Chapter 1

Kevin Chase was on his knees, his voice breaking.

"David, Diane, you're like second parents to me. I'll spend the rest of my life paying you back, even if I have to work myself to the bone."

Mom pulled him to his feet, her eyes going red. "Silly boy, what's there to pay back? We're family."

Family.

I stood off to the side, watching, my fists clenched.

"Mom, this is what three years of hard work earned me. Why does it go to him?"

Her face fell instantly.

"Nathan, why are you being like this?" She grabbed my wrist and hauled me aside. "You know what Kevin's family situation is like. His parents are farmers—just putting him through college was already a stretch. This is his only shot."

"And me? I'm your actual son. My parents are both college professors. So I'm just supposed to hand my opportunities to someone else?"

The people around us were starting to stare.

The advisor rubbed his hands together, clearly at a loss for what to say.

Dad finally spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Kevin's grades aren't bad either. He only gave up his other options because his family couldn't afford them. You're our son. You'll have plenty more chances. Let him have this one."

"His grades aren't bad?" I pointed at the bulletin board. "His paper got published in a second-tier journal. Mine's in a top one. His GPA is 3.6. Mine's 3.9. What gives him the right to be listed first?"

Tears rolled down Kevin's face, splashing onto the acceptance letter.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm not as good as you, but I really need this. My parents already went into over a hundred thousand dollars of debt putting me through school. If I can study abroad, I'll be able to land a good job and pay them back."

His voice cracked, and he couldn't finish the sentence.

Mom's heart broke for him. She crouched down and pulled him up.

"Kevin, get up, don't kneel like that, the floor's cold."

I watched her carefully wipe his tears away and remembered running a fever of 102°F the week before. I'd called her, and she'd told me she was out with Kevin, shopping for his interview suit, and that I should just take some medicine.

I'd spent five days alone in the hospital on an IV drip before the fever finally broke.

Nobody had called to ask if I was feeling better.

Dad walked over and reached out to pat my shoulder. I stepped away from his hand. It hung there in midair.

"We know this is hard on you, Nathan. But you have to understand—Kevin needs this chance more than you do. If you want to study abroad later, you can always pay your own way."

I laughed.

"My own way? Do you have any idea how much a year of tuition and living costs abroad runs? You think I can afford that?"