Mockingbird: a Songbird Sequel

Ten: Colt

Oh, God. I wanted to reel those words in before they even fully left my lips. I could practically taste them on my tongue, horrible and vile, and it was making me nauseous. I didn't mean it. Of course, I didn't. I was just freaking out and I... fûck.

"Baby..." I said softly. It wasn't until I reached for her that I realized two of my knuckles has cracked open and my hand was bleeding. Hadn't meant to punch a wall either. I was just trying... I have no idea what I was trying to do. Jesus.

Lennie flinched away from me and took a step back, as if she feared me, her head waving rapidly from side to side. "No."

"Len..."

"Dad?" Beau's shocked voice came from the stairway, Maggie at his side, both looking like they had seen a ghost. Or at least witnessed more of the temper tantrum I'd thrown than they should've.

My eyes, wide as a full moon, bounced between my son and my wife, both looking not just hurt, but terrified. "I didn't..." I began.

Lennie cleared her throat. "Come on, Mags. I'll take you home." She moved to grab her keys from the wall hook beside me, and once again flinched as I reached for her.

"Lennie, please..." I said, my tone soft and pleading.

She just shook her head. "I have nothing to say to you," she stated, her voice so even it was scary. Scarier than me yelling. She then looked to Beau and her eyes glistened with heartbreak. "I have nothing to say to either of you."

Beau looked like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him and I didn't feel any different. Lennie grabbed her keys and led the silent blonde to her Jeep, the screen door bouncing in the quiet of the night.

Beau and I both stood there silently for a beat. My chest, rising and falling as I tried to breathe myself into some other state of mind than the mess it currently was. Don't blow up, I told myself. You've already done enough damage.

"Dad, I..."

"Don't," I sighed, shaking my head. "I fucking trusted you, Beau. Lennie trusted you."

"I know, I just..."

"I don't want to hear it," I interrupted. "There is nothing you can say. I told you what you needed to do, and you deliberately chose to ignore me."

"I know. I'm sorry..."

"I'm really tired of the empty apologies, kid."

"I AM sorry."

"You're not though, or the behavior would change, and it hasn't. It keeps getting worse. You keep pushing that line back and expecting nothing to happen and I'm... I'm fucking done with it."

"What do you mean?"

"You ain't leaving me much of a choice," I stated with a sad wave of my head. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but he wasn't leaving me any other option. "You're grounded. You're grounded and you... you can't see her anymore."

"WHAT?!" Beau cried, his blue eyes glistening in the horrendously yellow kitchen light. "Dad! You can't do that!"

"The hell I can't. You live under my roof..."

"This is Lennie's roof! Not yours!"

My eyes snapped to his. "You really think pushing me right now is a good idea?!" I asked with a low growl. I was trying to keep my cool. I really was. Lord knew my temper had done enough damage tonight. "Did you see her face, Beau? You broke her heart...That woman fought for you. She went to bat for you, and you still couldn't keep your word."

"No, YOU broke her fucking heart!" Beau retorted, his yell sounding eerily similar to mine. "You're the one screaming at her and punching shit like some kind of animal!"