Etching Our Way (Broken Tracks 1)

“Tristan—” I hold my hand up to Edward, silencing him before turning toward him.

“This has nothing to do with you.” I set my gaze on his, not moving until he understands me, but he doesn’t shrink back like he normally would, instead he pulls his shoulders back.

“Yes, it does. You’re like a son to me and those two kids are the closest thing I’ll ever get to grandchildren. What you did was selfish and unfair.”

I reel back, my brows rising before I storm toward him. “Unfair? You want to talk about unfair?”

“Tristan… stop.”

My head whips back to my mom. “I’m their father. Not you, not him.” I point between them before slamming the palm of my hand on my chest. “Me! I decide what’s best for them.”

“I know,” she says softly, trying her hardest to tame the beast inside of me. “Take a breath.”

I do as she says, closing my eyes before they spring back open when I hear footsteps, I spin around, seeing a sad Clay as he stares at me from the top of the stairs, the sadness overtaking him.

“He’s not doing too well,” Mom whispers. “He had a bad dream last night.”

My heart sinks as he turns around and walks away. “He had a nightmare?” I ask, feeling like I made a terrible mistake letting them stay at her house. I should have been there when he woke up, I always have been and I always should be.

“Yeah, you should have seen him, Tris. He was sobbing so bad that I thought he wouldn’t be able to breathe.”

“You should have called me,” I fume, turning to face her before stepping toward the stairs, wanting to go up to him. Had she called me, she wouldn’t have been able to take them to her studio.

“Tris.” She takes hold of my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I spin around, raising my brows at her and silently telling her to get her hand off me and to say what she wants to say quickly. “This has to stop.”

“What?”

She looks behind her, her gaze catching Edward’s. “This isn’t good for them. You need help.” I open my mouth to tell her that I’m doing fine but she cuts me off before I do, letting go of my arm. “You have to stop this before it turns into us.”

I frown at her, hating that she’s hit the nail on the head. “You don’t know what it’s like,” I grind out.

“Then tell me, tell me what it’s like to have to do this on your own.”

I shake my head, gritting my teeth. “It’s none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t!” She takes a step toward me, her face the same mask of anger mine was only moments ago. “Those are my grandbabies, Tris. I won’t see them go through what you did, I made that mistake once, I won’t let history repeat itself!”

With that said, she spins around, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she walks out of the house, Edward on her tail.

“Daddy! I want to show you something!”

“Coming!” I shout back to Izzie, my gaze not moving from the front door.

She’s right. However much I hate admitting it to myself, she is right. I can’t watch Clay go through what I did. I know how it feels and it’s time that I put a stop to it, once and for all.

I spend the next hour playing tea parties with Izzie and her array of teddy bears, leaving Clay in his room. I know he won’t talk to me about anything that’s bothering him until he’s good and ready.

Tucking Izzie in, I kiss her forehead and tell her I love her before walking out of her room, leaving the door open slightly.

I stop outside of Clay’s room, seeing the light shining from underneath the door. “Clay?” I ask, knocking gently on the door. “Can I come in?”

It’s several seconds before his muffled voice tells me that I can and I place my hand on the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open slowly.

My eyes scan his whole room, searching for him and when I see his tent in the corner and a light coming from inside, I know that he’s in there. I walk over to it, kneeling down and pulling back his makeshift door, crawling inside the small space.

He holds his flashlight in one hand, shining it down on his book so I tilt my head to see what he’s reading. The Silver Chair.

“Already on the sixth book?” I ask, my voice low.