Chapter 43: Colton

With my arms folded behind my head, I stare at the ceiling as everything from tonight crashes around inside my brain. If there's one thing that I hate, it's thinking about Candance. She's like Beetlejuice. Say her name three times and she magically appears inside my head, taking up residence like an unwanted squatter.

And that, on top of everything else going on, is the last thing I need or want.

The woman abandoned me when I needed her most. She walked away without ever looking back. There's a giant void in her place. It's one Jenna has diligently tried to fill.

Everything softens within me as I think about my stepmother. Truth be told, she's so much more than that. She's the mother Candance never could be. Or, more to the point, never wanted to be.

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I love Jenna. I appreciate everything she's done for me over the years. Driving my ass around town before I had a license. Helping me with homework when I didn't understand something or needed