The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor) novel Chapter 73

His voice was calm but held a deep meaning. He paused, clearly evaluating if everyone was listening.

“I want everyone here to understand why I had to settle,” Douglas resumed, “The beating Archie received at your hands, Taylor, cannot easily be dismissed. You went past the stage of self-defense. If this had escalated just a little more, I wouldn’t have been able to cover this up.”

“Remember that under the law, self-defense is only justified if it is reasonable and necessary to protect oneself or others from imminent harm. However, suppose someone continues to hit an attacker after the threat has been neutralized. In that case, it may no longer be considered self-defense. Instead, it could be classified as assault,” the governor reminded.

“But I understand. We are family, after all. Like you, I felt the pain. They say that violence is not the answer to everything, but when I saw that video, I sure wanted to punch that kid myself,” Douglas admitted.

“Sorry, Grandpa. I should have listened to Charlie. This would not have happened if not for me,” Tristan said apologetically.

“Oh, Tristan, son. I don’t blame you,” Douglas responded. “You are not perfect—no one is. But you’re right. Next time, listen to the adults who care for you.”

Then, his eyes flickered to Charlie. He tapped his fingers against the armrest while addressing Charlie, “Now, as for Charlie—”

He paused, picked up the remote, and replayed the scene.

When Archie smashed the guitar, everyone stiffened. Savannah’s eyes filled with tears when he called Tristan a freak. She said, “He did not want to understand.”

Douglas let the video continue playing, then clicked it off abruptly.

It was clear to Charlie that Taylor’s grandfather was conflicted at that point because, Archie was being an asshole! A few times, she saw the governor clench his jaws.

“Please forgive me, Dad,” Grayson West gave his two cents, trying to break the tension, “but I think the best advice we should give Charlie here is to work on her punch.”

Very quickly, Taylor chuckled. He said, “I agree.”

“Grandpa, Charlie doesn’t get angry easily,” Taylor added. “It takes a lot to push her buttons. As you can see in the video, Archie provoked her and Tristan to the point of no return.”

Douglas shook his head. He wavered but eventually admitted, “Well, I guess the kid did deserve to be taught a lesson, but we need to be more careful next time. I am not always around to protect this family.”

He turned to Taylor and reminded him, “Let’s not take it too far. Okay, Taylor?”