An innocent childhood friend that hides his intensely possessive tendencies and his equally unstable older brother with no sense of boundaries.
Dominic and Jake Truven are both troubled teens that have their sights set on their family friend, Nicol...
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--Joseph--
When stuck between two polarising opposites, it becomes impossible to remain impartial. Each with their own consequences, good and bad; which is the right choice?
How is someone supposed to know?
The panicked shrill of a screech was what woke me up. My heart was racing first thing in the morning and the equally pained scream that followed rattled the jumble of my groggy thoughts straight into order.
My hands fumbled to rip away the sheets clung onto my body and I bolted to the door; tearing it open before stumbling across the top floor of my house to race down the stairs with thundering steps. Their heaviness almost drowned away the distantly frantic chatter I heard alongside the wretched sobs and anxious hyperventilating in the living room downstairs.
Without having to guess so hard, I already had a sense of what had happened.
"Nat, it's okay, baby, you're fine." Mom's tense but warm reassurance became clear just before I cracked the door to the room open. It was easy to spot Nat's crumpled figure on the ground, hands digging into the mess of her hair as she cried hysterically. Something must've set her off again. Mom caught her gaze with mine by the door and quickly ushered me over. She looked frazzled and disjointed. Blood lined her arm, blooming on a fresh cut from the shards of the broken glass vase that usually sat atop our living room coffee table. "Joseph, I don't know what happened. I think it might've been the movie she was watching; they were manhandling that girl and-"
"Nat," I cut Mom off as I sauntered over, hand clasping onto Nat's shoulder with my utmost gentleness. Nat shivered uncontrollably under my touch and I knew that if I was any rougher, it'll just make her worse. My knees bent, cracking from the stiffness of my recent slumber as I lowered myself down to her. Her long hair was draped over her face, so I couldn't see what kind of face she was making. But it wasn't as if I hadn't seen it before. She was mortified; terrified of that moment coming back to haunt her. That expression had been branded with a hot iron into my mind, reminding me of the torment she always has to suffer whilst the pond scum criminals that did this to her are probably living it up, guiltless of their crimes. "Nat, it's me, Joseph," I softly muttered amidst her mantra of pleads. My face scrunched up in hurt at her mindless ramblings and inconsolable state; passing grief for the loss of my dear sister. "Nat, please, look at me. I'm your brother," I pressed further in desperation, reaching for her other shoulder as well. However, upon contact, the final threads keeping Nat together snapped, and she thrashed around and out of my grasp.
Mom lept to grab her as she started struggling for her life, flailing her arms and legs as if they were being held down against her will. It was always so hard to watch.
"Nat, stop it, it's your little brother! He doesn't want to hurt you!" Mom called out, hugging her daughter dearly as tears pearled her eyes. My chest hurt. I should be used to it by now but it hurt so much. This was the older sister I had looked up to as a child. Even though we fought so easily and she would bully me a lot, she guided and cared for me all in the same.
