Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

NICK

Will is furious at him, seething over the phone. "You prick!" he thunders.

Startled, Nick blurts out, "Will? What –,"

"My parents are getting a divorce," Will bites out viciously, "and it's all because of you."

Nick is reeling. This means that his words to Mrs Carrroway actually had some effect, actually worked. Will is furious but Nick will make him come and see his point of view soon enough. He doesn't regret it. Mrs Carroway is better off without her lowlife husband, Nick thinks.

"What did you say to my dad?" Will is shouting at him angrily.

"Look," Nick says, "I didn't say anything to him but, look on the bright side, Will. Your mum is going to be free of him now. She's going to be happy."

Will's spluttering is all he can hear for a moment. "YOU BASTARD! WHAT ABOUT US?" Will doesn't let Nick speak, furiously ranting away at him. "Look on the bright side – are you an idiot? I have brothers and sisters, Nick! Which you would know if you ever pulled your head out of your ass and stopped thinking you're better than all of us! My mum might be better off without my dad but we're not going to be happy without him, are we?"

Guilt lurches into his stomach and Nick's lips part as he flushes hotly. "Hey, man," he says, awkward. "Look, I – I just got angry and –,"

Will's breaths are hard. "Shut up. Just – just shut up," he snaps and cuts the line.

Nick feels uneasy, his fingers lingering on his phone as he furrows his brows in thought. He's not wrong, he thinks. He knows he's not wrong. Mrs Carroway is better off without her husband and Will and his siblings are better off without an asshole dad to screw things up for them, like his did. Nick knows that and he knows that Will's going to see it, too.

He's restless and anger brews within him as he stomps downstairs, swiping up the keys to his motorbike. There is nowhere to go in this place. His gaze lingers over towards the kitchen temptingly but it's filled with people, bustling in and out, and Nick doesn't feel nearly comfortable enough in this place, even if he might show it to them.

Usually, Nick goes to play football or goes out with Will and Theo and but Will's still angry and Theo's too loyal to do anything with both of them. When his mother comes hurrying down the stairs, looking pristine and perfect as they all do, he doesn't realise that she's worried until she almost knocks over the glass of water on the table.

Everyone in this place always looks so pristine, like they've got their masks on for a perfect picture to take, Nick thinks. He lifts his head as his mother rattles away instructions into her phone.

"...did you check the other warehouses, then? And what did they say? Oh, God, this is going to set us back weeks – and I worked so hard on this – we'll be losing so much revenue – okay, okay, you go pick up some more and I'll meet you back at the office," his mother says quickly before switching off her phone and taking a deep breath. She seems to notice him sitting at the table for the first time in a long time and looks a little surprised, hitching up a smile. "Good morning, Nick."

Nick grunts in response.

"I'll be out all day, in the office. Don't forget that you have the Sutton party a little later in the week. I hear there's a theme for it. Choose whatever suit you like – Armani, Gucci, Hugo Boss. What are your plans?"

"What's going on with your office?" Nick asks bluntly, not really listening to what she's telling him.

His mother looks surprised that he's asking but he's bored and curious enough to ask. She flushes slightly when she answers. "One of our warehouses got robbed. Windows smashed, clothes strewn all over the place," she tells him. "Police are saying they've found some black feathers or something strewn over the place but that particular warehouse didn't have any animal prints – what's wrong?" She notices his pale, ashen face, her own face creasing in worry.