‘And I haven’t changed, either. I love you, Nico. That’s unconditional. That’s all a mother is, really. A husk of love.’
He took a deep breath and said something he should have said to her a long time ago. ‘I am the eldest. I should have protected him. I should have had his back. I’m so sorry.’ His voice broke at the final words and a dam of tears he’d been holding back for a year opened.
She reached out and put her arm on his, letting her tears fall too. ‘He was behind you when the accident happened. You couldn’t predict or stop it. You couldn’t see around every corner or protect him from every eventuality. If anything, that was my job. You were his brother, not his bodyguard. Let him leave your flat and your company and forge his new path. It’s time everyone moved on, and you can’t do that if you are stuck in the roles of victim and protector forever. Believe me, it’s not healthy.’ The phone beeped again. ‘Sorry, I keep making you miss her,’ his mum said as he checked out the message.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
He sent a question mark back before telling his mum he’d need to push off but would come to visit soon. ‘I’m really glad I came.’
‘Me too.’ They parted with a hug as his phone went again, this time his brother.What was going on?
‘Aria phoned the office,’ Theo said as soon as Nic answered. ‘She was hysterical. Did you sanction the builders to get to work on her land?’
‘What? No, of course not.’
‘Well, it’s gone.’
Nic was confused. ‘What’s gone?’
‘The hut.’
‘Aria’s cabin? Gone where? What the hell are you talking about?’
Theo let out a breath. ‘They knocked it down, Nic.’
‘Who did? The builders?’choked Nic. ‘They couldn’t have. I put them on stand-by. I was going to figure something out.’ He heard the beep of his voicemail to say he had another message. ‘Dad!’
Theo came to the same realisation at the same moment, cursing loudly. ‘You didn’t listen.’
‘He went off on one when he was up there about the hut being in the way, but I never for a moment thought he’d do anything about it. He doesn’t have the right. Theo, I’ve gotta go. I need to call him.’
***
‘What did you do?’ Nic barked at his dad.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Aria’s hut. You know what I’m talking about.’ Nic spoke through gritted teeth. If his father were here, he’d punch him. How dare he overrule him? Especially on something so delicate and important.
‘Oh that!’ his dad said breezily as though it was no biggie at all. ‘I gave the go-ahead for contractors to clear the land. That was the next stage, right? You said the hut was sorted. But I looked at the blueprints, and discovered it wasn’t. So, I took care of it myself. You are too emotionally involved with the Cumbrian girl. I did it for the good of the business.’
‘Mybusiness,notyours! You tore down her father’s legacy.’
‘It was a ransom strip.’
‘Her inheritance…’
‘Your pension. You said it was sorted,’ he repeated. ‘I just made it happen.’ He rang off.
Fuck no. Nic phoned back, furious, only to be put through to voicemail.
‘Theo was right all along,’ he said, teeth grinding in anger as he left a message. ‘I don’t want your investment, and I don’t want you sniffing around my family anymore. Stay away from us all!’ His voice faltered as the call ended. But it was no more cracked than their relationship. He walked down to the beach, ringing Aria over and over. He wouldn’t stop calling until she answered. On about the tenth ring, she picked up. But his relief was short lived.
‘I had next to nothing, Nic, and now you’ve turned that into zero.’ Her anger radiated through the miles. ‘You have no idea what you’ve done. You’ve taken everything away from me. I trusted you with my past, which also happened to be the only thing in my future, if you don’t count Tiger and some dog food. I let you in. And for what? I will never forgive you for this and never trust anyone else as long as I live.’
He spoke with urgency, desperate to keep her on the line. ‘Aria, listen to me, I didn’t do it. I would never do that to you. I’m coming back, this afternoon. We can talk. I know it doesn’t make things better, but my father—’
‘I won’t step foot in your house again.’ The hatred in her voice jolted him and his hope dissolved. Without her, he wasreduced to zero too. Everything he was excited about in the future connected back to her. His enthusiasm for life, his bullishness in business, the new-found love of his environment, all her. The Wilson family clung onto their hut for decades, and he’d had a part in destroying it. Was there any return from this? There had to be. Filled with panic, he begged her to stay on the line, telling her he’d fucked up by not keeping a leash on his dad. He repeated he’d be home in a few hours.
