Harmony amidst Chaos | A Jori story

If only

-JADE'S POV-

When I got home that day, the last thing I expected was to see a police officer sitting in our living room.

For a second, my heart had stopped.

I thought something had happened. But then my mom turned to me, relief flooding her face, and I realized—

They had called the cops on me.

Before I could even process it, my mom flew toward me, arms wrapping around my neck, holding me so tight it almost knocked the air from my lungs.

"Oh, Jade," she breathed, her voice breaking. "Thank God, we were so worried."

Her grip was desperate, her body trembling against mine. I felt her nails dig slightly into my back, and the way her breath hitched like she might start crying. Like she actually thought I might not have come home at all.

She pulled back just enough to cup my face, her fingers skimming over my cheek, my jaw, like she was checking to make sure I was real. "Are you okay? Where were you?" Her eyes searched mine frantically, looking me over for any sign of where I'd been, what I'd been doing—like I might've come back damaged.

I stood frozen, my arms stiff at my sides.

She was scared. I could feel it—in the way her fingers trembled against my skin, in the way her breath caught before she finally let me go.

My dad stood by the couch, watching us with an unreadable expression.

He didn't say a word. Didn't move. Just stood there, eyes locked on me.

It sent a slow, creeping unease through me.

Then the officer cleared his throat and stood from the couch, pulling my attention away. He was young for a cop—maybe late-twenties—with an easy posture that made him seem approachable. His dark brown hair was just slightly tousled, like he had a habit of running his fingers through it when he was thinking. There was something open about his face, something kind, with sharp features that could almost pass as handsome if not for the lingering exhaustion in his eyes.

"Jade, right?" His voice was warm, reassuring in a way that caught me off guard. "I'm Officer Grayson Dunk. Your parents were concerned when you didn't come home last night. Is everything okay?"

I forced a shrug. "Yeah. I stayed at a friend's. Forgot to text."

He smiled, like that was all the explanation he needed. Like this was just some normal teenage slip-up.

"Alright. Well, you're safe, and that's what matters. Just make sure your folks know where you are next time, okay?"

I nodded and he turned to my parents, his tone easy and reassuring. "These things happen. At this age, they're pushing boundaries, figuring things out. It's important to have open communication, but it looks like she's okay."

He glanced back at me, offering another smile before shifting his attention to my mom. "If there's nothing else, I'd say my work here is done. But if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out."

My mom nodded quickly, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Of course, officer. Thank you for coming."

Her voice was polite. Grateful, but she was still noticeably shaken.

My dad, on the other hand, was the picture of composure. He showed Officer Dunk to the door, shaking his hand, saying all the right things at all the right moments.

Then the door shut.

And everything changed.

The moment my dad stepped back into the living room I could feel the immediate shift. The air in the room thickened, like all the oxygen had been sucked out at once. He turned toward me, his expression dark, his movements slow and deliberate.