Nathan’s words stunned everyone to silence. Especially me. No one has ever stood up for me before.
And no one ever stood up to my father.
I didn’t know if that made him insane or incredible.
Either way, I was grateful he was here.
“Tell me, Nathan, do you think standing up to me makes you a man? Because all I see is a child playing dress-up, stomping his little feet, trying to be bigger than he is.Let me be perfectly clear. You don’t belong here. Not in her life, not in ours. Whatever fantasy you’ve built in your mind ends now.” My father was practically vibrating with rage.
“Letmebe clear,” Nathan said evenly. “Mwen pap ale okenn kote.”I’m not going anywhere.
For the first time, I saw my father's composure slip. His mouth opened then closed, like he couldn’t quite find the words to respond.When did Nathan learn how to speak creole?
I sat frozen beside Nathan, my hand trembling against my lap. My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t pull in enough air until Nathan shifted closer to me.
I felt his presence before I heard his voice again.
“She deserved better than what she got from you.” He continued in English. His tone softened, but the strength behind it didn’t fade. “Elise survived something that would’ve broken most people. She walked away from a man who tried to strip her of her confidence, her sense of worth, her voice. And yet, she rebuilt herself. Do you know how many people lack the courage to do that?”
My brother's voice broke through the silence. “Elise,” he said quietly. “What is he talking about?”
Every instinct in me screamed to protect myself. To stay quiet. To swallow it down like I always had.
But I was tired of carrying it alone.
“My ex,” I said softly. “Jax...He used to hit me.”
The table went completely still.
“I never wanted anyone to know,” I continued, my voice shaking despite my effort to steady it. “But it’s the truth. He was abusive. He spent the last year in jail. He was released a few weeks ago, and when he found me,” I had to swallow past the lump in my throat. “He made sure to punish me for putting him there.” My fingers trembled as I pulled the neckline of my dress aside, revealing more of the fading bruises and scratches on my shoulder. “I thought he was going to kill me.”
My mother covered her mouth, blinking rapidly as tears filled her eyes.
My brother stared down at my shoulder, his eyes a shade darker, his hands clenched into a fist.
My father remained perfectly still with his features hardening.
Before anyone could speak, Nathan did.
“What should keep you up at night,” Nathan said, his gaze locked on my father. “is that she didn’t feel safe enough to come to you when she needed someone the most. That’s not on her. That’s on all of you.”
The words settled heavily over the table.
I forced a small smile toward my mother. “Mom, I’m sorry. This isn’t how tonight was supposed to go.”
She shook her head immediately. “Elise—”
“I mean it,” I said softly, cutting her off. “Let’s finish dinner. Please. Tonight is about you.”
No one argued.
The rest of the meal passed in strained politeness.
Conversation was forced. Laughter sounded hollow. Forks scraped against plates too loudly. I found myself watching the clock more than my food, answering questions with one word replies, counting the minutes until we could leave. Nathan stayed close, his hand warm against my thigh beneath the table, grounding me through every unbearable second.
When the check finally arrived, Nathan paid for our meal and I hugged my mom and brother goodbye before Nathan and I stood up and excused ourselves. Outside, the cool night air hit my skin as Nathan helped me slip into his jacket. His hands lingered at my shoulders, gentle and protective.
“Elise.” I turned at the sound of my name, just as my brother exited the restaurant, his face tight with barely contained fury. “Nathan,” he said, nodding once before looking back at me. “You tell me where this guy is,” Julian said. “I’ll fly to LA tonight if I have to. Nobody puts hands on my sister.”
