The ball pounded into my leg, so I skipped away from the girls and started to play. My heart beat faster as the energy rushed through me. The ball moved with me. I didn't have to do anything, it was as if it was attached to my feet.
‘I didn't know you were good at football,' Aries called.
He tried to tackle me. I dodged him. The breeze brushed my bare arms as I thundered around the others and went for the goal. Leo stood his ground, but I was invincible. Bringing my leg back, I kicked the ball with my superpower strength. It went flying over Leo and into our pretend goal.
‘Go, Taurus!' Sophie cried.
The thumping of my heart grew louder. It drowned out the whoops of excitement from the others. My victory dance faltered as my head started to pound. The rushing feeling went into overdrive. Clutching my head, I stumbled to my knees. The muscles in my body started to shake. What was happening to me?
‘What's wrong?' someone asked me.
A hand stroked my back as I fell to the floor. The blue sky was above me. It spun. It moved all over the place. My stomach heaved, and I leant over to empty it.
‘Has he taken anything?' I heard Aries ask.
‘He did last night, but not today as far as I know.' Sophie's voice was tight. She was worried about me.
I opened my mouth to speak to them. Nothing came out. Shivering overtook me as I lay helpless on the ground.
‘Call an ambulance,' Kerry shouted.
Their voices faded as blackness came to take me away. It was about time. I had been waiting for the darkness for a while.
Chapter Seven
My hands wouldn't stop shaking. What was wrong with me?
///
‘You're getting withdrawal symptoms,' Sophie said, catching my fingers and trying to hold them still. It didn't work.
‘I'm fine.' I grunted, climbing out of bed.
The cool air met my naked skin as I reached into my drawer. I needed something to wake me up.
‘Do you think they might be right?'
Her voice was soft. I was trying to find the wooden box that held my stash. I stopped fumbling and turned to her. One bare leg stuck out of the cover, drawing my eye to her smooth skin.
‘Do you think they're right?'
My siblings had bugged me ever since I had got home from hospital. The nagging did my head in. The last thing I needed was Sophie to agree with them.
She didn't say anything as she chewed on her bottom lip. Shaking my head, I bent down to search the drawer. Where was my box?
‘They took it,' Sophie whispered.
My muscles ceased to move. The tendons in my thighs burned from my crouched position, but I stayed exactly where I was.
‘What?' I spat out after I took a deep breath.
‘When you were in hospital, they came in and took your box.'
Launching to my feet, I swiped at everything that sat on top of the dressing table. Aquarius' deodorant flew onto his bed. Combs scattered to the floor.
I picked up Gemini's aftershave and smashed it into the wall. Sophie shouted in surprise when the glass shattered and showered to the floor. My breath huffed in and out of me as I looked for more things to destroy. Red dots misted my vision when I couldn't find anything.
‘Taurus, stop!' Sophie called.
I ignored her and went to the wooden door that separated me from my meddling siblings. Clenching my fingers, I laid into the door, punching the wood repeatedly. The splinters stung my hand as they sliced into my skin. I kept going.
How dare they? My brain was buzzing as the red mist took over. I couldn't stop.
I was aware that Sophie cowered somewhere behind me.
‘No one takes my stash!' I bellowed, pulling my arm back and pounding the wood one last time. The crack of the door vibrated through my head and brought me back to the room.
The silence was broken by the sound of my laboured breathing. Sophie whimpered in the corner. I couldn't look at her. My arm throbbed from the beating.
‘You're bleeding.' Her voice was small. I glanced at my hand. She was right. Blood seeped from the grazes on my knuckles.
‘You don't want to be involved with someone like me,' I said through clenched teeth as I pulled on my jogging bottoms.
‘Don't shut me out.' Sophie got up from the bed when I reached for my sleeveless shirt.
I spun away from her when she reached out to me. Yanking the door open, I growled when I ran into Aries.
‘What the-'
‘Leave it out,' I snapped, ducking back into the room to collect my wallet.
‘Sophie, are you okay?'
My brother's heroism caused a problem. He was the perfect womaniser but managed to get away with it because he was charming. His protective streak was something that the rest of the family found admirable. I found it irritating. He thought he was so much better than us.
‘I'm fine,' I heard her reply as I made an escape out of the house.
The busy street did nothing to divert my attention. I needed two things. A drink and a joint. A hit of coke would also make me feel a lot better. I only had one line of coke a week. It wasn't too much to worry about.
‘Taurus!'
The shout from behind told me that I was being followed. Sophie caught up to me and tried to pull on my arm. I stopped walking, waiting for the onslaught. She placed herself in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders.
‘I want to help you.'
Her words made my bubbling temper rise again. I managed to push it down, resisting the urge to tell her where to go. Her pretty eyes pleaded with me, making me want to poke them out.
‘I don't need any help,' I said, shrugging my shoulders so her hands fell away.
The frown on her face didn't make me feel bad. If she wanted a clean cut man, I wasn't the one for her. I liked to take drugs every now and then. What was the harm in that? If she couldn't handle that, she had to go.
‘This is who I am. You either accept that, or … '
She cringed at the unspoken words. We didn't know each other, yet I was giving her an ultimatum. We had spent a great week together. Could I be bothered with taking it any further?
‘I like you. I know we haven't known each other long, but I really like you.'
She shrugged, the disappointment leaving her face. I sighed, looking away from her intense gaze.
‘Well, I think you're gorgeous.' A small smile played on her lips.
///
‘And you're good in bed.'
Her smile grew even bigger, which made me start to feel better.
‘You're crap at sports.' She hit me playfully on the arm.
‘But your sexy arse wiggles when you run.'
‘Taurus!'
‘And when you sleep, you look like an old man, although that would insult old men.'
Her mouth dropped open. ‘You can't say that!'
‘I just did.' I laughed at her shocked expression.
The shake of her head was contradicted by the smile on her face. She liked me.
‘I knew you liked me anyway,' I said, starting to walk.
She linked her arm through mine. ‘How?'
‘Because I'm sexy. Who wouldn't want to jump on me?'
I side stepped as she thrust her weight against me. I had no idea what she was trying to do so I pushed her playfully.
‘You're a funny one. Where are we going?' she asked, taking hold of my hand.
I was pleased she had accepted me. I sometimes lost my temper. I sometimes did drugs. I liked a drink, but I was a nice man. She probably deserved someone that had something going for them. I wasn't going to push her away when she so obviously wanted me, though.
‘To replace my stash.'
Her step faltered. Looking down at her, I raised my eyebrows. ‘You okay with that?'
I couldn't disguise the shaking of my hands, even to myself. It would disappear once I had a drink or a smoke.
‘Yeah, it's fine.' She reached up and fingered the stubble on my cheek. ‘No drugs makes Taurus a grumpy bum,' she whispered.
We moved on. Her words ran through my mind as I led her to my dealer's home. I couldn't see what the big deal was. Lots of people drunk alcohol. Many people smoked cannabis. Some people sometimes did heavier stuff. What was the crime in making myself feel better?
Chapter Eight
‘Father, I have something to tell you,' Aries announced.
The kitchen went silent as he stood up and handed Father his phone. I caught sight of the picture of Aries and Natalie. I sipped my glass of water, ignoring the shake of my hand.
‘Is that your twin flame?'
Father rose from his chair at the head of the table and stared at my brother. The hero. The one that everyone assumed would get things done. No one looked at me the way they admired him now.
‘Yep, I found her. In fact, I've known her for quite some time,' Aries replied. His cocky grin made me cringe.
Thrusting my chair away from the table, I got to my feet.
‘Are you okay?' Gemini asked as I turned away from the gloating man that now held everyone's attention.
It was time to meet Sophie. She would be waiting at the pub.
‘Before you go, I have the number of a good drug therapist.' Gemini handed me a card.
My cheeks heated when the tremble of my hand revealed that I needed help.