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Nick stood outside in the garden, upset over the scene, upset that his dad still didn't care and Nick still did, whatever he might have said, upset that his parents were inside arguing again and it was Nick's fault.

After a few moments, Charlie came outside. "Are you okay?"

He thought it over for a minute and decided he wouldn't have wanted to do anything differently under the circumstances. "I actually think I am." He'd done it. He'd said the words, out loud, and now all their families knew. He never had to pretend not to be in love with Charlie again. And he'd finally told his father and his brother all the things that had hurt him for so long, and they hurt a little less now. "I didn't mean for it to happen that way, but, um ... it felt good to say it."

"Do you want a hug anyway?"

God, his boyfriend was cute. Nick was so lucky that this was his life and Charlie was his person. He held him close, smelling his familiar scent.

"Well, that went well."

He turned to see his mum standing there, smiling a tired smile. She must be as exhausted by these scenes as he was. "Sorry," he said to her. He should have waited.

"No, I'm pleased you said what you said. Especially to your dad. He needed to hear it."

"He's not a very good dad, is he?" It was kind of a relief to say it out loud.

She laughed. "No, he's not."

"Wh—" He was almost afraid to ask, but he wanted to know. "Why doesn't he care?"

"I wish I understood, but I don't. I think it's a very sad way to exist." She reached for him, smiling, and he held her, glad that she was his mum, and that most of the time they lived such a quiet life together.

He looked back at Charlie, and the three of them stood there for a moment in the sunshine, before going back in. Everything was awkward—the Springs offered to help clean up, but Nick's mum said just to leave it. No one mentioned dessert.

Not long after it had gotten dark, Nick was coming back from letting Nellie out into the yard when he saw his father heading for the door. He wasn't even intending to say good-bye, then. Just … off to Paris again, to see him when it was convenient for him.

"Leaving, then?" he asked before he could think better of it. His dad hadn't said one word to him since the scene at the table.

"Yeah." His dad looked guilty to be caught sneaking away. Well, he should be. "Nick, uh … I'm sorry. I … I want to be better."

"Well … show it, then." Leaving without a word wasn't exactly the way to make a fresh start. "Don't just say it."

Behind him, he heard David's feet on the stairs. "Dad. You—you're going?"

"Yeah. Got to head into London before it gets too late. But call me when you get back to Edinburgh, eh?"

"Glasgow."

He couldn't even remember where David went to university. No wonder David was always chasing his approval, trying to get noticed.

"Oh, yeah, Glasgow. Yeah." He stepped forward and hugged David. Then David went back upstairs and their dad turned to Nick. "It was nice to meet your … boyfriend. Well, I—I don't really understand these things, but he seems like a very nice young man."

"He is." They looked at each other, but what more was there to say? Nothing Nick could think of. He glanced at the door to remind his father how important it had been to him to leave, just moments ago. "Bye, Dad."

"Yeah. Well …" He patted Nick on the arm and then he was gone, without a backward glance. Nick closed the door firmly behind him and sighed. It felt good to have gotten all that out, but he'd lost something, too—the dream that someday he would finally get his dad to look at him, to show an interest.

After some more awkward conversation, Nick and his mum walked Charlie's family to the door.

"You okay?" Tori asked him.

"Yeah. Yeah, fine."

"Good job," Tori said to him. "About time."

"Yeah. It was. Tori."

"Yes?"

"I'm not going to hurt him."

"See that you don't." But there was a softness in her that hadn't been there before, as though maybe now she almost believed him. He didn't blame her—he was protective of Charlie, too. "Your brother's a prick."

"He really is."

Nick stepped outside after Charlie, while the rest of the Springs continued on. "So. Prom tomorrow?"

"Yeah. We're still going together?"

"Yeah."

"Like … together together?"

"Yeah. Don't you want to?" Nick asked. Because if Charlie didn't want to, he'd just as soon stay home, just the two of them. Prom would be fun, but it felt like they were never alone anymore.

Charlie smiled; clearly he did want to. The car started up and Charlie looked toward it, then back at Nick, and they kissed good-bye, because they could do that now, even when other people were around. "Bye."

"Bye."

Inside, his mum was starting on the dishes, and Nick helped her, picking up glasses and carrying them to the sink.

"Charlie didn't eat very much," she said.

He looked at Charlie's plate. It was practically untouched. The tension of the meal, Nick's outburst, the whole thing with Ben—he got it. It made sense that Charlie would have been off today. But he worried. If this didn't get better, how long until Charlie permanently damaged his health? How long until it was too late for him to stop, to feel in control enough not to let it harm him?

Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket and Googled "Eating disorders". There was so much. How could he hope to help Charlie if he couldn't even understand?

"You okay, darling?"

He hadn't even realised his mum was looking at him.

"Yeah. Just …" It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her. But this was Charlie's trouble—he had trusted Nick with it. He couldn't tell even his mum. Not without betraying Charlie's trust. If this was about control, then Charlie should be able to control who knew what and when. "Just a long day, is all."

"Why don't you go up to bed, then? I can finish up down here, and I'll take the dog out. I could use the fresh air."

"You sure?"

"Of course. Nicky?" she called as he reached the door.

"Yes, Mum?"

"I'm very proud of you."

He smiled, and headed to bed. Long day, yes, but … a day that had brought a lot of tensions to an end. Or at least a resolution.