Zach

Jade wouldn’t look at me. I knew she was affected by what her dad said, but it still irritated me. Mom was there, sitting stunned, looking at me like she’d never seen me before. I heard a door slam upstairs as he locked himself in his room.

Since Mom married into his family, our family structure had changed. When it was just the two of us, unless it was something of great importance, I at least got a say. With this, just because that man said so, she would go along with what he said.

“Mom—”

“Don’t say a thing, Zach,” she said, her voice low and disappointed. “You know he’s right. You might not be blood-related, but as soon as Nell and I signed the marriage papers, you became siblings on paper, and that’s wrong. I expect better from you.”

Jade sat there, listening in silently, then abruptly jumped up and ran out of the room. I listened to her feet stomping up the stairs, then a second door slam closed.

I sat there for a few seconds, taking it all in, before getting up myself, and storm