“I’m Colton’s father?—”
“Stepfather,” Colton interjects, but the man carries on, speaking directly to me. It bothers me how easily he dismisses Colton.
“I have some business to talk to Colton about, if you wouldn’t mind giving us a minute.”
The fact that this man is the stepfather, someone I don’t trust, makes my hands ball at my sides and my shoulders square. Like hell I’m gonna leave him alone with this man.
“I do mind actually,” I say, the obvious disrespect seeping from my tone so contrary to how I was raised, but my mom also didn’t raise a child who just rolls over. She always taught me to fight the bullies, give them a taste of their own medicine.
His stepfather’s eyebrows rise, and I take a step closer to Colton.
“I think you should leave.”
His lips curl up in an evil grin. “What is this? You have a bodyguard I don’t know about?”
“Maybe I do,” Colton finally says. “Maybe I remembered exactly what you tried last time I came home.”
His stepfather lets out a laugh and shakes his head. “The things he makes up.” He meets my stare. “He always had such an imagination. Set up cameras and everything, and it proved nothing.”
“Because you got to them. Destroyed evidence.”
“No one touched them. There was simply nothing there, and you can’t deal with the facts.” He turns back toward me and shakes his head. “Beware of the lies he spins. You don’t know gaslighting until you’ve interacted with him.”
I step closer to Colton and itch to reach out and place my arm around his waist, but I refrain. I don’t want to give his stepfather any more ammunition.
“You don’t believe me,” he says to me. “I’m sure you’ve found things missing from your room, your pockets. A thief through and through.”
“I think you should leave,” I say again, and then I move toward the door and open it. “You can find a time that works for both of you and go from there.”
His stepfather slides his tongue across his teeth and gives a curt nod. “Very well. I can see there’s no persuading either of you.” He walks to the door, and before I can shut it, he adds, “Be careful with that one.”
I don’t respond, just shut the door and lock it, turning to face Colton, who is shaking slightly.
“Fuck,” he murmurs as I approach. “I can’t believe him. Can’t believe the shit he spews. Gaslighting. Fuck him.”
I reach out and touch him gently, but he pulls away, turning toward his desk. He pulls a drawer open and grabs a pack of cigarettes. He shoves his window open, lighting one and inhaling deeply.
“Colton…” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“I’m not in the right headspace for anything right now. You don’t have to stay.” Smoke billows all around him as he presses his forehead to his knees.
I watch him for a long minute and then sit down across from him. My hand extends, and he stares at it.
“What are you doing?”
“Having a smoke with you. I’m not in this just for the fucking. I mean, that’s nice, but I’m here for you, too.”
He huffs and shakes his head when he sees me still reaching for the cigarette. “Fuck off with that. You don’t need to smoke. It’s bad for you anyway.”
“Come on. Give it to me.”
He takes a long drag and then flips it over, letting me slip it from his fingers. I stare down at it, the orange end, the gray smoke filtering up toward my face.
Without thinking about it, I put it to my lips and inhale.
And immediately start choking.
That makes Colton laugh loudly, his lips curling up in delight.
