Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the Walters' kitchen where Michael and Samantha were after breakfast. When Nick entered, he saw his father sitting at the island, his laptop in front of him, and his eyes focused on the screen. Samantha turned around from the cabinet where she seemed to be taking out baking supplies. Michael hadn't noticed his presence yet. Not for long. Nick took a deep breath and called out to his dad, coming closer to the stools around the kitchen island.
"Dad, can we talk?"
"Nick, hey," Michael looked at him in surprise before motioning to sit in the stool opposite his, "Yeah, come sit down."
Nick gestured to his laptop after he sat, "What are you working on?"
"It's-uh, a new project that Thomas Pierce and I have been trying to get started," Michael said, looking a bit confused, no doubt at this sudden interaction.
"Sounds cool," Nick nodded.
"You think so? Hey, maybe you'd wanna help out on this one," Michael quirked up, "I already got Madison ready, having you would it even better."
He ignored Madison's name as he straightened up, "Are you sure? I mean- after what I did."
Michael gulped, his eyes widening in realization, "Oh, that."
"I lost a lot of money, dad," Nick added making his father sigh, "Nick- "
But he cut Michael off quickly, "And I'm gonna pay you back, I promise. Yeah, I'm working on some stuff. It isn't permanent, I wasn't thinking long-term but I'm gonna make the money back from it, dad."
Michael didn't bother to hide his shock at the new information, "Is that what you've been doing these days?"
"I know it doesn't look like it but I'm really trying here. I got some stuff lined up, I'm still slipping a little bit but I'm trying my best, really," he said, sincerely, trying to get Michael to see that he wasn't playing another game.
Nick felt relieved when Michael grinned, "You have no idea how happy that makes me, son."
"I wanted to tell you once I got the money but it may be some time until I get it," Nick added, carefully, "I just- I heard what you said about showing you and…."
Michael nodded, filling the lull in the conversation, "I'm glad you understood, Nick. This thing-whatever it is you're doing-does it take up much of your time?"
"No, not much. Why?" He furrowed his brow before his eyes widened, "Do you need me for something? Cause I'll do it, dad."
"I'd like you to be a part of this new project," Michael gestured to his computer, "It's a hotel in the Bahamas and I've had the idea in my head for years."
"Yeah, I'll do it, dad. Whatever it is you need me to do, I'll do it."
Michael seemed to be cautious of his sudden excitement, "I'll have someone email you the plans so you can get an idea. Just look over them, tell me what you think and we'll move on from there."
"Step by step, son. Take everything slowly," He added, noticing Nick's eagerness deflate.
He nodded, understandingly, "Yeah. All right. I'll wait for the email."
"Good talking with you, Nick," Michael smiled at him, signaling the end of the conversation making Nick rise to his feet.
"You too, dad."
Nick couldn't help but feel giddy from the first decent conversation that he had had with his father in almost a year. As he backed out of the kitchen, he exchanged a small smile with Samantha who had thankfully remained silent during the whole conversation and he was grateful for her indiscretion. He still couldn't believe it. Not a single cutting remark, not a single taunt about how Nick was wasting away his life going to parties and he didn't feel like jumping out of a window by the end of it. It was a miracle and Nick was determined to not let go of this. Michael didn't seem like he was still as angry as he was when he had messed up the shipment from three months earlier.
It was his first month in college, Nick had come home for the weekend and wanted to ward off stress with his favorite powdery substance that he had gotten into at UC Davis. The rest of his family hadn't been home which made him comfortable enough to get high and drunk in the comfort of his own room before they returned. He had just snorted the contents of the first small plastic bag when Michael had called, saying that Nick needed to go the docks where a ship was about to depart to the mainland carrying cargo that he needed to verify was in top shape. Nick had been an idiot, the high hadn't hit him yet so he thought he could make it to the docks and back before he lost his senses. Obviously, that plan didn't work and he approved the defective cargo which cost the company about fifty grand.
Business had been a bit tough those days, the merge with Pierce Industries hadn't happened yet, so that was a major setback for Michael. He had been livid and that was the first time in his life that Nick had seen his father yell at him in such an uncontrolled rage where at one point he felt like he would've hit him. To make matters worse, Nick dropped out of college a month later. The rage that he had witnessed earlier just festered into icy bitterness where he felt like Michael hated him for who he was.
Nick shook his head of the thoughts that swirled in his head, not wanting to jinx his progress with Michael who didn't seem like he hated his son anymore. He knew that taking Madison's advice would've been a gamble where the risk could be great, a risk that he was now immensely grateful for.
It had been a slow process but he had already made almost ten grand out of the total amount and he knew it was just bound to get better when he remembered his conversation with Madison where she said that he had more competition on the island. Parlis Bay was a small community with most of its resources needing to be brought over from the mainland. So far, he didn't think that there wasn't any other supplier making as much income as the one dealing with him was. But if there really was someone else selling to the teenagers here, it wouldn't make his supplier–or his boss, more accurately– very happy.
As he climbed the stairs to the first-floor landing, laughter echoed through the halls as well as voices of multiple people that he heard as girls coming from the direction of Stacie and Sarah's rooms. He remembered that Stacie was supposed to have friends over and that was probably the loud chatter that he was hearing. Brushing it off, he moved towards his room before he stopped in his tracks. He was sure that he had left his bedroom door locked because he didn't want any of his family members going through his things. Without wasting another second, he burst into the room, going straight to his closet.
He didn't bother to look around the room to see if anything had been tempered with before pulling the closet doors open and immediately started to throw clothes to the floor, making a mess in the room. He always remembered to lock it before he left. It was the one thing he never forgot to do. Who would've come in here and why would they even suspect that he would be hiding something? Sarah never bothered to come inside even to talk to him and Stacie—she wouldn't. She had no business here with him not inside. His eyes widened as another cackle of laughter reached his ear from his younger sister's room and he quickened his search. Her friends could've been curious, his drug-dealing side hustle wasn't a complete secret from the teenagers of Parlis Bay. They could've gone through his things to get their hands on some of the drugs. They're teenagers, after all, they had the same urge to do reckless things as he did.
He shook his head as he finally reached the bottom of the pile. Stacie wouldn't, his sister was just a kid. She couldn't already be a part of the dark world that Nick had made his domain, not her. If she had gotten her hands on it because he was stupid enough to put them in his room, he would never forgive himself. Not for this.
His hands latched on to the familiar duffel bag that he had kept the stash in and he pulled it out with shaking hands. Hearing footsteps from the hallway, he threw the duffle bag onto the bed before slamming his door shut and locking it for good measure. Before he could inch towards his bed, Madison's voice rang in his ear.
They're kids, Nick. Heidi is sixteen.
He cringed at how he had mocked her concern. He was a shitty person; he knew that and a selfish one at that too. Madison's anger made sense now, she was just scared and worried for her little sister just how he was feeling right now. He had no right to judge her, not when he would've done the same thing for Stacie or even Sarah, whom he hadn't even thought about when Madison had told him about Heidi. They were best friends and did almost everything together. If Heidi had been using, there was a huge chance that Sarah was too. And it could be his fault all along. He was careful enough to make them do their lines right in front of him after they had paid but anyone could've nabbed some extra powder and shared it with their friends. Sarah and Heidi had been at the party and he had gotten distracted with his game of beer pong and the fight that had almost happened after. He cursed himself for being so careless, cursed Sarah and Heidi for being at the party, and even cursed Madison for making him angry enough to need a distraction.
But it didn't matter now, if one of his sisters was in trouble, he'll deal with it. For now, he needed to make sure, the other one was fine. With small, tentative steps, he went to his bed and sat down next to the duffle bag. His heart beat loudly in his chest, his fingers slightly shook as he pulled down the zipper and started counting the bags that he had divided to sell the following week. Tears began building up in his eyes as he felt relief flood his chest. The cocaine was all there, all present and accounted for, and Stacie hadn't gotten her hands on it. He was safe for now. He didn't know how long it would last.