“Going to college in August?” I asked Nathan.
He shifted his weight between his feet and looked at his dad and then back to me. Suddenly it seemed as though the air was heavy and tense between them. This could potentially work out even more in my favor.
“Nathan is going to try school maybe next semester. This upcoming fall semester won’t work out well for us.”
I raised my eyebrows and glanced at Nathan. His face was red, and he looked irritated.
“Not interested in college?” Max asked.
“I need to help out here this fall. I picked up full time hours at the grocery store.”
I looked at Joel.
“Did you have to pick up a second job?” I asked.
Nathan barked out a laugh and shook his head.
“No. Nathan is going to work. He’s more capable than I am.”
Now I was pissed again. Joel was such an asshole. He couldn’t keep a fucking job to save his life.
“Well, I’m coming with more bad news for you, Joel. It’s time to pay your debt. It’s gone on for years, and it needs to be paid.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Dad, you owe him money?”
“Nathan, quiet!” Joel yelled as he slammed his hand down on the table.
“No! How much do you owe him?” Nathan yelled.
“A lot,” Joel replied.
“You said I couldn’t go to college and needed to work. Is it to pay off your debt? How much do you owe him?”
“Over four hundred thousand.”
Nathan’s eyebrow shot up, and his face paled.
“Look, I don’t have the money. I have a shitty car that I can’t even get a thousand for. I’ve tried. Look around. I have next to nothing, but if you find value in anything here, you can have it.”
“You have something very valuable, but you have failed to see it for as long as I’ve known you.”
“I do?” Joel laughed and looked around, dumbfounded. “That’s news to me. Whatever it is, it’s yours.”
I glanced at Nathan and then back at Joel.
“Nate?” Joel asked and narrowed his eyes.
When I nodded, Joel broke out in hysterical laughter.
“How much can you take off my tab?”
“All of it,” I said.
“You’ll erase my debt with you?” Joel eagerly asked as he leaned forward on the table.
“I said that I would.”
