Two Hundred and twelve

CHAPTER 212

Kevin, suddenly uncomfortable with his parents' expectations, interrupted, "I never asked you to pay a lawyer, Dad. I can handle my own mistakes."

Louis sighed, his gaze shifting to the rearview mirror. "Kevin, this isn't just about this incident. It's about the choices you've made. I'm not going to let you throw away your future. You let those girls distract you with useless things, and you let yourself get stuck in trouble!"

The car pulled into the driveway of their suburban home, and the family entered the quiet house. Tension hung in the air as they gathered in the living room. Hailey, who was unwilling to let the argument die down, turned to Louis.

"Why are you always being so hard on him? He's young, he'll learn from his mistakes."

Louis paced the room, frustration clearly written on his face. "I want him to learn, Hailey, but I want him to learn the right way. Not by avoiding responsibility and getting involved with people like Hendrick."

Hailey scoffed, "Hendrick helped us when no one else would. Don't act like you're better than him."

Louis shook his head, his tone firm, "I'd rather face challenges honestly than be indebted to people like Hendrick. We have to teach Kevin that."

The room fell silent, each family member wrestling with their own thoughts. Louis, despite his anger, realized the importance of finding a middle ground. "We'll figure this out as a family. But Kevin, you must understand the consequences of your actions. There are no more shortcuts."

Kevin nodded solemnly, feeling the weight of his father's words. The family, despite their differences, was bound by a common desire for Kevin to walk a better path. As they faced the challenges that lay ahead, the echoes of that night still lingered night that began with celebration but revealed deeper rifts within the family.

"You're ridiculous, Louis. It's not Kevin's fault, it's Brittany's fault, that crazy girl who keeps chasing our son," Hailey glanced behind her, at Kevin who sat quietly. "Kevin, you broke up with her, didn't you?"

"I don't want to break up with Brittany, Mom," Kevin said, and that made Hailey turn her head quickly.

Hailey's eyebrows furrowed. "What did you say?"

Hailey's eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face. "You don't want to break up with Brittany? Kevin, we've been trying to guide you away from trouble, and you want to stay involved with her?"

Kevin sighed, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Mom, it's not just about her. I mean, yes, he's part of the problem, but there's more. I can't explain everything right now, but something is going on, something bigger than us."

Louis, still angry, crossed his arms. "Kevin, we can't help you if you keep something from us. What's going on?"

Reluctantly, Kevin began to recount the events of the past few weeks. Mysterious encounters, cryptic messages, and complicated feelings made him feel guilty every time he remembered them.  As he spoke, the room changed from an arena of arguments to a space where the family faced new and unexpected problems together.

Hailey softened, realizing that there was more going on in this situation than a rebellious phase. "We have to understand, Kevin. If you're in trouble, we're here for you, but we can't help if we don't know what's going on."

"I don't want you fooling around with women, I want you to focus on your career."

Louis stopped the car when they got home. The lights in the garden were on, making the night that should have been dark and tense, now a little shady and calming.

Louis intervened, putting his hand on Hailey's shoulder to calm her down. "Hailey, yelling at him won't solve anything. Let's listen to Kevin."

Kevin, now facing his parents with a determined look, said, "I know it seems complicated, but there's more to this than meets the eye. I need to work things out with Brittany, not just for myself, but for all of us. There's something between us, something only the two of us know, and she might have the information we need."

But when Kevin was about to enter the house, Hailey held Kevin's hand and that also made Louis turn around out of curiosity.

"Kevin, you went to jail because of Brittany. She thinks she's powerful because she's the daughter of the Chief in town. You need to leave her immediately!"

"I can't, Mom." Kevin had a wish too, and he tried to speak it. "There are things I want to resolve with her, and I can't go this way."

Hailey sighed, then crossed her arms in front of her chest. She turned her face forward, staring at Kevin angrily. "Are you crazy?" One of Hailey's hands pushed Kevin's shoulder, which surprised Louis. But Hailey didn't stop. "You're out of your mind, huh?!"

"Hailey, stop it," Louis muttered, then held back Hailey's hand.

"You little brat! We're trying to keep you out of trouble, but you're just being a jerk!"

Louis tightened his grip on Hailey's hand, urging her to calm down. The tension in the air was palpable, and Kevin felt the weight of his parents' expectations weighing on him.

"Mom, Dad, I understand your concern, but you don't know the whole story. Brittany and I have an unfinished past, especially after the accident. I need to face it and uncover the truth," Kevin pleaded.

Hailey scoffed, "The truth? What truth? You're just going to make more trouble. I won't let you ruin your life just because of a mysterious relationship."

Louis, with a calm demeanor, interjected, "Let him explain it, Hailey. You keep interrupting her." The man looked at Kevin seriously, his face genuinely curious. He was betting on all of Kevin's words being held on his lips. "Kevin, please tell me everything right now. I want to know the whole story."

"Actually, Brittany and I... we have a secret that no one knows about." Kevin gave his parents a mysterious look. "Brittany is pregnant with my child."