That lesson was taught to me by my stepbrother, Colin. He was kind, protected me from Ray, and promised to always be there for me. Then one day, I woke up, and he was gone. No note. No explanation. Just gone. He left me alone, knowing full well what a piece of shit Ray is. The sting of that betrayal grows worse each time Ray sneaks into my room and each time I get backhanded or punched in the gut.
