“Damn, Matty!” Nick points to the floor. The money from the envelope is scattered at my feet.

“Oh shit.” I reach down and start scooping bills as Nick parks the car.

Nick leans over to help. He names each bill as he goes. “This is English, this one is math, and this bad boy is art history.”

“Art history?”

“Yeah, you need some place to meet girls.”

“Very funny.” I snatch the money from his hand and put it back in the envelope. “What about you? Why is Will so interested in you going to college anyway?” I try to sound clueless.

“Because it’s a sweet deal—a college degree to be set up for life.” I don’t know how much Nick will inherit, but it’s a lot.

“I thought you wanted to make your own money? You’ve been preaching that for years,” I remind him. I always thought he was full of shit. I want to hear him say it.

“In the back of mind I always knew I would take the money. I was going to apply to barber college or something just to fuck with Mariann.” Nick opens his door and gets out. “I just wanted to do it my way, you know?”

“Sounds like it’s Will’s way,” I say sarcastically and regret it immediately.

“Hey, Will’s just looking out for me. And he’s right, I’m being the asshole. I don’t want to be like my father. He was three credits away from graduating and quit. I’d be just like him to walk away and get nothing. There is no shame in taking the money. Not when it’s that much money. I can buy myself some pride later,” Nick jokes, but I know it kills him to take anything from Mariann. Nick is prideful to a fault.

“I thought your dad graduated.” That’s what I heard anyway.

“Nah, he never finished. After football was over, he started getting high; that’s around the time he met my mom. He wanted to go into business with Will, but he fucked up. He couldn’t stop using. And well, you know.”

“Yeah.” I nod. The rumor is he went on a binge right after Nick was born. Maria finally reached out to Mariann for help. Mariann agreed to take them in, but only if he went to rehab. He died a few weeks later. I really hope Nick isn’t trying to finish what his father started. “Do you plan on going into business with Will?” I ask as we walk towards the café.

“I don’t know. I might branch out on my own.”

He can’t do that. I won’t let him do it. Not to himself and not to Dani. “What does Dani think about all this?” I look in the café and see her wiping down the counter.

Nick stops walking and pulls my arm. “Hey, dude. You can’t say anything. She doesn’t know how deep I’m in. She thinks this is a part-time thing.”

So did I. Nick needs to know he can’t stay with Dani and keep his business. “Has Dani ever told you about her father?”

“What do you mean?”

I know I shouldn’t tell him about Dani’s father being a lawyer, but he needs to know where her head is. I tell him about her dad’s practice and his views on drug dealing that seemed to be passed to Dani. “I know she gets it, she gets you. But Dani sees dealing as a last resort in life, not a career choice. She thinks you’re out come graduation. If you plan on staying in business, you need to let her know now.”

Nick runs his hand through his hair. “I just can’t walk away, Matt. I tell myself every day that I need to stop. That I’m going to get myself killed or locked up, but I can’t stop. It’s a rush better than thizz.”

It hurts to hear my best friend tell me dealing drugs makes him happy. “Well, if you want to be with her, you have to choose. She deserves better.” Nick knows I’m not trying to put him down. He knows Dani deserves better than the life he would give her if he stays in this game. She’ll always be looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to use her to get to Nick.

“I know I have to let her go.” Nick looks into the café like it’s a million miles away. “I know.”

I almost can’t believe what Nick is saying. He would rather break up with Dani than quit his business. I want to punch him in the face, tell him he’s a fool. I should. But I don’t. If he’s willing to let her go, then he doesn’t deserve her.

“So, what else did she tell you about her parents?” Nick sounds a little hurt that I know something about Dani that he doesn’t. I do, I know a lot. I know her last name isn’t DiMarco…I realize she never told me what her real last name is. The bikers came, then she went home with Nick, and I guess I forgot about it. Thizz is turning my brain to Swiss cheese.

“Uh, just that they were killed in a carjacking.” I can’t think about that without thinking about Will’s witness, even though I’ve decided it can’t be Dani. Those cops wouldn’t lie and put someone in danger like that unless she was in protective custody.

“Oh man. That’s fucked up.” Nick runs his hand through his hair.

“Don’t tell her I told you.” I grab his arm, suddenly aware that I just broke her trust.

“Of course, dude.” He doesn’t ask when she told me, and I’m grateful.

I check my pocket to make sure the envelope is still inside. I’ve never held this much money in my life. “You sure you can afford to give me this? If you’re branching out on your own…”

“Shut the fuck up.” He grabs me in a headlock, then let’s go and pulls me in for a bro hug. “Hell, you’re the best investment I’ll ever make. You know I’ll need a good lawyer someday.”

We both laugh, but in the back of my mind, I hope it isn’t true.

The café is packed; a low rumble of voices fills the room. The clientele has changed a lot in the last month. It looks like the yard at lunch in here. Heather stopped by earlier. Her mother was attached to her side so we really couldn’t talk. She told me she got into the University of San Francisco. The news sent my heart into spasms. I still haven’t heard from CAL.

Nick and the guys are sitting in the corner talking, and even from behind the counter I can catch bits and pieces of their conversation. Nick is trying to sell Arnie on the idea of moving to Chico. I want to tell them to keep it down. Patty is in the back. The last thing I need is for her to catch the guys planning their next drug deal in her café.

“Imagine the possibilities. College girls, dude. They’ll fucking love you. I’ll set you up in a house off campus. All you have to do is party.”

“I’ll think about it.” Arnie bows his head. I can tell he hates disappointing Nick.

“You’ll think about it? What the fuck does that mean. I need you in Chico.” Nick’s been edgy ever since his party. We all have. Nick’s almost out of pills, so we haven’t partied at all. And Matt cut me off. He said it’s because they’re low, and Nick’s watching his stash, but I think it has to do with something else. He knows we slept together. It isn’t like Nick broadcast the information. Matt actually showed up at Lucy’s in the morning with some lame excuse about dropping off the keys to the beach house. He’s been standoffish with me ever since. I don’t know why. Arnie gave us a nice play by play of their night with the sluts, which involved whipped cream and a bottle of caramel.

The bell above the door jingles, and Alex coughs MILF into his hand. I look up and see Lucy strut through the door, dressed in her scrubs. Alex and I don’t really speak. He doesn’t speak to anyone. He just watches, and that creeps me out. He creeps me out.

“Hey, that’s Dani’s aunt. Show some respect,” Arnie scolds him. He raises an eyebrow in Lucy’s direction.

Lucy’s here, Nick’s here. This is the perfect opportunity for them to meet. I wave him over before I notice the worried look on Lucy’s face. I see little sweat marks already forming under her arms when she lifts her backpack onto the counter.

“You want the usual?” I ask. I see Nick taking off his hat and running his hand through his hair. He’s so damn cute.