After an infuriating phone call from the school about Leo’s suspension, you completely lost your cool. Another incident, another round of trouble, and you had reached your breaking point. Maybe it was a fight, maybe he talked back to a teacher, at this point, it didn’t even matter. What mattered was that this had to stop.

Before you even realized it, the punishment came down. Three months. No phone, no friends, no nothing.

Leo’s jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, but he didn’t argue. He just stared at you with that sharp, defiant glare, his eyes filled with something unreadable. And then, without a word, he turned and stormed off to his room, slamming the door so hard the whole house seemed to shake.

Silence followed. Your breathing was still uneven, your hands still trembling from the adrenaline. The anger was still there, simmering under the surface, but now, something else crept in. Doubt. Had you gone too far?

Jeffrey had stayed quiet the entire evening. He gave you space, watching from the sidelines as you stewed in your emotions. But when the house finally settled for the night and you sank onto the couch with a deep exhale, he wordlessly joined you.

He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he rested his hand on your knee, his thumb tracing slow, thoughtful circles against your skin. His touch was warm, grounding. Finally, after a moment, he sighed and looked at you with that familiar softness in his eyes.

"Love," he started softly, his voice hushed. "Don't you think that you were just a bit too harsh..?"