TIFFIN

96

Hello lovelies (: thank you so much for tuning in and giving my book a chance <3 The story is really getting darker so once again: A trigger warning.
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When I had nearly slammed the door and returned inside, I was glad to see that Hero hadn't moved. His arm was slung over the side of the couch, drool slipping from the side of his mouth.

Making quick work of throwing his phone to the side, I rushed to the bedroom, dropping down on the velvet sheets. 

What could I do now? 

Well, you could get some rest, for now, you idiot. 

Yeah. Getting a good night's sleep was probably the best thing to do right now, but it wasn't the first thing on my mind.
I didn't want to sleep.

Here my boyfriend was cheating- wait. Was he actually cheating if he was being manipulated? 

Ugh. I didn't need this crap.

I really had screwed myself in the end signing a lease with this man, hadn't I? In my defense, I really didn't think things could get worse. I didn't think that Hero would allow his grandmother to continue her assault on him, physically or mentally.

Guess I was wrong. 

Grabbing at my own cell, I thumbed through my contacts trying to think of who to talk to. In times like this, I needed to do something to distract me.

Yes- I'd call my one and only friend in the world. 

When I heard the millions of rings sound through the phone, I was worried that I'd caught Josephine during a date, but after the third set of rings, she picked up. 

"Kristina, hey,"

She sounded fairly calm. At least one person wouldn't be mad at me. 

"Did I... interrupt something important?" I asked, hearing people yell in the background. 

"Oh, no. Just the opposite. It's funny, I just got done talking to my parents about quitting college."

I frowned at the way her sentence had been worded. Quitting sounded so negative. We weren't drop-outs. We were simply taking a shortcut to what we deserved. 

"I'm guessing you're taking the job?" I asked, excited at the aspect of working so close together. 

"Yep!" Jo squeaked. "They took it well. Said if I really felt that it was the best course for me, they wouldn't fight it. I'm also reeling over the fact that I'll be leaving for Tahiti in just a week."

"Oh, right," I replied, feeling blindsided, "I forgot about that."

"What's the matter?" Jo demanded. "You seem upset."

"It's Hero..." I began. "He's..."

I quickly stopped myself. Yes, she was his cousin, but was it my place to make her aware of what he was going through? I already knew when Hero found out about it, he was going to be pissed with me.

Then again, I was always taught if you sense that someone's life was in danger, you told a trusted adult. 

"Josephine," I said, "There's something I'm going to tell you. It's imperative that you don't repeat it to anyone - actually, is there any way we could meet somewhere? I don't want the chance of being heard."

"Sure," Josephine replied, "We'll go out for some ice cream."

When Jo had finally picked me up from the apartment and drove us to a nearby ice cream parlor, I didn't waste any time briefing her on what Hero and I were fighting about.

"So, what you're saying is-" She started to say, but I cut her off, wanting to get straight to the point. 

"Diedre molested him... when he was ten," I frowned, feeling tears gather in my eyes, "His mother, Dorinda, knows, but she refuses to do anything about it."

"Oh my god," Josephine sobbed, "And here I thought he was being a jerk for no reason. And that's why.." She gasped. "I think that's why his parents sent him away that last summer..."

"Wait," I said, "Are you saying that he was still being molested while he was in high school?"

Josephine shrugged. "It's the only logical explanation."

"Yeah," I agreed, "I think they are still doing things like this now. I don't know how to stop it."

"There's one thing I can do, but I'll have to break my promise. I will have to tell my mom."

I shook my head profusely, but Jo rested on a hand on top of mine. 

"It's the only way. If we don't tell someone, then Hero will have to suffer until she passes away."

It took me a minute to come to my senses. 

"You're right. You should tell her. I'm just worried he'll never speak to me again."

Josephine patted me on the shoulder.

"He'll understand. One day."

When we had both finished our ice creams, Josephine drove me back to the apartment. I felt my heart in my mouth as I stepped onto the welcome mat. I wasn't sure if Hero was still asleep.

Chances were that he was sober enough to remember what we'd been fighting about. 

Taking a deep breath, I entered. As soon as I closed the door, I was instantly rushed by someone. Hero was breathing heavily, wrapping himself around me in a tight hold. I stood still, not quite knowing how to respond to his new attitude.

He was a completely different person only mere hours ago. 

"Where were you?" He asked in a cold voice, his eyes red-rimmed, like he'd been up for days. 

"I-I was-"

"I woke up and couldn't find you," He went on, sounding petrified, "It was like you just deserted me-"

What the hell? He was acting like a lunatic right now.

"Hero, you were out cold. I was out with Josephine getting some ice cream..."

He couldn't have been sobered up already? 

"You caught me, okay?" Hero blurted. "I was pissed because I was guilty. I have been speaking to Diedre... You have to understand where I'm coming from."

"Why was she invited here?" I asked, wanting to get to the thick of things. I wanted my questions answered now. 

Hero's eyes widened. "She... came...?"

"Yeah, she did," I spat out, not bothering to cover my humiliation. "Hero, if things are still happening between you two, I need to know. If you lie to me, I'm afraid we can't go further in this relationship. I'm laying out an ultimatum right now."

He swallowed harshly. "Am I going to be judged by you from here on out?"

I took a moment to ponder over this. Could I go on, knowing that he was obeying that wretched woman? Could I lay with this boy I loved dearly, knowing what she was still doing to him?

"I'll accept it." I admitted. 

It went silent for the longest time until he spoke again.

"Since I was ten... Since you and I met... I have allowed my grandmother to molest me in ways you couldn't imagine. This had been an ongoing affair for many years."

I felt my soul leave my body entirely. 

I really hate Diedre.

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