Losing Control

Three Weeks Later

I paced around my room as my phone buzzed and beeped in my hand. The alarm that used to excite me, now marked the start of what I knew was going to be another shitty day. I snatched my backpack off the table before storming out of my room. I froze when I saw Scarlett standing in front of the front door. My hand tightened on the strap over my shoulder, and I clenched my jaw as I walked down the stairs. I hadn’t seen Scarlett in three weeks, not since she had told me to go to hell. Neither her anger nor dating Vanessa now, did anything to curb how I felt about her.

“Have a good day, Elena.” I reached for the doorknob. “Scarlett.”

I shut the door behind me, exhaling harshly as I prided myself on not showing how I truly felt about her. I jogged down the three stairs and was almost to Beanie’s car when the door opened behind me. Her cinnamon scent wafted over me and I bit back a groan. I picked up speed, pretending to not hear her calling my name softly, almost shyly.

“OSPREY, YOU DICK! EVERYBODY KNOWS YOU CAN HEAR HER!” Elena shouted at me.

I spun around to glare at her. “WHAT?!” I roared.

Scarlett took a step back, glancing at Elena. “It’s nothing. Never mind,” she mumbled.

“Whatever.”

I turned back to the car and was in the process of getting in when a chunk of mud hit me in the face. I stared at it as it fell to the ground, almost as if it were in slow motion. Beanie grabbed my arm.

“Let’s go, Osprey.”

I jerked my arm away from him and leapt out of the car. I stormed over to my sister who waited until the last moment to jump behind Scarlett. She pushed Scarlett forward and she stumbled into me. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her from hitting the ground in her desperate attempt to get away from me. When she looked up at me, Godric immediately made me pull her closer to inhale her scent quickly before I set her back away from me. I bared my teeth at my sister who held her hands up.

“Scarlett, tell him.”

I looked at her expectantly. “What is it?”

“I… I wanted to apologize,” she whispered.

“Apology accepted. Bye.”

Her hand landed on my arm, making me freeze. I looked at her hand before slowly raising my eyes to hers. Her face turned red and she quickly removed her hand. I wanted to beg her to put it back. I wanted to stay in her presence forever. Her touch had instantly soothed my irritation.

“I’m sorry I got upset. You asked about your mate, so when I saw you were kissing Vanessa, I just-”

I longed to take her in my arms, and I was about to do just that when Raul stepped out onto the porch. I bit back a groan, and narrowed my eyes on her, as the sight of him made my frustrations instantly rear up again.

“I don’t have a mate. I don’t want one either. Is that all?”

Tears filled her eyes as she glanced at Elena. My sister’s hands fisted by her side.

“You are such a fucking liar, Osprey. You know damn well that Aunt Scarlett is-”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I hissed.

“THEN STOP BEING STUPID! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT YOU L-”

My hand shot out to wrap around her throat, squeezing tight. I yanked her towards me as my aura flared out. She had given me the perfect way to let out all the hurt, anger, and depression the past few weeks without Scarlett had built up in me. Raul came rushing down the stairs, calling for our other parents.

“Watch your fucking mouth, Elena,” I growled as Godric strengthened our aura, making Elena whimper as she clawed at my hand.

Our parents rushed over to us, and I turned to glare at them individually before meeting my father’s eyes last. Our mother stepped towards me.

“Let her go, Osprey. NOW!” she ordered.

I turned my furious gaze back to my sister. I tightened my grip more, smirking when her face turned even redder. I lifted her a foot off the ground and threw her backward. As she hit the ground hard, I could already see the bruises forming on her throat. She lay there gasping for air with her hand around her neck. I closed my eyes into slits as I glared at her.

“Don’t ever fucking say that again!” I snapped, letting my aura out more.

She nodded as most of my fathers wobbled. I was yanked backward before being jerked around to stand in front of my father. Carson growled at me, sending Godric running to the back of my head, terrified of our father’s retribution for our actions. My aura immediately died as my father’s overpowered it, making me lower my head in submission.

“DO NOT EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR SISTER AGAIN! ANY OF THEM! THAT FUCKING INCLUDES GERALD! I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU BUT WE DON’T ACT LIKE THAT!”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He walked me to Beanie’s car, stuffed me inside, and leaned down into my face.

“We will be discussing this when you get home from school. I swear if you put one toe out of line today, I will come down there and we will handle it sooner. Am I understood?” I gulped and nodded. “You are to come straight home after school. No football practice or seeing that girlfriend of yours.” My jaw clenched again at Scarlett’s whimper upon hearing that I had a girlfriend. “Now, get your ass to school.”

He slammed the door so hard that the entire car shook. Beanie shifted gears as I took one last look at Scarlett, who was knelt at Elena’s side, talking to her. When I couldn’t see her anymore, I sighed as I settled back into my seat with my arms crossed over my chest. I cut my eyes at my furious best friend.

“I take it you're mad at me, too?”

His hands gripped the steering wheel harder. “You hurt Elena. Why would you hurt her? She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“She put her nose in a situation that doesn’t involve her.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “Just like you’re doing now.”

“Fuck you, Osprey. Whatever is going on between you and Scarlett is your business, but don’t hurt Elena.”

I rolled my eyes. “You sound like you care about her.”

He shot me an angry look. “We grew up together. We’re basically family,” he snarled.

I turned to look out the window. “Yeah, ‘family.’”

“She is.”

“That’s what I say about Scarlett, too.”

“Just because you care about her more than a family member doesn’t mean that’s how it is with me and Elena.”

I turned back to him to study his face. I noted his anger, along with his need for violence, which was easy for me to pick up on.

“This is why we’re best friends,” I say.

“Why is that?”

I looked back out the window. “Because we’re both bad liars.”

He sighed. “That we are."