No Good Nick: Part 3

Chapter 1:

"Nick." My fathers voice echos in my ears. "Nick what's wrong?" Staring at the man who wanted to destroy the people I love, my eyes fill up with unshed tears. I slowly walk away from the police officer and towards the man I once put on a pedestal.
"Dad. I'm done." I say simply and his face shifts into a confused frown.
"Nicky..." he starts but I interrupt him.
"I'm done! I can't hurt the Thompson's, and I turned the necklace in. I can't be like you." I spit out and he recoils.
"Nicky, I did what I had to and now, so do you." He manages a calm, but more agitated tone.
I narrow my eyes, loosing patience for the man I once called family, "No. I'm not doing anything more to the Thompson's. They're good people and my family." My heart swells just thinking about them.
"No, they're not Nicky. I'm your family. They don't love you and they never will. They won't forgive you for hurting them and they will never fully trust you!" He looses patience and stands up, outraged, with his fists clenched at his sides. Noticing the cops closing in, discreet but still there, I keep a calm voice and a straight face. "Dad, they're family whether you want them to be or not. And I don't care if you like it- I'm going to live with them and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
Loosing it, he walks around the round table to me, angry, upset, and hurt. Grabbing me by the hem of my jacket he lifts me to my feet. All other noise in the room stops and the cops close in, but I hold up my hand in a signal for them to stop.
"Go ahead, hit me." I say, glaring into his smoldering eyes and daring him to do it. "Then you will never get out of here." I say in a low voice and he pushes me away, so I stumble into someone.
I quickly apologize and turn back to my father. "Goodbye Tony." I spin on my heel but before I can walk away, he stops me.
"What about the money?" He asks again, angry.
I turn back towards him, whispering, "I don't give a damn about you anymore." I lie, my heart breaks but I my voice doesn't. "Like I said, I'm done."
I turn and walk away, keeping my head held high but dying on the inside.
Once I get outside I take a deep breath and close my eyes leaning my forehead against the brick building. A lump gets stuck in my throat and tears burn my eyes. He will never be a father to me again.
"Nick?" A familiar voice breaks into my haze of thoughts.
"What are doing here Will?" I don't bother trying to be nice. Why can't I just let everything out for once?
"My mom is at this jail." Although I hear him, I keep my back turned and my voice dull.
"Oh, my dad was here to." I emphasize the 'was'.
"Is he getting out?" Will asks hopeful for me.
"No, he's just... I don't consider him a... a father anymore-" my voice finally breaks and I sag against the wall, completely hopeless. "He's dead to me... I really am an orphan now." I slide down the wall, sobs cursing through me and ripping out my throat.
Strong arms wrap around me and I cling to Will's shirt. He shifts to sit on the ground and I lean my head on his shoulder, the tears flowing bravely down my cheeks.
"I hate him... I hate him!" I pound on Will's chest and he takes my anger silently, waiting until my body tires and I lay limply next to him.
"Nick?" Will says hesitant.
"Yeah?" I whimper out, to exhausted and hurt to care how I sound.
"I... my mom isn't at this jail. The truth is... I followed you." I look up into his eyes and see nothing but the truth.
"Why?" I whisper out, the strength sapped from my limbs and head.
"I'm not really sure." He shrugs beneath me. "I just- this probably isn't the time to say it but- I like you Nick. A lot." I look up at him, surprise stopping my already slowing tears. Will puts his hand behind my head and puts our foreheads together. My breathing gets shallow and stops all together when he presses his lips to mine.
Everything I've been thinking about vanishes, my dad forgotten in the heat of the moment, and everybody else disappears.
He pulls away and I open my eyes, not realizing that I closed them. This time it's me who wraps my arms around him and I scoot up next to him, sheltering my face in the warmth of his jacket, suddenly realized the cold temperature outside.
I shiver and he puts an arm around my shoulder, bending one knee up and putting his other arm across it. We sit there for a while, just enjoying each others company but it starts to get late and I have to get home.
"I should get going..." I say.
"Nick, wait. I have a favor to ask of you."
"K, but then let's get going so Liz doesn't worry... actually it would be Ed who worries." Will laughs and I smile, standing up. "So what did you need to ask?"
"I ran away from the group home and I need a place to stay..." he trails off and I keep a straight face, not showing him the turmoil of emotions zipping through my head.
"Will, I'm not sure." I say. I can't break Liz and Ed's trust again.
"Liz and Ed don't have to know-" he doesn't finish his sentence because I've made up my mind.
"Fine, but let's go." When I'm away from him I realize just how low the temperature dropped and shiver unconsciously.
"Here," Will pulls off his jacket and holds it out to me.
"Will..." I start but he stops me by shoving it in my arms. I take it and put it around my shoulders. We walk home, side by side.

I walk up to the Thompson house, Will staying out of sight of the windows so he isn't spotted. I open the door and peek in. Nobody is in the living room and I motion for Will to follow me up the stairs. We run up the stairs, our footsteps silenced by the plush carpeting, and me, thinking where to hide him. We get up to Molly's and my room and I push the door open. Molly isn't in here but there's still the problem of where to hide him. I walk in and see the closet. That's it!
"You are hiding... in here." I say, walking over and opening the door to our walk-in closet.
"Really?" I can tell he isn't impressed but I don't have an idea of where else yet.
"I'll find something better," I hiss, "but I need you to trust me for now."
"Fine." He isn't impressed but I don't care at this point.
"I'm gonna get something to eat, don't leave this room. And if you hear someone coming, hide." I throw my stuff on the bed and set my phone down on the dresser. "I'll be back."I close the door behind me and go down to get a drink and some snacks.

"Hey, yeah it's Will... I'm in." I say dislike evident in my voice.
"Good... and she doesn't have any idea?" Dorothy asks.
"No. If I do this, you won't hurt my mom?" I ask, fearing for her safety.
"Yes. You know the plan," Dorothy says and I nod, before realizing she can't see it.
"Yeah," I say and hang up. I hate doing this to Nick but I can't bear to see my mom hurt. I put my phone in my pocket and hurry into the closet, when I hear the door creak.
"Hey Will, I'm back!"