𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕌𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 | ᴀʀꜱᴏɴ

Colton

I stood around the smoldering ruins of Phoenix Cycles. I couldn't look away...

As Chuck was pulled aside to speak with local officials about the next steps, their voices barely registered over the roaring in my ears. My heart felt like it was lodged in my throat, and the overwhelming sense of loss left me numb.

I wasn't in the right headspace to talk to anyone, much less discuss plans for rebuilding. I was so glad Chuck was here to take care of the logistics so I could try to process things.

The weight of what had happened pressed down on me, each piece of debris a painful reminder of dreams now turned to dust...

The blackened skeleton of what had once been my pride and joy loomed over me, a stark reminder of everything I'd lost in a single night. Next door, my dad's repair shop wasn't much better off, its façade marred by fire damage and its windows shattered.

My dad, Jerry, stormed out from the damaged repair shop next door.

"Colton, what the fuck?!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the thick silence like a knife. "This is what happens when you don't have your head in the game!"

My gut twisted with a mix of guilt and anger. "Dad, it was an accident. I didn't plan for this to happen. I have no idea how the fuck this even happened, or why...!"

My mind spun as I tried to piece together how this nightmare had unfolded. I retraced my steps over the past few days, questioning every decision and action...

Had I forgotten to turn off something crucial when I closed the shop that night? What the fuck did I do?

What went wrong?

The possibilities raced through my head, each more unsettling than the last. My thoughts kept circling back to the moments before the fire, trying to identify any clue that could explain the disaster. Was it something I had done, or worse, something I had failed to do?

The uncertainty gnawed at me, and the fear that it might be my fault made my stomach churn. I felt an overwhelming need to understand how this had happened.

Jerry stepped closer, his eyes blazing. "It was an accident? We're struggling enough as it is, and now this? We're behind on bills, and this fire just set us back even more."

My fists clenched at my sides. "I know we're struggling, but I'm doing everything I can. This wasn't my fault... Why are you fucking blaming me, Dad?! How is this my fault?!"

Jerry threw his hands up in exasperation. "You've been distracted, Colton. Your mind's been somewhere else. You think I haven't noticed? You're not focused on the shop, off who-knows-where all day, and now we're paying the damn price..."

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check. "I've been working hard. I'm not slacking off."

"Hard isn't enough!" Jerry snapped, his face reddening. "We need more than hard work now. We need to get back on our feet, and fast. Until we can rebuild, you need to consider getting a second part-time job. We can't afford to fall any further behind."

The thought of taking on more work made my head spin. "Dad, I'm already doing everything I can. Another job is going to kill me."

Jerry's expression softened slightly, but the determination in his eyes didn't waver. "We don't have a choice, son. We have to do whatever it takes to get through this. No more distractions. We need to focus."

I glanced at the charred remains of Phoenix Cycles, feeling a wave of despair wash over me. I thought of Hudson, of the moments we'd shared, and the way my heart had seemed to come alive in his presence. I knew I had to prioritize the shop, but the idea of letting go of the one bright spot in my life felt like another kind of loss.