Peter's pov
So, there I was, just chilling with the dogs, you know, having a good time. Then Cole rolled in, cracking jokes and getting on Dad's nerves like he always does. All fun and games, right? But out of the blue, I heard Dad yelling something about not scaring me and Luke. That's when I knew stuff was about to hit the fan.
I let go of the dogs and stood up, heading over to them. I couldn't help but catch bits of their argument. Dad was pissed. Turns out, it was about Cole hitting the bottle again, and Nico not doing squat about it.
Man, he's been trying to kick the booze, and now he's back at it. He really went off the rails when Luca and I weren't around. You could tell he loved us a ton, but handling that anxiety of losing us without shutting down was tough for him.
I've worked my ass off to help him quit before, and I'm ready to go at it again. Losing him to the bottle is not an option, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't happen.
Man, it's a real bummer with Cole. Seeing him back to square one breaks my heart. It's like, he needs someone to slap some sense into him, and I'm always up for that job. But damn, maybe I should call in reinforcements – Matilda.
She's got this way of setting him straight that I can't help but admire. Maybe together, we can light a fire under him, figuratively speaking, you know? A good dose of tough love might just be what he needs.
I can't help but wish I could give him a spanking. If I were the one hitting the bottle, I'm pretty sure I'd have a flaming butt by now. Cole wouldn't let up until he'd burned every ounce of craving for alcohol out of me. It's just frustrating, man. I love the guy, but this drinking thing is tearing him apart, and I can't stand watching it happen. Gotta figure out a way to get through to him before it's too late.
"We understand, Dad. None of us want that. Marco will stop again, right?" Nico said, attempting to soothe Dad's escalating frustration.
"Yeah, of course! I promise!" Cole chimed in, joining Nico in the assurance.
"Let's see!" I suddenly spoke up.
They turned to look at me, stunned expressions on their faces. Cole's eyes met mine, and it was clear he realized I knew exactly what he'd been up to. He let out, "Awesome."
"Fucking awesome, Mister!" I scoffed, not buying into the act.
Cole tried to brush it off with a casual shrug, throwing in a grin. "Hey, it's not a biggie. I've got it all sorted."
I wasn't letting him off that easy. Arms crossed, I shot back, "You didn't stick to the promise you made, Cole. Thought you were done with this crap."
"Come on, man, it's not that bad. Just blowing off some steam, you know?"
I wasn't buying into his explanations. "No more excuses, Cole. I went through hell to get back to this family, and you can't just act like our absence didn't mean squat. I'm pretty damn disappointed, dude." My tone was straight-up, a mix of annoyance and letdown.
"Peter!" He seethed, "I get it, I do. Just cut me some slack, okay? I'll handle it."
I sighed, frustrated. "You've said that before, Cole. It's been tough, you needed something to take the edge off. I understand but you can't keep falling back on this excuse. It's not fair to us or yourself."
"I messed up, alright? I'll do better."
"You gotta mean it, Cole. This can't keep happening. We're here for you, but you gotta be here for yourself too."
Cole's eyes narrowed, the dominant edge coming to the forefront. "Look, Peter, I don't need a lecture. I can handle my business."
I scoffed, not backing down. "Handling your business? That's rich! Because it seems like your business is handling you."
