Roping Her In

Chapter:3

I kept making sure the bruises were healing all week. At the rodeo the one on my cheek was barely visible. I put a little makeup on to cover it before going to the ranch to load my horse. My teammates don't know. Only the people living inside that house know what's going on.

I lost myself in my head for a moment thinking about everything that could have been if Justin didn't have these angry outbursts. I was slightly pushed. Twister had pushed his head into my abdomen bringing me out. "Thanks bud." I said petting my horse. He knows what I'm going through. I've told him everything.

I got him ready to rodeo and mounted up. I rode him over to the arena and lost myself again. I sat watching my brother and Dan as they yelled at each other. I didn't know why they were arguing. It's been a month since our parents were killed in that wreck. Justin finally noticed me and started yelling and cursing at me.

I backed away and locked myself in my room. He almost broke the door down trying to get to me. That was the first time I had almost been beaten by my brother. It's apart of his withdrawal. He slowly wakes up then bursts into rage and will kill to get high again. He drinks during the day and at Ranks Unleashed to keep his head.

Twister switched gaits quickly and got me out of my stupor. I stopped and dismounted out away from the ring. "I can't do this today." I told him. He nickered. I kept petting him. He was calming me down. He always has. I focused on my horse and what I needed to do before to get ready. I remounted and took a deep breath.

I practiced my dismount for as long as it took. When it started I pushed it to the back of my head and tried to keep it down. At the end of the night I was hiding away from the rest of the crowd with my horse. I tried to get my head back. I couldn't though. I lost myself again this time blacking out.

Twister was right next to me with his head on my lap. That wasn't the reason I was woken up. A hand rubbing my arm was what woke me. "Hey. You alright?" He asked. I nodded. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked. "Not really." I said. "Family issues?" He asked. I nodded.

"Talk about it." He said. "A week ago we talked." He said. "It's hard for me to remember voices without a face." I said. He chuckled. "Cox." He said. I smiled. "It's almost the day that my parents were killed. It happens every year and it keeps getting worse until right after." I said. He sighed. "Happens when we least expect it. Never told anyone on my rodeo team that I was an adoption kid. That my parents split and didn't want me, so they gave me up when I was five. They're still alive. Not wanting their oldest kid to see them living separate lives from each other. Least your parents wanted you until they were killed." He said.

"My brother doesn't want me." I said. "He blames me for it when I was at our grandparents at the time. He was out with buddies doing the normal teenage eighteen year old stuff when he got a call from our dad's parents. I want to get out of that house so badly, but no one else in my family will take me. I'm my own black sheep." I said.

"It's not a bad thing being the black sheep. Means you're your own person. Not even your brother can take that away. If you need a day out of the house, let me know." He said handing me a shredded napkin. The moon barely shown that it was a number and his name. "I don't care if we are supposed to be enemies. We have fall rodeo and spring rodeo. Let's do what we have to, to keep each other a float." He said.

That meant the world that I had someone in my corner after three years of my cousin switching sides just to make sure I'm alive before taking my brother's side once again. "What's that on your face?" He asked. "It's nothing. Probably dirt." I said remembering that I could have wiped the makeup off and the bruise could be showing.

"Ok. If you absolutely need someone to talk to or tell all your problems to, I'm willing to listen. Even if it's the middle of the night." He said. "Thank you Cox." I told him. "Your welcome Jess. Try to get some sleep tonight. See you next weekend." He said before standing. He helped me to my feet before I walked Twister back to the trailer and loaded him up. The boys must have caught a ride with someone else to drop off their horses.

It was less time heading home I guess. I just hoped that Justin was out of the house for my sake.