Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 2: Boundaries Broken

Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 2: Boundaries Broken

The days that followed were a strange mix of anticipation and dread. Ethan found himself both desperate and terrified to cross paths with Nathan again. His carefully structured world suddenly felt fragile, like a thin sheet of ice beneath his feet, and every thought of Nathan sent cracks racing outward.

It wasn’t just the glance anymore. It was the weight of possibilities.

Ethan had spent seventeen years hiding pieces of himself he couldn’t explain. There were feelings he never allowed himself to fully name — the fleeting glances at guys in the locker room, the strange hollowness he felt when girls flirted with him, the occasional dreams that left him breathless and confused. He had learned to swallow it all down, convincing himself that it was just a phase, or something he could control. Something he could fix.

But Nathan had stirred something in him that refused to stay hidden.

On Wednesday, the rain came. It fell in heavy sheets against the windows of the school, turning the hallways into a soft blur of gray. Ethan liked rainy days — they gave him permission to disappear into the background. But that day was different.

As he sat by himself in the library during lunch, trying to focus on his physics homework, a familiar voice interrupted him.

“Mind if I sit?”

Ethan looked up, heart racing. Nathan stood there, slightly damp from the rain, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Uh… sure,” Ethan managed, gesturing to the seat across from him.

Nathan slid into the chair, resting his chin on one hand, studying Ethan like he was something intriguing, something unsolved.

“You always eat lunch alone?” Nathan asked, his tone light but curious.

“Not always. My friend had something else today.”

Nathan nodded. “I figured someone like you would be surrounded by people.”

Ethan frowned. “Someone like me?”

“You know. The golden boy.” Nathan smiled, but there was no malice behind it. “Perfect grades, perfect manners, perfect everything.”

Ethan’s stomach twisted. “It’s not like that.”

Nathan leaned forward slightly. “No?”

Ethan looked away, heat rising to his cheeks. He wanted to say more, but his throat closed around the words. He didn’t want to admit how exhausting it was to keep up the façade. He didn’t want to admit how suffocating perfection felt.

“You know,” Nathan said softly, “you don’t have to pretend with me.”

Ethan’s head snapped up, startled by the directness of the statement. Nathan’s gaze held his, steady and open.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ethan whispered, barely able to hear himself over the pounding of his own heart.

Nathan smiled again, but this time it was softer, almost sad. “You will.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, the sound of rain tapping against the windows filling the space between them. And despite the silence, Ethan felt an odd sense of comfort. Like for the first time in a long while, someone was seeing him—not the version he performed, but something underneath.

That evening, Ethan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind replaying every word, every glance, every beat of silence from the library. His stomach was tangled in knots of fear and excitement.

What did Nathan mean? You don’t have to pretend with me.

Had he seen through him so easily? Had Ethan been that obvious?

And yet, strangely, it didn’t scare him the way it should have. There was a warmth, a relief in the idea of not having to pretend. The mask was so heavy. The thought of someone seeing him fully and not recoiling — it was intoxicating.

But the fear was still there. His father would never accept it. His church would condemn it. His friends might abandon him. Everything he’d built his life around would crumble if anyone knew what he was starting to feel.

The next encounter came faster than he expected.

On Friday afternoon, after the final bell, Ethan lingered by his locker, organizing his books when Nathan appeared again.

“Hey,” Nathan said, casually leaning against the neighboring locker. “Got any plans?”

Ethan’s mind raced. “Um… not really.”

“Good. You do now.”

Ethan blinked. “What?”

“There’s this place I found outside town. By the old bridge. Thought you might want to see it.”

Ethan hesitated. “Why me?”

Nathan’s expression softened. “Because you need to get out of here for a bit.”

For a moment, Ethan’s breath caught. He wanted to say no, to retreat into the safety of routine, but instead, against every instinct screaming inside him, he heard himself whisper: “Okay.”

The drive was quiet, except for the steady hum of Nathan’s car engine and the distant crackle of an old rock station playing softly on the radio. The rain had stopped, but the clouds remained thick and heavy, casting everything in a silvery glow.

Nathan glanced over at him once. “You always this nervous?”

Ethan forced a laugh. “I guess I’m not used to… this.”

“To what? Spending time with dangerous bad boys?”

Ethan blushed. “Something like that.”

Nathan smiled. “Relax, Ethan. I’m not going to bite.”

They drove for a while longer before pulling off onto a dirt road, parking near a clearing by an old, rusted bridge. The river below roared with the recent rain, and tall trees swayed gently in the breeze.

Nathan got out, and after a moment, Ethan followed. The air smelled of wet earth and pine.

“Come on,” Nathan said, leading him toward the bridge.

They stood in the middle of it, the world around them hushed except for the rushing water below. It was strangely peaceful, like a secret place untouched by the chaos of the world they’d left behind.

Nathan leaned against the railing, looking out. “This place makes me feel like I can breathe again.”

Ethan nodded, understanding more than he expected to.

“You ever feel like you’re living someone else’s life?” Nathan asked suddenly.

Ethan’s throat tightened. “All the time.”

Nathan turned to face him fully. His eyes were softer now, vulnerable. “You don’t have to.”

Ethan’s breath caught. The words felt heavier than before, more intimate.

Nathan took a slow step closer. Ethan’s heart pounded so loudly he was sure Nathan could hear it. The space between them shrank until Nathan was close enough for Ethan to feel the warmth radiating from his body.

“You can be real with me, Ethan,” Nathan whispered.

The storm inside Ethan raged. Every rule, every fear, every forbidden thought clashed violently inside him. But standing there, with Nathan’s eyes locked onto his, the boundaries he had lived behind his entire life began to tremble.

He didn’t step back.

For the first time, Ethan let the unspoken truth bloom quietly in his chest — terrifying and beautiful.

And Nathan smiled as if he could see it.

———————

Series Navigation

<< Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 1: The First GlanceUnbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 4: Secrets Between Walls >>