Not A Word

Chapter Four

Tara

What? How could Greg even be standing here? It didn't make any sense!

He walked over to the side of the bed I lay on, his bed I finally realized. "Are you alright Tara? You weren't doing too well when I brought you here."

His voice was so friendly, so void of hate. There was no way that this wasn't a trap. My eyes skimmed over him, seeing all the resemblances to his brother. It made me sick to my stomach. Even if he wasn't the one that hurt me he looked exactly like his brother, someone who took joy in my pain.

"Are you not going to talk to me Tara?" he asked with a sad look on his face. "Look I know what my brother has been doing to you and I don't like it but you have to know that I'm not like that. I want to help you. I don't want to see you hurt and in pain."

I looked at him curiously. How could Niall be such a monster yet Greg be such a sweetheart? I didn't want to trust him but considering that I'm alive and safe I have to give him some credit for that. He didn't see me on the floor of the school and leave me there or hurt me even more.

Then I realized that he shouldn't have even been in the school. He graduated last year. He should be at Uni right now. I pushed the words past my dry and swollen throat, "Why were you even at the school? You already graduated." it came out less as a question and more as an accusation.

He scratched the back of his neck and gave me an embarrassed smile, "Yeah well I had to talk to the principal about Niall's 'issues' in school. Apparently he acts up and isn't a very good student."

That didn't really answer my question completely but really only made new ones surface. "Shouldn't you be away at Uni though. I thought you wanted to get an education." so far his story had holes and I didn't like it.

"I took a year off because someone needs to watch over Niall. If our parents were doing a good job of it then he would have already been set straight. I have a feeling that he acts completely different when he's at home then when he's..."

Great trailed off but I knew what he meant. "Than when he beating the life out of me?" I wish I could have gotten up and went home, well not home but to anywhere but here. I needed peace to let all of this sink into my brain. Yeah for some people it probably doesn't seem like a lot but my abuses brother is caring for me! If this isn't a time to get overwhelmed I don't know when the time is.

Greg shifts nervously from foot to foot. Who knew the all time popular guy at school and star center for the football team could get nervous. It was entertaining to see this side of him but I knew I couldn't stay much longer. "Look Greg I appreciate the help I honestly do. It was really sweet of you care for me but I need to get home. It's not because of you but I don't want to be here when your brother gets home. Trust me that would just spell more pain for me."

"Niall doesn't live here. This is my house. After high school I moved out and got my own flat. I thought it was a good ideas to have my own place away from distraction when I went to college and when I decided to wait a year I didn't move back. Niall doesn't come by very often, only when he needs something." he paused concern etched on his face. "I won't let him hurt you if he does show up Tara. I told you I want to protect you."

"Why though? You barely know me! We were in school together for one year, that's it. And if you have a thing for me that's considered pedofilelish because you're what, twenty now?!"

Greg chuckled. "Don't worry I don't have a thing for you. My girlfriend would get pretty mad about that." he said with an amused smile on his face.

I blushed and sunk deeper into the soft bed. I really hoped that it would just swallow me up right now. That was so stupid of me to think that Greg would be like that. Way to jump to conclusions Tara.