Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 161: Fragile Foundation

Zane felt a sharp pain in his chest as he walked through the quiet streets near the bar. Each breath he took was short and labored. He stopped for a moment, leaning his shoulder against a large tree, and pulled his inhaler from his pocket.

He pressed the canister and inhaled the medicine. The chemical taste was bitter, and his lungs felt tight, but he didn’t stop. His head felt heavy, and a dull dizziness made the world tilt slightly, but he kept moving.

He couldn’t leave Nathan alone. That boy didn’t like his street friends. He was afraid Nathan might run into trouble. He was terrified that Nathan might get hurt.

He spent a long time circling the blocks around the bar, his eyes scanning every bench, every dark corner, and every bus stop.

"Nathan... please..." Zane had never prayed before, but this time he put all his faith into pleading with whoever was up there to help him find Nathan.

After what felt like hours, he finally saw a familiar figure. Nathan was sitting on a bench beneath a large, bare tree at the edge of a small park. He looked small and defeated.

Zane’s heart pounded against his ribs, not just from his asthma, but from a sudden wave of relief. He ran toward him, but as he got closer, he slowed his pace.

He walked carefully, his shoes crunching on the frozen grass.

Nathan didn’t look up. He sat with his head down, his eyes fixed on the dark ground. He looked haggard. His hair was tousled by the wind, and his face was pale.

Zane stopped a few feet away, trying to read Nathan’s expression, but there was nothing but deep, heavy sadness.

He felt a surge of guilt. He was supposed to be the one making Nathan feel safe and happy right now, yet here he was, the cause of Nathan’s newest pain.

"Nath..." Zane said softly.

Nathan let out a long, tired sigh. He heard Zane’s voice, but he didn’t turn his head to look at him. "Just go home, Zane. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. Especially not you."

"No," Zane said, his voice still a bit shaky from his breathing issues. "I am not going to leave you here alone. It’s freezing."

Nathan remained silent. He pulled his jacket tighter around his body.

"Nath, please. Just listen to me for a minute," Zane begged. He stepped a little closer, but Nathan flinched, creating more distance.

"Listen to what?" Nathan asked. His voice was flat. "Are you going to tell me that he’s just a friend? Is that the classic excuse for a playboy? That everyone else just misunderstands your intentions?"

Zane felt like he’d been hit. The word playboy stung. "Nath, I am not what you think I am. Please, you have to trust me."

Nathan finally turned his head. He looked at Zane, but his eyes were cold and sharp. There was no warmth in them, no hint of the affection they had shared at the farmhouse just hours ago.

Zane felt his hope slipping away. It was a look of total disappointment.

Zane looked down at his shoes. "I’m sorry I made you feel this way. I don’t know how to explain it to you if you’ve already decided who I am in your mind. But I believe I didn’t do anything wrong regarding my feelings for you. Dylan was a friend. We were close once, yes. But we were never lovers. We never had a relationship."

Zane paused, taking a difficult breath. He knew he had to be honest about the messy part. "It was my mistake that I gave him hope. I wasn’t clear enough when I rejected him. I let him think there was a chance after the exams just to get him to leave me alone so I could study. It was a big mistake. I hate myself for it because now it’s hurting you."

Nathan looked away again, his jaw tight. "I don’t need to hear any of this. He is handsome. He clearly loves you. It was my mistake to think that your ’I love you’ was something special. I was so naive to assume we were lovers just because of those words."

Zane felt a sharp ache in his chest. "I truly love you, Nath. I have never felt this way about anyone else."

"How many people have you said those words to?" Nathan asked. He didn’t sound angry anymore; he just sounded tired of the lies.

Zane fell silent. He realized that Nathan didn’t believe a single word he said. Their relationship was still new, and the foundation wasn’t strong enough to survive a shock like this. Nathan had been lied to by his brothers his whole life; of course, he would expect the same from a boyfriend.

Zane didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t force Nathan to believe him. He couldn’t take back the words Dylan had said in the bar. He wanted to shout, to cry, to do anything to prove his sincerity, but he knew Nathan would only see it as more acting.

"Please, Nathan..." Zane whispered. For the first time in his life, he begged someone so desperately.

Nathan looked down at the grass. "Please just go. I don’t want to see your face right now. Let me be alone."

"No," Zane said firmly. "I told you, I will not leave you alone here. If you hate me, then hate me. But I am going to stay here until I know you are home safely. I don’t care if I have to sit here all night."

"I’m not going home either," Nathan muttered. "I don’t want to go back to that mansion. I don’t want to see anyone."

Zane let out a long breath. He felt exhausted. "Nath... how can I explain this? Please, tell me. What can I do to make you believe me?"

Nathan didn’t answer. He stared at the empty swings on the nearby playground.

Zane didn’t press him further. He walked a few yards away and sat down on one of the swings. He didn’t rock back and forth; he just sat there, the chains creaking slightly in the wind. He gave Nathan the space he’d asked for, but he kept his eyes on the boy under the tree.

He was prepared to wait.

At the Salazar mansion, the atmosphere was chaotic. Louis had finally returned with Nael after dropping Eli off at his home. The drive had been miserable. Nael had spent the entire time pouting and complaining, his anger boiling over.

"Nael, please stop being angry," Louis said as they walked through the grand foyer. "You have to understand that the Boss only wants you to be safe. We never had bad intentions."

Nael turned around, his face red. "It’s cruel! I was crying! I thought I was going to die! I thought Nathan was going to be killed! You let us feel that way over a lie!"

Nael was so angry he was shaking. He didn’t care about safety protocols or the family’s enemies. He felt like he’d been treated like a puppet.

Louis sighed, unable to defend the plan any further. He led Nael toward the stairs, but his concern shifted when he realized the foyer was too quiet. He checked the security logs and realized Nathan hadn’t returned.

Within minutes, the entire household was alerted. Nathan was missing.

In the room, Leo was already at work. He sat in front of a dozen monitors, his fingers moving rapidly across a keyboard, searching for his brother.

"I’ve got him," Leo said. He pointed to a screen displaying GPS coordinates. Nathan was in a public park. His phone was active, but he wasn’t moving. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Malvin stood behind Leo, staring at the small pulsing dot on the map. He looked depressed. He knew that after the recent terrifying events, Nathan’s discovery of the fake kidnapping would be the final straw.

Nathan wasn’t just a rebellious teenager anymore; he would surely distance himself and be hard to reach this time.

"He’s going to be so angry," Malvin muttered. "He might not even come back. He’s going to make everything difficult."

"Regardless of how he feels, you have to get him back to the mansion first," Leo said, his voice cold. "Alex is expecting him to be here. We can’t have him wandering the streets at night."

Leo looked at Malvin. "You should go. If I go, he’ll probably try to hit me."

"I wish Alexander were here," Malvin sighed.

"He’s on his way home now," Roger said as he stood in the room.

He was checking his own tablet. Time and again he glanced around Leo’s room, which reeked of blood. Though he didn’t say anything, he felt uncomfortable there, in his own brother’s room.

Malvin looked at Roger. "Can you go pick up Nathan? Usually, you can use your sweet tongue to convince people. Maybe he’ll listen to you."

Roger let out a short, sharp laugh. "It doesn’t work on Nathan, Malvin. Trust me. He is different. He actually scares me sometimes."

"So what do we do?" Malvin asked, looking back at the GPS map.

"Just go and talk to him," Leo commanded. He was starting to sound impatient. "Don’t use force unless you have to. But bring him home. Now."

Leo was worried. He knew that if Nathan stayed out there too long, he might do something impulsive, or worse, someone might recognize him and try to hurt him. The Salazar name was a target, and Nathan was currently the most vulnerable part of it.

Malvin nodded slowly. He grabbed his coat and headed toward the garage. He dreaded the conversation that was about to happen. He knew that when he looked into Nathan’s eyes, he wouldn’t be able to say anything.