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The next day, we bid farewell to Mary and gathered Tom back into his cage to drive to the next destination: Bath. Will offered to drive, but I shot him down with a look.
No freaking way.
Back at Cheltenham, we returned the car and took the train to Bath Spa. We found ourselves on a hill, with rows and rows of yellow and beige houses. The train tracks ran straight through the suburbs. Fantastic green hills surrounded us, but we were far away from all the attractions.
“Why couldn’t we call a cab?”
“Because we’re here to experience England like everybody else. Or something like that.” He smiled at me.
“Did you go to boarding school too?”
“Nope,” he said, sounding proud of that. “I went to private schools in Chicago with my brothers. Mom didn’t want to send us away.”
I wondered about his upbringing. I knew that his cousin, Luke, was bitter about being sent away to a school.
“So did you grow up getting everything you wanted?”
“Yeah. I was a spoiled little shit. When I grew up, I became an asshole. I was just drunk on the power of being really rich and able to get literally anything I wanted. Then…” his face darkened.
And then you got into a car accident, and it changed you.
“I didn’t become a human being until a few years ago.”
It was such a strange thing to say, and yet I understood what he meant perfectly. Up until that point, Will lived like a wild animal; taking what he wanted and devouring every opportunity without a thought of how it would affect anyone else. Then he changed.
“I think I became human when I escaped my parent’s clutches and could think for myself for once in my life.”
He smiled knowingly.
“I’m scared of that part of me. I was the only one of my brothers to go off the deep end. So that’s why I avoid relying too much on my wealth.”
Because that’s when bad things happen?
“Life shouldn’t be easy.”
“No, but it sure is nice to have cash sometimes.” I gave him a sly smile. “Never know when you’ll need to bribe someone.”
He chuckled. “Luke called me to bitch about that.”
I shook my head. “You guys behave like children. Why do you hate Luke so much?”
Will made a face. “I don’t hate him. I think he’s an arrogant bastard.”
“He is not a bastard.”
“He told me to stay away from you, as though I’m a toxic person.”
We had the bed-and-breakfast in sight. “I think he’s angry with you because your dad tried to sell the shares in his trust.”
He wheeled around. “What?”
My heart jumped. “Didn’t you know that? Luke is suing your dad.”
“Holy shit. I can’t believe he’d do that.”
I could see Will’s mind boiling with what I said the whole day. We finally reached the bed-and-breakfast, which was owned by a cheery man with an affinity for country music.
Designing the logo for the Bath location was easy; the Roman baths were the main attraction, and it was easy to draw a quick sketch of the yellow pillars and the green, bubbling pool. Below, I heard Will grilling the owner about his profits. His heavy footsteps climbed the stairs, and I braced for when he would burst inside the room.
