Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 5: A World Against Us

Unbroken: A Love That Defies the World – by L.J. Hart – Chapter 5: A World Against Us

The world outside Nathan’s bedroom was cold and relentless. The moment Ethan stepped back into it, the weight of reality came crashing down like a bitter wind, clawing at the warmth he carried from their secret world. The comfort of Nathan’s arms was replaced by the sharp sting of whispered rumors, judgmental glances, and the suffocating expectations that had ruled Ethan’s life long before Nathan arrived.

At school, the tension was beginning to brew, like a storm gathering in the distance. It started subtly—slightly longer stares from classmates, conversations that quieted when he entered the room, a few offhand comments that could be easily ignored. But Ethan could feel it. They were watching.

The risk was growing.

“You’re being careful, right?” Zoe whispered one afternoon as they sat under the bleachers during gym class.

Ethan looked at her, startled. “What do you mean?”

“You and Nathan.”

His stomach dropped. “I don’t—”

“Come on, Ethan.” Her voice was soft but firm. “I see the way you look at him. And the way he looks at you. You think nobody notices? I do.”

Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest. “You don’t understand.”

Zoe sighed, her expression pained. “I’m not judging you, okay? But people here aren’t like me. They won’t be kind. You know that.”

He swallowed hard. “I know.”

“And your dad… Ethan, if he finds out—”

“I know!” Ethan snapped, his voice a desperate whisper. “You think I don’t know what I’m risking? Every single day?”

Zoe’s eyes softened with sympathy. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Ethan looked away, blinking back the burn behind his eyes. “I already am.”

Because that was the truth. Every moment with Nathan was beautiful, intoxicating—but every moment outside of it was a tightrope walk over fire.

That evening, Nathan pulled him close in his car, his thumb brushing soothingly over Ethan’s knuckles.

“Zoe knows,” Ethan whispered.

Nathan’s expression didn’t change, but Ethan felt his hand tighten slightly. “Is she okay with it?”

“She says she is. But she’s scared for me.”

Nathan let out a soft breath. “Yeah. I get it.”

Ethan turned to face him fully, his voice raw. “Do you ever regret it? Starting this with me?”

Nathan’s eyes flashed with something fierce, something protective. “Not for a second.”

“But what if it all falls apart?”

Nathan reached up, cradling Ethan’s face gently. “Then we’ll face it together.”

Ethan closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. “I don’t know if I’m as strong as you.”

Nathan smiled softly. “You’re stronger than you think, Ethan. You just don’t know it yet.”

Their lips met in a slow, aching kiss — not rushed, not desperate, but full of unspoken promises. A tender rebellion in a world that refused to make space for them.

But the cracks continued to spread.

By the following week, whispers had turned into accusations.

It happened in the locker room first — after gym class, while Ethan was changing. The group of boys who had always hovered at the edge of cruelty finally stepped in.

“You spending a lot of time with the new kid, huh?” one of them, Ryan, sneered. “Must be getting pretty cozy.”

Ethan froze, his shirt half-buttoned, heart hammering in his chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on.” Another boy laughed. “We’ve seen you sneaking off with him after school. What are you two doing, huh? Studying?”

The others laughed cruelly.

Ethan’s throat tightened. His hands trembled as he buttoned his shirt faster, desperate to escape.

Ryan stepped closer, his voice lowering into something venomous. “You’re a fucking faggot, aren’t you?”

The word hit like a slap. Ethan’s face flushed, not from shame — not anymore — but from a sick cocktail of fear and rage. But still, he said nothing. Because what could he say? What defense was safe? What truth wouldn’t make it worse?

When he finally pushed past them and rushed out of the locker room, the laughter echoed behind him like knives in his back.

That night, Ethan collapsed into Nathan’s arms, his entire body shaking.

Nathan held him fiercely, pressing soft kisses into his hair. “I’ve got you,” he whispered over and over. “I’ve got you.”

“It’s starting,” Ethan choked out. “They know. They all know.”

Nathan pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. “Then let them. We’ll deal with it.”

“They called me—” Ethan couldn’t even say the word.

Nathan’s jaw clenched. “I don’t care what they call you. You’re mine. You hear me? You are mine.”

The possessiveness in Nathan’s voice sent a shiver down Ethan’s spine — not fear, but something deeper. Safety. Fierce, undeniable safety.

Nathan kissed him hard, desperate and hungry, pouring all of his anger, his frustration, his love into every movement.

The kisses grew rougher, more urgent, their bodies colliding like two storms finally surrendering to the chaos. Clothes were shed hastily, fingers fumbling in the low light of Nathan’s bedroom. Ethan’s skin burned everywhere Nathan touched — every stroke, every squeeze, every breath against his neck sending waves of pleasure through him.

Nathan’s hands gripped Ethan’s hips, guiding him onto his lap as their lips devoured each other’s. The friction between them made Ethan moan into Nathan’s mouth, the heat building rapidly, consuming them both.

“I need you,” Nathan rasped against his ear, voice breaking with raw need.

Ethan trembled, gasping. “I need you too.”

They moved in sync, their bodies finding a rhythm as old as desire itself — desperate, tender, hungry. Every thrust of Nathan’s hips, every whispered plea from Ethan’s lips pulled them closer to the brink. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only this. Only them.

Nathan’s hand slid behind Ethan’s neck, pulling him down into a breathless kiss as they both finally reached the peak together, their moans lost in each other’s mouths.

Afterward, they lay tangled together, breathless, sweat-slicked skin pressed close, hearts still pounding.

Nathan held Ethan’s face in his hands, his voice a reverent whisper. “No matter what they say… you’re not wrong for loving me.”

Tears pricked Ethan’s eyes. “I know,” he whispered back. “I just wish it didn’t have to be this hard.”

Nathan kissed him again, softly this time, like a promise. “We’ll make it through. I swear.”

And in that moment, Ethan believed him.

For now.

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