Filed to story: Katy and Brayden Cooper Novel
Bryan’s gotten some first aid, but his face is barely recognizable. His face is swollen, lip split, and nose still bleeding despite the tissues shoved under it. Justin really did a number on him but I can’t bring myself to care about him. All I can think about is what’s going to happen to my brother.
One of the officers leans forward. “So you’re saying you attacked him because he threatened your sister?”
Justin nods once, his jaw tight. “He was blackmailing her.” His glare flicks toward Bryan.
“Hey!” The officer slams a hand on the desk, snapping Justin’s attention back. “Focus on me. I’m asking the questions.”
The officer swivels his chair and looks at Bryan. “And where you threatening her?”
Bryan glances at Justin, then at me. “No-no, we had a misunderstanding. He misheard.”
“That’s not true,” I blurt out. “Justin heard everything.”
The officer lifts a hand toward me. “No question was directed at you.”
“But my brother was trying to defend me,” I cut in, heat rising in my chest.
The officer tilts his head. “Would you like to leave?”
I exhale and shake my head hard.
“Good,” he says. “Then you speak only when I ask you to speak.”
He turns back to Justin. “You’re an athlete, aren’t you? Do you realize you can lose your funding because of this? Do you know how much damage you’ve caused?”
Justin exhales, eyes flicking to mine for a heartbeat. He leans back in the chair like he’s trying to disappear into it. “Yes. I know,” he says, his voice low.
The officer nods. “Cadston has zero tolerance for violence,” he says. “Your coaches are on their way. Maximum punishment will be considered for both of you.”
A cold hush falls over the room.
Just then, the door opens and two men walk in. From the way Braydon rushes toward the one in the blue shirt, I know he’s their coach. The man exchanges a quick handshake with the officers when he reaches us, his expression calm but tense. When his eyes finally land on Justin, disappointment flickers across his face.
“What have you done?” he asks quietly.
Justin shakes his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “Nothing, Coach.”
The second man, Bryan’s coach, storms forward and crouches in front of him. He grabs his face, scanning the bruises and cuts, muttering under his breath before straightening sharply.
His glare swings to Justin. “Have you lost your mind? How can an athlete do this?!”
Justin stays silent, his jaw locked, and gaze fixed on the floor. My heart cracks. I’ve dreaded this moment for so long, that one day Justin’s temper would finally get him into trouble too big to fix. And now here it is, staring us all in the face.
One of the officers clears his throat, breaking the tension. “Gentlemen, you can handle this internally. We’ll file our report, but appropriate disciplinary action must be taken by your departments.”
Justin’s coach nods solemnly. “Understood. I’ll deal with it.”
Bryan’s coach crosses his arms. “He needs to be suspended for at least two games. If not, I’ll escalate this to the athletics board myself.”
Justin’s coach doesn’t argue. He just sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll review the footage and handle it, Coach Turner.”
BRAYDON’S POV
“What were you thinking?” Katy’s voice rings through my living room as she storms after Justin. I knew she was going to explode at some point, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad or loud.
When Coach gave his final verdict and suspended Justin for the next three games, she’d cried like the world was ending. I figured she’d be too wrecked to yell at him, but clearly I underestimated the fire in her.
“Are you trying to ruin your life?” she snaps again when Justin doesn’t answer.
He sits on my couch like nothing happened, massaging his bruised knuckles and biting his lips. Honestly, the guy looks annoyingly calm for someone who just got benched for three games. Still, I walk over to the mini-fridge and pull out an ice pack, tossing it to him.
“Thanks, man,” he mutters, pressing it to his hand.
Katy stands in front of him, her hand on her hip, and hair falling out of her messy bun. “You’re seriously not going to say anything?”
Justin shrugs.
I lean against the counter, and stay quiet. I know I should probably butt out because sibling fights are like landmines but it’s hard not to feel for both of them.
Katy’s heart’s breaking because she’s been terrified something like this would happen. And Justin… well, Bryan deserved what he got. He threatened Katy and he crossed a huge line. If it were me, I would have done the same thing Justin did and I wouldn’t have stopped until he couldn’t stand.
I exhale. Looking at the two of them, it’s hard to tell who’s hurting more. Katy’s pacing like she’s about to combust, and Justin’s pretending to be stone cold but his jaw keeps ticking.
“Say something!” Katy yells, stomping her foot.
Justin finally looks up at her, his eyes dark. “What do you want me to say?” He asks. “Sorry? Well, I’m not sorry for what I did. In fact, you should be sorry for trying to hide that bastard’s threat.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” Katy snaps back, her voice trembling. “I didn’t want to tell you because I know you!”
Justin shoots up from the couch, his voice booming. “So how the fuck were you going to handle it, huh? How?”
“Braydon!”
My name comes out, and I freeze. How the hell am I suddenly part of this family feud?
Katy turns toward me, her eyes wet, and finger trembling as she points. “I was going to tell him.”
Wait, what?
My eyes widen, and from the look on Justin’s face, he’s just as shocked. The guy looks like he just saw Santa Claus crawl out of my fridge.
“She was going to tell me?” I mumble, mostly to myself.
I stare at her, and something in my chest tightens. She trusted me enough to want to confide in me? Really? And that should make me feel good… but instead, it scares the shit out of me. Because if Katy trusts me, that means I have the power to disappoint her and that feels like standing on the edge of a cliff.
I step closer, gently wrapping my hand around hers, lowering her pointed finger. “Hey, it’s okay, I whisper. “Your brother is only trying to protect you, Peach.”
Her breath catches. She wipes her tears with the back of her hand and shakes her head stubbornly. “And what about him? Why can’t he protect himself?”
Her voice cracks at the end, and that’s all it takes. Justin’s expression softens, the anger draining from his face. He rakes a hand through his hair, looking more tired than pissed now. Then he glances at me, silently telling me to give them space.