Everyone's Got Problems

[wrongturntaken]

I don't like this chapter much because it's really just a linking chapter. The next one is the big one.

Hope you enjoy it anyway.

Chapter 19.

“Hello!” Aden called as he carried his and Belle’s bags into the house, “Tess? Mark? ….anyone home?”

Mark came running down the stairs, “Shh…” he whispered desperately. “You’ll wake the beast.”

Aden laughed as Belle came in the door behind him, “The beast?”

“Tess has had a personality transplant or something while you were gone!” Mark complained.

“Why?” Belle asked, putting her hands on her hips with a hint of concern in her voice.

“No idea,” Mark shrugged, “She won’t say. But Tyler was around yesterday so I think he might have upset her.”

“You stayed at a mate’s place last night, didn’t you?” Belle clarified and didn't let the worry at what this could be about show visibly on her face.

Mark nodded.

“Okay, well I’ll go and talk to her,” Belle told them and looked at Aden with a weak smile who was also looking concerned that someone had upset his daughter.

“Tess?” Belle knocked on her door and entered to see Tess curled up under the quilt. “Tess?” she tried again and saw her stir.

“Mum!” she exclaimed and immediately threw the covers off of herself to run and fling her arms around her mother’s neck, hugging her tightly.

Belle ran a hand through her hair, “Hey,” she said soothingly. “What happened?”

“It was awful, Mum. I wasn’t ready and then…” she sniffled as she started to cry, reminding Belle of when she was three years old and Aden had tried to give her a car to play with instead of a doll.

Belle took on a confident and dominant expression so that Tess knew she didn’t have to be the one in control in this conversation and shut the door behind her, “Did you sleep with Tyler?”

Tess shook her head, “No, but we nearly did and he…”

“What did he do?”

“It was like it wasn’t even him. He just held me there and didn’t hear me when I told him to stop...” Belle looked horrified, “I didn’t want to do it, but it wasn’t because of him,” Tess reassured her, seeing the look on Belle’s face. “It was like something was in control of him and I didn’t understand it. And then he did stop and he looked scared or something. I tried to comfort him but he told me that he never liked me that much in the first place and so I told him to get out,” she rambled out what Belle conceived as in incoherent explanation but nodded along all the same and held her daughter tightly when she had stopped speaking.

“So you and Tyler have broken up?” Belle asked, pulling back from Tess after a minute.

Tess nodded, “He’s a jerk. I can’t believe I nearly… I thought he was…”

“I know, Tess,” Belle said. “But the important thing is that you didn’t do something you weren’t ready for and maybe its better that you broke up.”

“I guess,” Tess nodded.

"Come here," she said and pulled Tess back into her until realising she might like a change of topic, “Now, are you hungry? Your father and I bought Chinese on our way back,” Belle told her, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and looking for a smile.

Tess nodded. “Oh yeah, how was your trip?” she said, and Belle looked pleased that Tess was slightly perkier.

“Come on, we’ll tell you about it downstairs,” Belle said and gestured for them to leave the room.

*

“Morning Tess,” Lisa said the Monday morning at school, and Tess could see the uncomfortable look on her face as she approached her locker.

“Morning, Lisa,” Tess said formerly, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

“What are you doing?” Lisa asked quickly.

“Um, I’m going to get my books for English, if that’s alright with you?” Tess told her as Lisa maneuvered to stand in front of her.

“You don’t need books!” Lisa told her unconvincingly.

Tess looked at her weirdly, “Yes I do, my copy of ‘Of mice and men’ is in my locker and I need it for the lesson.”

Lisa didn’t look pleased at this response.

“What’s going on?” Tess asked her suspiciously.

Lisa sighed, “I’m sorry, Tess. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to see it.”

“See what?” Tess asked her in confusion as she stepped out of the way. “Oh my God!” she coughed as her locker door was revealed and the thick black letters of SLUT were written vertically down it. “Who did this?” she demanded angrily and a few random people just stared at her whilst others sniggered. “I’m serious, who did it? Do you know Lisa?”

Lisa bowed her head looking guilty.

“Tell me,” Tess growled.

Lisa sighed, “There’s a rumour going around that you slept with Tyler on your first date… and every one after that.”

“What?” Tess narrowed her eyes, “How’d they even know about me and Tyler?”

“People worked it out after the first week, Tess. You can’t keep things secret forever.”

“Fine,” Tess resigned, “…but who started the rumour.”

Lisa looked over Tess’s shoulder as she heard familiar girlish laughter causing Tess to turn and see Kat flirting heavily with Tyler; a fact he seemed quite pleased about.

Lisa looked incredibly angry, “I promised him he wouldn’t have children if he hurt you… and I meant it,” she started to move toward him but Tess’s hand on her shoulder made her stop.

“No, Lisa. I’ll deal with this,” she marched over to him and ignored Kat, staring at him directly before she drew a hand back and slammed her flat palm against his cheek. “How dare you!” she shouted and he raised a hand to where she had struck him.

He looked at her cockily, “Gee, Tess. Bitter much?”

“How can you spread those lies about me?” she asked him, her voice full of venom.

“Lies?” he laughed. “I’m sorry I dumped you Tess, but I like girls who I actually have to work at getting in to bed.”

Tess scoffed, “I can’t believe I ever thought I liked you.”

Kat laughed, “You still do honey, only now I’ve got him instead of you. Face it, you’re not mature enough to handle a real relationship.”

“Oh shut up, Kat! You’ve probably slept with every guy in the school!” she yelled angrily.

“Like you haven’t,” she retorted smugly. “Slut,” she drawled the word slowly and let it hang in the air before Tess’s fist collided with her nose.

*

“All three of you are on detention after school,” Miles told them strictly as they sat in his office

“But sir, that’s not fair, I didn’t do anything,” Kat complained.

“Kat, Tess said you provoked her and considering she has a better track record than you, I’m inclined to believe her,” the principal explained.

“…any complaints from either of you?” Miles turned his attention to Tyler and Tess.

“No sir,” Tess said compliantly but still looking angry whilst Tyler just shook his head and didn’t even bother to look directly at the principal.

“…and I can trust that this behaviour will not occur again?” Miles questioned.

“Yes sir,” Tess and Kat said simultaneously.

“Tyler?”

“Whatever,” he shrugged and at Miles’s unimpressed look, reluctantly added, “Sure, it won’t happen again.”

“Right, now I’ve called your parents and they’re waiting outside now. Except there was no answer at your place Tyler so I’ll try again later.”

Tess noticed Tyler sit straighter in his chair, “There was no answer?” he asked, his voice verging on worry. His mother should be home at this time of the day today and she would always answer the phone in case it was him calling.

Miles shook his head.

“I need to go home, sir.” Tyler asked.

“Why?” Miles asked, perplexed at the request.

“Just got to check on some stuff,” Tyler answered vaguely.

“Then you can check on it after school. After detention in fact,” Miles told him, keeping the anger in his voice just about under control. “Right, you’re free to go.”

All three walked out, Kat occupied in checking her nails as Tess turned to Tyler, “Everything alright?” she asked him, seeing as he’d looked worried in the office.

He turned to her, “Like you care.”

“You know what, why do I even try? Especially after what you did to me today!” she yelled at him as he walked off out of the office where Aden was sat waiting.

He had heard Tess’s yells and could immediately tell that Tyler had upset her. He stood up as soon as he saw the younger boy, “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t deck you?” he said menacingly.

Tyler looked at him and shook his head in disbelief, “Because you’d get fired,” he said, shoving him out the way so he could get past, but not so much as to unsteady Aden as he watched him leave, his paternal instincts overcoming his want to help.

“Don’t even bother Dad,” Tess told him, upon seeing her father’s reaction. “He’s not worth it.”

“Hmm,” Aden contented with. “So what’s this I hear about you punching someone?”

“…I slapped someone too,” she said happily.

“You sound proud of that?” Aden asked her.

“Well, he deserved it,” Tess explained.

“Oh,” Aden said, realising she meant Tyler.

“Then who did you punch?” he asked as Kat came out of the room, holding a compact mirror and checking her nose.

“Oh,” he sighed again. “What did she do?”

Tess paused for a second, unsure whether to tell him the truth, “She annoyed me,” she settled on the half-truth.

“You know, Tess, violence doesn’t solve anything,” Aden said disappointedly.

“I know,” Tess sighed. “…but you have to try it once in case everyone else is lying.”

Aden shook his head at her but couldn’t help laughing, “Well, do you feel better?” he asked her.

“…a bit.”

“…but has it made anything else any better?”

“No,’ she sighed.

“Well then there’s your answer,” he said before Miles called him in to his office. “Get to class,” he commanded his daughter.

*

“You realise it’s your fault that we’re even doing this,” Kat complained to Tess as she picked up some more rubbish in the school grounds.

“…my fault?” Tess exclaimed incredulously. “I wasn’t the one who started spreading false rumours around,” she said loudly as she looked at Tyler angrily, hoping to get a response but only saw him looking worried as he checked his watch constantly.

“What’s up with him?” Kat asked in a lower voice, flicking her eyes over to where Tyler was working a few feet away from them.

“No idea,” Tess sighed, “…and I don’t really care.”

“So what actually did happen between you guys?” Kat asked curiously.

“So wait, you don’t believe the rumours?” Tess asked with raised eyebrows.

“As much as I hate to admit it Tess, I know you, and I know you are not that kind of girl,” Kat answered her.

“So why lay in to me about it?” Tess asked her curiously.

“I guess I was jealous,” she shrugged. “Tyler randomly came and asked me out this morning and the only reason I could think that he’d do it, would be to hurt you,” Kat explained sadly.

“What about the fact that you’re gorgeous Kat?” Tess asked her slowly.

Kat shook her head, “Don’t even try that, Tess. I’m never going to actually like you.”

“Fine,” Tess gave up, “So he didn’t actually tell you what happened then?”

She shook her head again, “He basically told me the lie and I just accepted it… to taunt you I guess… Sorry.”

Tess looked at her in shock, “You’re apologising to me?”

“Yeah,” Kat sighed.

“Why?”

“…because I know not to get on the wrong side of you because you have one mean right hook,” Kat told her with a slight smile and Tess laughed.

“Seriously though, Kat, you’re talking to me now, and we’re getting on, why can’t it be like that all the time?”

Kat sighed, “…because your nice, and I’m not.”

“…but you could be nice?”

“…I’m only being nice to you now because we’re alone. I don’t know how to be nice in front of other people; don’t ask me why, because I don’t know.”

“That’s weird,” Tess stated.

“That’s me,” Kat said and averted her eyes and Tess got the distinct impression that she actually meant it. “So what did happen… between you and Tyler I mean?”

“I don’t know. I guess I thought he was someone even he didn’t know he was.”

"Okay, that didn’t make any sense to me,” Kat told her.

“It made sense in my head,” Tess laughed.

“Any chance you’ll get back together?”

“Doubtful,” Tess answered. “He hurt me…”

“...but?”

“…but I think there’s more to him than he’s letting me in on.”

“I think we ought to stop talking about this now, because you are really confusing me and frankly i'm not all that intereted anymore,” Kat told her and Tess raised her eyebrows. "See what i mean about the nice thing?" she shrugged.

“I’m confusing myself too, don’t worry,’ Tess told her, choosing to ignore the bitchiness as she thought about how she was feeling. She still liked Tyler; that was clear to her as she looked at him now. The question was why, why did she still like him after what he’d done to her? Why was she drawn to him? Why did she think there was some other reason for everything he’d done and the way he behaved? She sighed, knowing she’d probably never find the answers, before getting back to work.

*

“Mum?” he called to the cold house. The heating was not on and it was nearly eight o’clock as he finally arrived home due to the fact he was mainly too scared to come home. Something felt wrong so he’d taken a walk on the beach to think. He felt awful for the way he’d treated Tess, and Kat for that matter. He hadn’t meant any of it but at least it meant Aden was now off his back.

There was no answer as he flicked on the light and slowly entered the living area where the kitchen was an integrated unit of the room. He caught sight of a piece of paper on the counter and went over to pick it up. It was a letter.

Dear Tyler

For the first time in a long time I feel I am thinking clearly. I know you’ve suffered hugely in your life and I know part of that is because of me. I’ve been a burden on you for too long and I don’t want to be that anymore. You’ll be fine with out me. And no matter what you did when you were younger, I love you and so did your father. Good bye.

Mum

Tyler looked at the letter, anger, hatred and fear rising up inside of him as tears began to fall at the thought of what this meant.

He approached the bedroom door cautiously and opened it to see his mother lying there, with a hand falling off the side of the bed, leading his eyes to see the empty bottles of pills that would be rolling around on the floor had this been a recent occurrence.

He clasped a hand to his mouth and choked back tears as he walked backwards out of the room to find the phone. He realised that it had been cut off before pulling out his mobile, knowing that emergency numbers didn’t require him to have credit.

He was pretty sure it was too late, but he had to try, there was still hope. Yet he could still not bring himself to go back in to that room to check her pulse or her breathing until the voice on the line commanded him too.

“Yes,” he answered. “Yes, she has a pulse,” he told the person on the line, his voice filling up slightly more with hope as he felt the rare beat against the tip of his fingers.

*

“Tyler?” a blonde woman approached him as he sat in waiting at the hospital. He recognised her as Aden’s friend; Nicole.

“Is she gonna be alright?” he asked worriedly.

Nicole sighed, “Tyler…”

Please leave a comment! Next chapter might be up tonight, it's already written and i can't wait for you to all read it, so i guess it just depends how many comments i get, lol.

[Taniya_K]

Oh, gosh! She's dead, isn't she? Man, you're so good at this! You've got me feeling for an OC! That's how brilliant you are!

Other than that [don't want to dwelle on the depressing stuff much right now, lol] GREAT CHAPPIE as always! Loved Tess and Belle's little chat, and then Tess at school. She's one fiesty girl. Go her for slapping Tyler, though! I can't believe that he told them those lies! But then again, he is so much like Aden that it shouldn't surprise me!

“You know, Tess, violence doesn’t solve anything,” Aden said disappointedly.

“I know,” Tess sighed. “…but you have to try it once in case everyone else is lying.”

Loved that! What a line?! Wish I knew that 5 years back...

The detention bit was funny and deep and meaningful too [how do you do that?!]. I'm actually liking Kat, but I hope she doesn't go out with Tyler or anything. He belongs with Tess!

Cannot wait for the next chapter! I do hope that you post it tonight!

xoxo

[Lise]

That was good!

Poor Tyler. Having to walk in on that must devastating. There is definitely something up with him, he has that defensive thing going on like Aden did.

I liked the chat that Tess and Kat had. I love motherly Belle.

[xknomex]

Brilliant chapter,

The way Tess confided in Belle was written so well!!!

I love how protective Aden was of Tess When Tess said she had to try violence once was soo funny!

I hope Tyler's mum is okay!

I hope you can update tonight!!! xxx

[MissOlivia22]

Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh !!!!!

You so totally have to update tonight... please

How sad, I hope his mums alright, although by the way you've ended it, I wouldn't be surprised if she is dead

Update soon. I have cookie's.....

[Zetti]

I know its not really related to the chapter but I love the fact Miles is principal following in Sally's shoes

Poor Tess! I am not liking the end part!

I hope his mother is ok

[wrongturntaken]

I couldn't wait, lol. Thank you for the comments, i'm sure you all know by now that they do really mean a lot to me.

This has been written for ages because i think it's one of the biggest (in terms of the plot) chapters. It's my favourite so i hope you like it too!

Chapter 20.

"Hello?" Tess called into the darkness, flicking the lamp light on next to her bed, as she heard a noise from downstairs. She was home alone as Aden, Belle and Mark had gone over to Nicole and Geoff's but Tess had decided she had too much work to do so had opted to stay at home. Eventually, she found her brain could no longer concentrate and went to bed at half ten.

She clutched her duvet tightly as she felt her heart race and heard the creek of each stair as it was stepped on. Then suddenly, the creaking stopped and she saw a figure appear in her doorway.

"Tyler?" she asked incredulously to his silhouette, ready to yell at him, she was in no mood to talk to him, especially after he'd let himself in to her house without warning.

"I… I'm sorry," he croaked back slowly. "I didn't know who else to talk to… or where else to go… I came through one of the windows."

"Are you alright?" she asked him, all previous conceptions about his presence there abandoned as she took in his disheveled appearance.

"Can I come in?" he asked timidly and Tess saw that he was shaking slightly.

She nodded her head, "Yeah," she told him softly, looking at him with concern as he took care to walk towards her and she saw the expression he was wearing of sadness and confusion. "Come here," she added; holding out her hand which he took immediately and squeezed as she felt how cold it was on her skin. He sat on the side of the bed, refusing to look at her, instead choosing to look at his feet. She was sat upright, in a crouched position, the duvet covering her legs, from where a few minutes ago she had been laid down asleep in the bed.

"I'm sorry," Tyler repeated and took a sharpened breath.

"What happened, Tyler?" Tess asked him gently and looked at him questioningly.

She saw him gulp and finally look at her as she saw tears brimming in his eyes.

He looked so scared, she thought, "Its okay," she whispered, squeezing his hand and placing her other hand on his arm caringly, "You can tell me."

He shook his head, "I can't."

"Please talk to me," she answered him with a quiet urgency in her voice.

He looked at the concern in her eyes before sighing softly, "…if I tell you, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone else?" he asked her worriedly.

"Okay," Tess answered compliantly, bobbing her head up and down only very slightly.

"It's my Mum," he started, so quietly that Tess had to lean in closer to him just to hear the words.

"Is she okay?" she asked quietly.

He looked at his feet, "She overdosed," he said simply.

Tess was horrified, "She tried to…?"

"…kill herself," Tyler finished her sentence.

"I'm so sorry, Tyler," Tess took the quilt from off of her and moved her legs to sit on the side of the bed, right next to him, "Is she in hospital?"

He just shrugged in response and Tess took that as a yes. He ran a hand through his hair slowly as they sat in silence for a moment, just listening to each other's breathing as Tess waited patiently for Tyler to say more, "I can't do this anymore, Tess!" he exclaimed slowly, placing his pale face in his hands and rubbing his red bloodshot eyes. "I'm just so tired."

"Tyler," Tess said calmly, "Its okay."

"Its not okay, Tess, it's not okay!" Tyler cried, looking at her suddenly and then shaking his head from side to side with anguish, willing her to see it.

Tess narrowed her eyes in concerned suspicion, "It's not just your mum, is it?"

He stayed silent, sighed and looked at the ceiling, "I should go," he said after a moment, "Thank you, but… I shouldn't have come; especially not after the way I treated you," he used his hands to lever himself off the bed and took a step towards the door.

Tess copied his movement and grabbed his hand, turning her to face him, "No, Tyler!" she exclaimed, "You came here for a reason…" she saw him looking at her with saddened eyes, "I know you didn't want to break up with me, so why did you…?" she paused for a moment before adding softly, "…what's going on with you… what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Tess," he answered her; resistant. "I really can't…"

"Yes you can," Tess told him adamantly. "You just won't."

"You don't understand!" he hissed out sadly.

"Make me," she commanded him firmly but gently.

He ran a hand through his hair, "I… I… I've never told anyone, I can't… I just can't… please accept it, Tess," he begged her.

She shook her head, "No, I won't, because I can see how much you're hurting and it's hurting me to see you like this, to know that you are carrying something around with you that is obviously so bad. Please talk to me," she begged in return. "You need someone to listen to you, to help you, Tyler. You need me."

As she looked at his expressions change, she saw an emotion that resembled a minute amount of happiness flit across his face before it vanished to be replaced with one of an unsure surrender. He sat down on the floor pulling Tess down with him; they sat cross legged opposite each other, with the lamp light barely reaching them.

He looked at her, "I'm not sure I can do this," he whispered, and shook his head slightly from side to side.

She reached out and took his hand, "You can," she told him gently before taking her hand back as he loosened his grip on it, indicating for her to do so.

There was a minute of silence where nothing was said, all Tess could hear was Tyler's breathing, it was erratic, as though the prospect of telling her, what he was about to had elevated his heart rate and now he was taking his time to slow it down, along with his breathing. He hadn't looked at her once as he rather stared in to his lap and fiddled with his thumbs. She eyed him up and down carefully, waiting patiently for the answers to so many questions. When he finally looked up at her, she knew he was about to begin his confession.

"You know I told you that my dad was dead?" he said quietly and she nodded slowly in response.

"Well, he was… murdered… when I was ten…"

Tess gasped quietly, "I'm so sorry… …that must have been awful for you."

He shook his head slowly and bowed his head, as though in shame, "My father was… horrible… he wasn't normal… and I hated him," Tyler told her, now looking at her sadly, finding the search for the right words; hard. "When I first heard the threats from his killer when we were in the house, I thought, this is my chance. Now it will stop."

"You were in the house when it happened?" Tess asked him; thoroughly shocked as he nodded in answer, after a short pause; a look of realisation crossed Tess's face, "Wait… what would stop?" she practically whispered.

It was the perfect segway into what he so badly wanted to tell her, yet he still wasn't sure if he was capable of it, he was afraid of what would happen next. He looked at her and could just about see the supporting glow of her face, spurring him to continue. He took a deep breath, "Tess, my dad… he…" he began and then paused again, realising he didn't know what he was going to say. How was he supposed to tell her this? What were the right words? Whatever words he spoke; they were words no one should ever have to try and compose, "…he used to…" he breathed in and out slowly as he avoided eye contact with her, "…to come into my room at night… and he, he would…" he tilted his head back and let out an uncomfortable breath. Tess could see the tears forming in his eyes as she felt them form in her own. She saw his hand clasping onto the leg of his jeans as he dug his fingertips into his leg, as though it were a comfort, "…he would…" he tried again.

Tess inhaled deeply and felt a lump swelling in her throat as she bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes to combat the tears already forming. She leaned forward and grabbed his hand again, taking it away from his leg as he looked at her suddenly; his expression childlike, "Its okay… ….you don't need to say it… …I understand," she told him gently.

He nodded gratefully and she heard a slight breath of relief escape him, "When I was younger… I thought it was normal… just something that no one talked about… you know?" he asked rhetorically. "…but when I got a little older and started to realise it wasn't normal… I just kept telling myself that one day it would stop… …that one day I would be strong enough to stop it, or he might just give it up… …and then I figured that once it did stop that would be it… it would be over and I wouldn't ever have to think about it again," he told her, choking on the words.

Tess let him talk; feeling her tears now stream down her face, glad that the small amount of light they had was masking this fact from him. She didn't say anything, wanting him to tell her as much as he wanted to.

"So when the boy came in to the house, threatening him… I prayed… that he would do it… I prayed that this was the rescue I had been hoping for," he could hold back the stream of tears no longer and although he kept trying to choke them back, sobs took over as his body moved in the rhythm of the pain. Tess could stand it no longer and reached forward to hug him. She felt him cling to her tightly, sobbing into her as she felt her top becoming wet with tears. He continued to hold her tightly for a minute or so before he loosened his grip, giving her the okay to retreat.

Tyler saw that she was about to say something but stopped her first, "There's more," he said suddenly. "…and if I don't tell you now… then I'll never tell anyone," he added unsurely.

"…more?" Tess asked worriedly and he nodded.

"When there was the knock at the door and my dad went to answer it... I came downstairs and hid in the other room, but I could still see everything that would happen," he said a little more collected than before as he missed the look of realisation pass on Tess's face because of the poor lighting. "He was 15… 15," he repeated. "Younger than you and me… and he was so… angry… he was yelling at my dad about how he'd ruined his life... I found out later that it was his step son from a previous marriage…that he'd…" he took another breath before releasing the next word, "…abused…" he gulped, "…too," he took a break here as though mentally preparing for the next part of the story and Tess remained perfectly silent..

"I saw the knife in his hand," he said slowly and so quietly that it was fortunate that the darkness held no other sounds, for Tess may have not been able to hear him otherwise. "…his knuckles were white from where he was gripping it so tightly… …part of me wanted to run forward and stop it but I was so scared… I saw as he forced the blade into my dad's stomach," his voice strained as he now looked directly into Tess's eyes and it was as though she could see the images of what he was telling her, in his, "…I heard my dad scream in agony before I heard the squelch of the knife being removed…" he told her, clenching his teeth. Tess raised a hand to her mouth in horror as Tyler continued the story, "…the look in the boy's eyes… it was just… evil… he wanted my dad to suffer… He pulled out the knife…" he was starting to break down again now as he spoke, "…and did it again in another part of his torso… …and I saw it all… I heard every scream… I heard the blade going in… the sound of its removal… every… single… time…" he took a short breath, letting it choke out, "…I hated my dad…" he said and then his voice cracked and the tears spilled again. "…but I loved him too," he said softly as he heard Tess choking out breaths, clearly in tears. "Even though I hated him so much, he was still my dad… no matter what he did to me… he was the only dad I had…" He looked up at Tess suddenly, "You probably think that's weird…" he stated, looking at her for a reaction, only able to see her through blurred vision as she stood in the cave behind the waterfall. She didn't know what to say or do so she raised her shoulders the slightest amount in what was a meek shrug of understanding and adorned a, what she hoped, was a small supportive smile. She could offer nothing more for fear that it would make him feel worse.

He accepted her actions and looked down again, speaking to the carpet, his voice nearly getting lost in to the rooms below. "…I watched and listened as he was stabbed fifteen times, he was dead after three, the third one was to his heart, but he just wouldn't stop… he kept going… continuously. I counted every single one, I wanted so badly to look away… to not see the red stains all around the room... but I couldn't… some stupid part of me felt like there was still some hope… I knew there wasn't… I knew he was dead… but I couldn't think it true until someone actually told me," he told her as he shook. "He didn't stop until two police officers crashed into the house and took him away. My mum had heard something and used the phone upstairs to call them," he looked at Tess.

"I'm so sorry, Tyler," she could barely get the words out.

"I've never told anyone this before… not even my Mum knows I saw everything," Tyler explained quietly, not bothering to correct his grammar.

"Not the police…?" Tess questioned gently even though all she wanted to do was hold him tight, but she couldn't do more until he had explained all the answers to her.

He shook his head, "I couldn't face it… so I never told them."

"Why tell me now?" Tess asked him as softly as she could.

He paused for a moment, "…because I can't get the images and sounds out of my head, the blood, the look on his face… all that anger because of what my dad did to him… when I'm asleep… when I'm on my own… even when I'm in class at school… but when I was with you, they weren't there as much anymore…" he told her softly and his voice choked.

"…weren't?" she questioned softly as she felt the taste of her tears on her lips.

He looked away from her guiltily, "It doesn't stop, Tess… it never stops…" he started slowly. "…when you wanted to go further… I thought I'd be able to… but… the flashes just kept coming… of what my dad did to me… of what was done to him…" Tyler told her. "I'm sorry… I just couldn't handle it."

Tess looked at him understandingly, "You need to talk to someone, Tyler," she said softly.

"I'm talking to you," he told her adamantly.

"You know what I mean," she gently insisted.

"I can't."

"Tyler…" she whispered and then went to stand up, intending on turning on the main light, but was stopped when his hand took hold of hers.

"Please don't leave," he begged quietly. "I just need… you… you're enough."

She couldn't help the sympathy escaping her as she looked at the lost and alone boy on the floor. She leaned in to him suddenly and pulled him into her, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held round her middle. He continued his sobs as she cried along in time, just holding on to each other for several minutes as every so often she whispered to him, "It's okay… I'm here now... I'm not going anywhere."

A few of you guessed part of what happened to Tyler but i hope you like the way i told it.

Please leave me a comment! x

[Taniya_K]

Wow... Just, wow!

I loved the way you described it all. It was so heart wrenching. Poor, poor Tyler.

I don't know what else to say except that that must be the most brilliantly written and saddest thing that I have read, and that's something because I have read a lot.

Absolutely great!

Cannot wait for more. I want to see Belle and Aden's reactions when and if they find out about his abuse [although I think they'll find out about Tyler staying over first...]

xoxo

[Zetti]

Wow! That was great, the way you explained what Tyler saw to me was so real and yet scary as well. I loved the chapter in terms of the writing.

Such a sad chapter and I hope he tells Aden and Belle soon, would like to see what their reactions will be.

[xknomex]

WOW!!!!! that was.... there are no words!

Poor Tyler, thats horrible. I sort of guessed about the abuse but the other stuff i had no idea, its sooo sad.

You wrote that so... wow. Its brilliantly written and just wow!!! I can think of anything else to write.

I cant wait till the next chapter!!!

xx