Chapter 18

It was a call from my dad. He sounded a bit tired as he said, "Cole, your mom hasn't been sleeping well these past few days. She's been worried about you. When are you coming home?" I sighed. "Dad, I know you're worried about me. But the situation is a bit complicated right now. I'm afraid—" "Afraid of what?" he interrupted me, his tone turning stern. "You're a member of the Joplin family. What's there to be afraid of? Tomorrow night, you must come home for dinner. Bring Jonas along." Knowing my dad's temper, I had no choice but to agree. Once the call ended, I rubbed my temples. I had a feeling tomorrow's family dinner would be anything but peaceful. … The next morning, I drove Jonas to school as usual. At the school entrance, we bumped into Yvonne and Xavier again. When Xavier noticed us, he pouted, his expression contemptuous. Crouching, I told Jonas, "Have a good day at school. I'll pick you up after class." Jonas nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he walked toward Xavier