door. The collision made them bounce off and into the hallway. That instant, Jamie was up the stairs to see what the commotion was all about.

"Stop it!" I yelled at them, but they didn't hear a word I said.

As Nathan slammed Sully into the hallway wall, a picture fell to the floor. Thankfully, the glass didn't break. Sully had ahold of Nathan's shirt and somehow managed to yank him sideways, Nathan slamming against the wall next to him.

I looked at Jamie. "Do something!"

When I turned around, I suddenly saw Dad come up and grab both of them. He yelled out, "Enough! Both of you!" Nathan let go of Sully and my dad yanked them apart. "Nathan! Leave now!" He pointed to the stairway.

"But sir-" Nathan started.

"But nothing! I'll have a talk with you later! Now go!" My dad hardly ever got this serious.

"Yes sir." Nathan looked at me for a long second before he walked away and down the stairs.

"And you..." My dad looked at Sully. "You care to explain to me what the hell is going on?" He still had ahold of Sully's shirt.

"I don't even know. He barged in Brooke's room, grabbed her by the arm, and started yanking on her." Dad finally let him go.

I cut in. "How did he even get in here?"

"Uh..." Jamie started, raising his hand. "He was at the door and asked to talk to Brooke. How was I supposed to know she had her boyfriend in there?"

Dad turned to me and Sully. "You know, that's a damn good question."

It took some time to calm my dad down and explain to him it wasn't what he thought, and that his little girl was still a virgin. Sully and I left and went to his house. I explained to him that I needed to sit down with Nathan and get it through his head that we were over so he could go back home, and I could get on with my life.

"I don't want you to go by yourself," he voiced.

"If you go with me, you two will just fight."

"At least let me sit in the car."

I let out a small sigh and said, "Okay."

When I went home later that day, I unblocked Nathan's number from my phone and sent him a text.

Me: We need to talk.

It didn't take him long to respond. I agree.

Me: Where are you staying?

Nathan: The Hilton on 3rd street. You know the one?

Me: Yes. Is six okay?

Nathan: Yes. Room 421. See you soon.

I told Sully what he said. Unfortunately, Sully's dad needed his help, so he wasn't able to go. He tried hard to get me to reschedule with Nathan, but I wanted to get it over with. I drove to the motel and went to the fourth floor to 421 like Nathan had texted me. I had a strong feeling of anxiety the closer I got. I finally brought my hand up and knocked.

It only took a few seconds for him to open the door. He had a scowl on his face, and I knew he was still in a bad mood. I followed him inside and shut the door. I turned to face him, and he stood in front of the door with his arms folded across his chest. "Nathan-".

"Don't. Just don't. I came all the way across the country for you, Brooke."

"I know."

"Do you? We've spent three whole years of our lives together, and you're sleeping with some guy you barely even know?" His tone was accusing.

"We were only sleeping. Besides, I don't have to explain myself to you. We broke up, remember?"

His eyes got a little darker. "You know we belong together. Even living so far apart."

I shook my head. "Nathan, I've moved on. I'm sorry I was wrong about what happened, but you should move on too."

He quickly took two long strides and was instantly right in front of me, towering over me with his tall form. "You are mine, Brooke. I'm not giving up on us."

I hated his possessiveness. Suddenly, I felt uneasy. "I'm not yours." He snatched my bicep and jerked me towards him.

"Yes. You are. Always. Don't forget it. You're going to break up with that dickhead, and never see him again. Is that clear?"

I scoffed and tried to pull out of his grip with no luck. "Are you crazy?"

"You damn well know I am. I'm serious, Brooke. I'll stay in town forever if I have to."

My heart pounded in my chest, and my arm was hurting from his grip. "You can't do that. Let go of me." He didn't.

"Want to bet on that?"

"This is harassment," I stated and started pushing on his chest.

"You're not leaving me."

"Nathan, let go." He only gripped tighter, and his eyes looked wild with purpose. I did the only thing I could think of. I slapped him right across the face. The impact was loud, and my hand stung. The slap had caused his face to turn to the side. With his face still turned, I saw his jaw clench and his chest start to rise and fall.

When he finally looked at me, he was furious. "You bitch." His free hand went up to my throat. I was so scared. He'd never acted like this before. He forcefully shoved me against the wall, my head bouncing off it. His grip wasn't tight enough to cut off my air supply completely, but it restricted it.

"Nathan..." I tried to say but came out as a stressed whisper.

"I guess I haven't gotten my point across to you! You know what I'm capable of. If you know what's good for you, then you'll do what I say. Am I making myself clear, Brooke?"

I nodded my head as a tear rolled down my cheek. He let go of my throat and arm. When he brought his hand up, I flinched. He used his thumb to wipe the tear away. "Don't be scared, Princess. I love you. Now...," he pushed my hair behind my ear. "What are you going to do when you go home?"

I sniffled. "Break up with Sully."

"Good girl," he said with a smile. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I didn't return the kiss, but Nathan didn't say anything. "And you're not going to speak a word of this. Because, if you do, I'll make yours and your family's life a living hell. We're meant to be, Brooke. You'll see." I knew he could affect my father's job. He had that kind of power and connections. Who knows what he could do to my mother and brother? I stood there frozen, not knowing what to do next.

"Actually, let's tell surfer boy together that it's over. I want to see his face." My tears started to fall faster at the thought of hurting Sully. He grabbed my hand and headed towards the door.

I stopped and my arm jerked. He turned to look at me. "I can't do this, Nathan. What is wrong with you? I've never seen you this way before."

He stepped closer, still holding my hand. "You've never tried to choose someone else over me. It's me and you, Brooke. He's gotta go."

I started to shake my head. He let go of my hand and ran his hands softly down my hair. "Shh...everything is going to be okay, Princess. Come on, let's go."

Hesitantly, I followed him through the doorway. Once I was out of the room, I tried to make a mad dash in the opposite direction of him. But he was quicker than me and grabbed me around my waist, picking me up, my feet off the ground. I started to scream as loud as I could, and he slapped his hand across my mouth to silence me. I used all my strength to struggle in his arms, trying to break free.

He managed to get his room open, and the door closed. He carried me over to the bed and threw me on it. If I thought he looked angry when I first got there, it was magnified now. What happened next shocked me to the core. He pulled his arm back and backhanded me in the face. He hit me hard, and I flew to the side. He pulled my hand away from my face and crawled on top of me. He grabbed my face tightly in his large hand and squeezed. I couldn't stop sobbing.

"Shut the hell up!"

I'd never been as scared as I was at that moment. Nathan never physically hurt me to that extent. Maybe he held my hand a little too tight a time or two. Or grabbed my arm a few times with a little too much force. But right then...I feared for my life.

To Be Continued....