Like Father, Like Son - 32

“About damned time,” Declan growled when Nicky came into the apartment.

Nicky nodded without replying as he walked through the living room to the spare bedroom. Taking out his bag he began packing his belongings.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Packing,” Nicky told Declan without turning to look at him.

“What the fuck for?”

“Because I won’t go on like this, watching your mother run your life while you cower instead of standing up to her, or getting her out of your life once and for all.” Nicky spun around to look at him.

“She doesn’t control my life,” Declan protested even though the look of uncertainty on his face belied his words. “I stood up to her in the airport, damn it!”

“In a public place where you knew she wouldn’t make any more of a scene than she already had. I’d bet my bottom dollar she called you today at work, or even came by, and either way you kowtowed to her.” He stared hard at Declan. “Didn’t you?”

“She’s my mother.”

“Oh babe.” Nicky shook his head. “She’s a bitch who likes nothing more than to make you jump through her hoops. She’s Medea, only she’s not killing you physically, she doing it emotionally.”

“Nicky I told you…” Declan started to say.

“That if you kill her you’ll go insane like your father? God damn it, Declan, don’t you get it?”

“Get…what?” Declan looked as bewildered as Nicky suspected he felt.

“She is doing her best to drive you insane, consciously or not, and she’s going to succeed if you don’t stop her. You think you’re in control? Maybe when it comes to me you are, in the bedroom. I won’t deny it. But outside of that you’ve handed all the control of your life over to her. And babe…” Nicky moved close to Declan, into his personal space, but didn’t touch him. “Unless you take it back you’re worse off than you father in his room in the asylum. You’ve built your own room and the walls are here…” he tapped Declan’s forehead. “She has the key and she’s locked you in there. The only way to escape is to break free of her.”

Nicky backed away but kept his eyes locked on Declan’s face. He couldn’t even begin to read anything in his expression which would tell him Declan had taken in what he’d said. Declan’s face was an emotionless mask.  

“So I’m leaving. I can’t, I won’t, stay here and watch things get worse and worse. I care about you too much to do that. And they are getting worse, Declan. No matter what you may think they are. If and when you come to the conclusion I’m right let me know. I’ll come back then, but only then, and between us we’ll eliminate her permanently. But it has to be her, no more substitutes. It has to be her. Then, afterwards, we can continue on as we have been.” Nicky smiled slightly. “There are more than enough people out there who should be gotten rid of and we’re good at doing it.”

“Nicky, please…”

The need, the pleading in Declan’s voice tore at Nicky but he still replied with, “No, Declan,” as he picked up his bag. “Call me when you’ve decided. And please babe, make the right choice.”