𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕌𝕤

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕚𝕩 | ʀᴏᴄᴋ

Colton

I was just about to call it a day when my dad walked into his repair shop, his face lined with that look that meant he had something serious to say.

I'd been working in his cramped space ever since the fire at Phoenix Cycles, and as much as I appreciated having somewhere to keep the business going, it wasn't exactly ideal. My dad's shop was all nuts, bolts, and routine repairs-my custom builds didn't exactly fit in.

He sat down across from me at the small workbench, his tattooed arms resting on the table, the smell of motor oil heavy in the air. Jerry's dark hair was slightly tousled, and his scruff gave him a rugged look that usually matched his laid-back attitude-but not today. "Colton, we need to talk," he began, his tone serious. My stomach tightened, already sensing where this was going.

"I've been covering most of the costs for repairs at Phoenix Cycles, but we're running out of options. We need more money to finish the job, and it's not going to come cheap. I need you to fork over what you can so we can get that place up and running again."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I've been doing everything I can, dad. But working out of here isn't exactly bringing in the big bucks."

"Then maybe you should be focusing on getting Phoenix Cycles back together instead of going out on dates," he shot back, the words sharp enough to make me freeze.

"What? What are you talking about?"

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You let it slip earlier, about Hudson. Don't think I didn't catch that. You've got other things to worry about right now. You can't afford to get distracted."

I felt a wave of anger rise up in me. "Hudson isn't distracting me from anything. I'm allowed to have a life outside of this shop, you know?"

My dad's expression hardened. "You're letting yourself get sidetracked. Your mother was so proud when you started your own business. You think she'd be happy seeing you put all that hard work at risk?"

That hit me like a punch to the gut. My mom-she'd been my biggest supporter. The thought of disappointing her was too much to bear, and my dad knew exactly where to aim. She passed away two years ago, losing her battle with cancer. It was one of the many things I confided to Hudson over tea that night, and I wasn't fucking letting him go.

I stood up, trying to hold back the emotions bubbling up inside me. "I'm doing everything I can to fix this mess, but I'm not giving up the rest of my life in the process."

"Well, maybe you should," he snapped. "Because right now, all I see is someone who's more interested in running around with some guy than getting his business back on track."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my voice steady. "Hudson means something to me, Dad. And I'm not going to stop seeing him just because you think it's a distraction."

"Then don't come crying to me when this all falls apart," he said, standing up and walking out of the shop, leaving me standing there, feeling like the ground had just been pulled out from under me.

The weight of his words pressed down on me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt completely lost.

Later that evening I stood outside the shop, the evening air cool against my heated skin as I fumbled with my phone. Scrolling through my contacts, I found Chuck's name and hesitated for a second before hitting the call button. The phone rang a few times before I heard Chuck's familiar, laid-back voice on the other end.

"Hey, man, what's up?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Chuck... you got a minute? I need to talk."