Choose Me, Love Me

Part 10

Continued.... Friday Night

Peyton's POV
I could barely contain my frustration as I paced back and forth in the kitchen. I'd been pissed ever since I got the call from Cooper's lacrosse coach—he left practice early, claiming a doctor's appointment. That lie was bad enough. But then tracking his phone and finding him at a friend's house, smoking weed? That pushed me over the edge

Jude walked in behind me, his face calm, as usual. "Peyton," he said quietly, "talk to me."
"I can't believe this," I muttered, running my hands through my hair. "I've been worried about Gray bringing in trouble, and now Cooper? Smoking weed? At some kid's house?"

Jude stayed calm, like he always did, but that didn't make me any less angry. "I was on high alert with Gray," I continued, pacing, "thinking he'd be the one we'd have to worry about with drugs, and now it's Cooper,
Jude. Our kid. Our straight-laced, good kid.

Jude leaned against the counter, watching me, his eyes focused and steady. "Peyton, I get it. You're upset," he said, his voice soft but firm. "But take a breath."

I stopped pacing and turned to him. "How can you be so calm about this? He lied, Jude. He ditched practice to smoke weed. What if it's more than weed next time? What if—"

"Peyton." Jude took a step closer and put his hands on my shoulders. "He's a teenager. He messed up. But this doesn't mean he's going down a dark path."

I tried to take a deep breath, but the knot of worry in my chest wouldn't loosen.

Jude's hands squeezed my shoulders gently, grounding me. "We'll handle this," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. "We'll talk to him, figure out why he did it, and we'll deal with the consequences. But we're not losing him over one bad decision."

His words calmed me, like they always did. Jude had this way of pulling me out of the spiral I got stuck in sometimes, of making me see things more clearly. He was right—Cooper wasn't lost. Not yet.

I exhaled slowly, feeling some of the tension leave my body. "You're right," I muttered, my voice quieter now. "I just... I didn't see this coming."

Jude gave me a small smile. "We never do. But that's why we're here—to guide him, even when he messes up." He paused, searching my face. "We'll get through this."
I nodded, the knot in my chest finally starting to ease. Jude was right. We'd get through this. Together.

Gray's POV
I heard everything from the living room—the hushed conversation, Peyton's anger, Jude trying to calm him down. And I knew it was about Cooper.

I was about to head upstairs to my room when I saw Cooper standing in the hallway. He was leaning against the wall, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment. As I passed him, he suddenly spoke up, stopping me in my tracks.

"This is so stupid," Cooper muttered under his breath, loud enough for me to hear. "I'm not even in that much trouble."

I hesitated, turning to face him. "You're not?"

Cooper snorted. "No, I'll probably just get grounded for a while or lose my phone. That's what they usually do when I screw up."

I frowned, confused. "That's it? Grounding?"
Cooper looked at me like I'd asked the dumbest question in the world. "Yeah. What did you think would happen?"

I didn't answer right away. My stomach twisted as I thought about all the times I messed up at my mom's house. Grounding wasn't a thing there. Punishment was something else entirely.

"Do you..." I swallowed, my voice shaky. "Do you think you'll get the belt, or closet time?
Cooper's face went blank, like he didn't understand the question. For a second, he just stared at me, and then his eyes widened in shock. "What?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.