Jonathan shook his head, set the check down, and ran his hands through his hair, fingers pressed to his scalp. A blank check. He felt sick to think of Alphonse just throwing money at him as part of an apology, but a more practical part of his brain remembered the difference in balance between his bank account and his credit cards.

Subconsciously, his hand came up to his lips to pick at a bit of loose skin, and he paced around the room. He was thinking of what this meant for his ...