TIFFIN 2

36

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As we all gathered in a tight circle around Chad and Hero they went on arguing.

"Now that we're all here," Chad began, "You want to tell me what your problem is?"

"Yeah, I'll tell you what my problem is," Hero snapped, "every one of you are taking my private business and treating it like some fucking joke."

"We aren't!" Josephine exclaimed. "We are all trying to help you. If we could prove that she molested you-"

"Fuck!" Hero screamed, pulling at his hair. "I hate that word. You all have no idea what I went through- it was all a healing process- a fucking healing process!"

Why was he referring to what that woman did to him as a healing process? This fact didn't make me very comfortable.

Hero then turned back to me.

"I thought you would have understood that after therapy today!"

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Therapy is a healing process. You and your grandmother sneaking around to sleep together isn't a healing process, Hero. It's deranged... it's... so messed up. You have a family here that wants to help you. Now's not the time to run."

Hero's eyes began to water.

"You think I willingly seek her out? I don't choose this!"

Josephine's mother approached him warily, with her husband offering a sympathetic smile.

"We know you don't. I always saw you as a second son-"

Hero nastily yanked away.

"Where the hell were you when I was taken on weekends? Before you decided that I was mature enough for you handle-"

Jo's mother rested a hand on his arm.

"Not now-" she then turned towards her daughter. "Josephine... please go inside. You don't need to hear this."

"Why?" Hero snapped. "Perfect fucking Chad lies to his own sister when you're aware we've known each other longer than high school."

At this, I saw Chad's head lower guiltily. Jo however, raised hers in curiosity.

"What does that mean?" She demanded.

"Okay," Chad boomed, stepping in front of Hero's line of vision. "You can leave my sister out of this."

"Why?" Hero's eyes widened in fury. "Afraid that I'll expose you?"

Chad took a look back at us all before turning back to his cousin.

"Whatever happened to you, then and now, was entirely your fault. You could have stayed out of the way instead of involving yourself with something that didn't concern you."

I gasped, taken aback by Chad's harsh words. His mother, for once looked frightened, yelling at him.

"Chad, no! He was only ten! Imagine if that had been you!"

"Oh so you didn't tell them?" Hero scoffed. "What a saint you are. After everything I did for you..."

Chad glowered. "You did Jack- shit! Leave them out of this!"

His father rested a hand on him.

"Son, we're reaching dangerous territory."

His mother then yanked her husband back.

"No, Leo. Don't you dare try to handle this-"

Leo looked between Chad and his wife with difficulty.

"Georgia, please-"

She shook her head facing her son, head on.

"No. Chad. Tell me what he's talking about this minute. It better not make me regret raising you."

Chad sighed, staring at his feet for the longest time. When he realized that Georgia wasn't going to give in, he answered.

"It could have been me... it was almost me..."

"What do you mean it was almost you?"
Georgia asked shakily. "You never mentioned any of this was happening."

Chad shrugged.

"I didn't know what was happening at the time. Diedre tried doing a few things but... Hero did his best to draw attention to himself."

"Wait," Georgia gasped, "you're not saying-"

"That's right," Hero hissed, staring right into her eyes, "your perfect little son was just fine throwing me to the wolves. I knew it would scar him like it scarred me. I shoved my cousin out of the way so he wouldn't suffer what I did."

Chad shook his head. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Making me to be the bad guy."

I didn't know what to say in this moment. This I hadn't expected. I already knew Hero was a complicated person but he'd been so wise, so selfless.

At such a young age he was willing to protect his family.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice that Josephine had moved away from Niall.

She looked broken, her face flushed and pale.

Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen.

She stood between Chad and Hero looking utterly betrayed.

She then looked Chad up and down as if he were unrecognizable.

"Hero suffered abuse because of you."

Chad did his best to divert her thoughts, but Jo wasn't having any of it.

"No," Josephine exclaimed. "It was your fault. It was going to be you... but Hero protected you. You let him be raped!"

I expected Chad to argue with this but he struggled with a response.

"He did his best to protect you," Jo went on, "and you still went on acting like he was the problem. You spent time fighting with him making me believe that he was the one starting fights when in reality... he had a reason to hate you."

Chad frowned. "Little sister-"

"No!" Josephine sobbed. "No! Don't call me that... who are you, Chad? I don't know who you are anymore.... I hate you too."

"Josephine," Leo scolded. "Think what you're saying."

Jo tore her eyes away.

"I am. I mean what I've said. You all told me Hero came into our lives later than expected. Why have I been lied to?"

"You're so unassuming." Georgia replied. "We knew they both problems with each other. Just not this bad. We wanted a drama free environment."

"Yeah," Josephine snapped, "and your decision cost him his childhood."

Jo turned to leave, but she paused, staring back at Hero one last time.

"I am so sorry." She murmured.

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