Heavenly ✶ JJ Maybank

𝟬𝟮𝟰 if love is pain, let's hurt tonight

The worse part was that she wasn't even bluffing.

Ward pursed his lips together for a moment, a sigh leaving his lips soon afterwards. "Nova—"

"You know..." Nova trailed off, cutting Ward's sentence short, a bitter chuckle leaving her lips, before she decided to speak again. "For months I've tried figuring out why Riley would kill himself. He had everything, but he still took his own life. I know my brother and I know he would never start taking drugs and he would never have destroyed himself without a valid reason." She explained harshly, tears beginning to flow as they rolled down her cheeks. "Little did I know, it was all because of you."

Ward stood up a lot more straighter, a desperate and frantic look burning in his eyes whilst he stared back at Nova. "I never touched that boy. I treated him like he was my own son." He protest, shaking his head.

     "Then tell me what happened that day on the boat." Nova pressed further, her voice laced with desperation. Ever since John B told her Riley was somehow involved in his dad's murder, the girl had been searching for a reasonable explanation to explain why he would hurt his friend's dad. If she played her cards right, then she would get her answers. "Please, I have to know the truth. You owe me that much." She continued to beg, a pleading look twinkling in her teary eyes.

Ward couldn't help but sigh. "Nova, please, this isn't going to change anything—"

"I deserve the truth, Ward." Nova interjected, stepping closer with the gun to get her point across that he better tell her now, or she would pull the trigger. Despite not liking guns, it didn't mean she didn't know how to use one.

Ward Cameron didn't say much at first, a look filled with regret and guilt clouding up his eyes as he continued to stare back at the broken girl in her fragile state. Despite all the horrors he had committed throughout the last couple of months, believe it or not, he never wanted Riley to die. It was just an unfortunate tragedy, and sadly, not only did a young seventeen year old boy suffer the consequences, but so did his loved ones, including Nova. The loss of Riley Van Kirk was a cut that always seemed to bleed. Ward even wondered if telling the truth was a good idea. But he knew he didn't really have a choice considering there was a gun pointed in his direction.

     "Okay, okay, okay..." Ward whispered quietly, nodding his head. The older man then swallowed thickly, his eyes flickering between Nova and the barrel of the gun aimed in his direction, his lips parting so he could speak. "I knew your brother was fascinated by the Royal Merchant. I knew he was looking for it to make Ethan proud of him, so I offered him a spot on the boat with me and John. I told him he could have a cut of the fortune if we actually found it." He began to explain.

Nova listened to every word Ward was saying to her, sniffling quietly to make sure she didn't miss a thing. She would cling onto every word that left the man's quivering lips, wanting to reassure herself that everything he was telling her was the truth. Judging by the look in Ward Cameron's eyes, he was being completely and utterly honest with her. That was a start at least. She just needed to hear the rest, her mind processing every little thing that Ward told her.

"But John...he wanted a bigger cut. He couldn't help himself. We were so close, but he just had to ruin everything." Ward continued, his gruff voice becoming agitated. Nova could tell he was getting angry at the familiar memory. "Him and I...we fought. All I did was shove him, but he lost his balance and hit his head, and he was bleeding. It was a complete accident." He elaborated further, the horrifying events that took place on that boat all those months ago finally coming to light.