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The police investigated. They couldn’t find any evidence.

“I wonder what the sentence would be for those assaults,” Larry muses. “Given that it wouldn’t be your first offence. Well, it kind of would, but not the first one you’ve been sentenced for, eh, son?” He chuckles like this is all one big joke.

“I was fifteen,” I tell him. “A juvenile.”

“Sure, that might sway it. Might not. You want to take that chance, that’s up to you. Or you just help me out with this one thing. Tiny really, compared to a decade in prison.”

I hesitate as I try to process. Fuck. He could still be bluffing. But if he isn’t?

What would Lula expect me to do here? Admit to a crime I committed years ago? Take the rap for something I never wanted to do in the first place, that I thought was defending my father? Or hurt someone else to keep it all quiet and start a new life with her?

Would she lose all respect for me if she knew what I’d done?

“I do this, you give me that shirt,” I say through gritted teeth. “Then we’re done. I want nothing more to do with you.”

“Fine. Just make sure I get that junkyard for a steal.”

He ends the call and I smash my fist down on my phone, opening a huge crack across the screen. “Fuck!”

Before I can rethink, I flip open my laptop and pull up my latest sock account. Then I open my password manager anddouble-click the folder that contains the fucking nuclear codes. The password I found to Z’s Scrap web page. The one even I hesitated to use until now.

And I go to work.

It’s done. It’s over. The shirt is safely burning in a dumpster on the other side of the city as I walk up to Lula’s front door.

I might not like what I’ve done, but I can walk away and start a new life.

As I knock, I draw a deep breath and promise myself that’s it. From now on, I do everything for us, for the people that matter. Larry can rot for all I care.

It takes minutes, but then the door starts to open and I actually feel the grin spread across my face as I anticipate seeing her, being with her, for now and forever. “Guess what I’ve done—” I break off as I see her face.

And she flings herself into my arms.

“It’s all over,” she sobs. “Dad’s beside himself. I’m scared he’s going to have another heart attack. How can someone be so cruel?”

I pull her in close, my anger rising. Someone’s hurt her and when I find out who I’ll fucking kill them. “Calm down and tell me what happened. I’ll fix it.”

“You can’t fix this. It’s over. I’ve sold it. Signed the contract. It was the only way to take the stress away from my dad.”

“Sold what?” I ask, my mind racing. “What contract?”

“The business. Larry offered us a deal and we took it. It wasn’t what the place is worth but I just wanted out. It won’t be worth anything at all if we wait.”

“Larry? My dad?”

She nods. “I’m glad you’re here. I need you now, more than ever.”

It doesn’t make any sense. They sold their business to my dad? The same day he bought the scrapyard? My heart is starting to thunder as the pieces drop into place, but I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be true. “Your dad’s autoparts business? Importing and exporting?”

She shakes her head. “It was a lie. Can you forgive me? Please? It was just a little white lie. I wanted you to like me.”

I don’t fucking care about her lying. All I care about is that my world is being ripped apart. She’ll never forgive me. Never. And I can’t blame her.

“What business, Lula?”

“Z’s Scrap. I’m sorry. I was embarrassed. I wanted you to think I was going to be a singer.”

And just like that, my whole world falls apart. I don’t even realize what I’m doing until she’s out of my arms and I’m staring at my phone screen. My sock account is already logged into Facebook, the page for Z’s Scrap is right there, and there’s a video of Lula singing. Her dad was so proud of her he put it up online.