Her big brothers

Chapter 72: interrogation

Emma's POV

"Have a seat, you two," Alex says simply. He isn't as agitated as he was last night, but his tone still gave me chills. Me and Cole quietly sat on the couch opposite the one Alex was sitting on.

It felt like his brown eyes were piercing through me, as he glared at the both of us with a scowl.
I fidget with my fingers as he continues to wordlessly look at us for another minute.

"Look, I know we royally screwed up, but please say something." Cole suddenly says, seemingly just as uncomfortable as I was by Alex's silence.

Alex nods. "You did, especially you Cole. That doesn't mean you're off the hook though, Emma." Alex says, looking at me. I nod. "I know," I mumble.

Alex opened his mouth, probably to start his long-winded lecture.
"Please don't punish her," Cole blurts out, and both me and Alex look at him in surprise.
"Excuse me?" Alex says lowly.

Cole sighs. "It wasn't her fault. She didn't know I was gonna sneak out. I'm not sure how she even figured out where the party was. She just wanted to get me out of trouble."

Alex raised an eyebrow and his stern glare somehow became even scarier. "If she found out where you were, the smart thing to do would've been coming and telling us, not wandering off on the street late at night. We would've come and gotten you. You would've been in less trouble, and she wouldn't have been in any trouble at all."

I turn red and hang my head in shame.
"Anyway," Alex continues. "Tell me what made you think it was a good idea to sneak out and go to a party."

Cole gulped. "I wasn't thinking... I just got mad you wouldn't let me go, and I thought you'd come to my room to tell me off, so I just decided to go.." Cole trailed off, knowing well that whatever explanation he gave Alex wouldn't help his case.

"Let me get this straight... you figured sneaking out and getting in trouble was better than us telling you off for yelling?" Alex asked, the vein in his forehead bulging.

"I wasn't thinking," Cole mumbled, looking at the floor.
"That isn't an excuse, is it Cole?" Alex asked angrily.
"No, it's not," Cole muttered.

"Speak up!" Alex scolded.
Cole quickly looked up at him. "It's not an excuse."

"Then what happened after? Why did you ignore our calls?"
"I didn't do that on purpose... I just tossed my phone somewhere when I went inside." Cole tells him, which angered Alex even more.

"So you can't be responsible for yourself, your sister, or even your phone? Fantastic," Alex responds sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, okay? I made a lot of stupid decisions last night." Cole admitted.
"That you did," Alex said. "Now why did you leave Emma alone?"

"That was my fault, he-" I start to explain, but Alex shuts me up. "I was asking Cole," He said, glaring at me.

"I left my phone back at Nick's house, so I went to go get it back."

"So you left her on the road?" Alex asks darkly. I squeeze Cole's hand, silently asking him to blame me.

"I asked her. She didn't want to come with me."

"I see. So getting your phone back is more important than getting you and your sister home safe?" Alex asks, through gritted teeth.

"No, it's not." Cole said quietly.

Alex shook his head and turned to me.