Gregory's POV
As I kiss Kennedy in my old bed, I can't help but think to myself that her lips are the softest things I've ever encountered. Her skin is soft too, and so is her long brunette hair. How could someone be so beautiful? I never thought that this kind of perfection was possible, but Kennedy proves me wrong every time I see her.
"G-Gregory." Kennedy asks as she slowly breaks the kiss.
"What is it, sweetheart?" I ask her gently.
"Maybe we shouldn't be doing this here. Your sister could walk through the door at any moment." Kennedy says as her tone turns serious.
In theory, I know she's right. My little sister will probably be home within the next hour or two.
Whenever Hope tells me she's sleeping over at a friend's house, I know there is more than a fifty percent chance that she'll come home before dawn breaks. Hope has always been a home body, and she prefers her own bed to someone else's floor.
I know Kennedy and I should stop, but every bone in my body is aching for us to continue. If we do it fast enough, the chances of Hope walking in on us are slim to none. Then again, I thought the same thing last time I came home to watch Hope, and she walked in on a very intimate moment between me and my girlfriend. She was terrified to say the least, and I don't want to put my sister through that again. I respect her too much.
"Yeah. You're probably right." I say with a breathy sigh.
Kennedy giggles, before planting a soft kiss on my forehead. I blush, before pulling my girlfriend of two years even closer to me. Even though we can't do that, I'm glad she's here with me.
"I love you." Kennedy tells me softly.
"I love you too." I say with a slight smile.
And I do love Kennedy. More than she'll ever know. Kennedy is caring, compassionate, intelligent, kind, and beautiful, inside and out. Maybe that's why I want to marry her as soon as I graduate from college. Kind of...
The responsible part of me knows we should wait a few years. We're still young, and both of us plan on going to law school after we graduate, so settling down might not be the wisest decision. But we love each other, and I know she's the one. Shouldn't that be enough?
At times, I wish I was more like my father. Technically, he shouldn't have dated my mother, but he listened to his heart and risked everything for her. Why can't I just ignore the agitating voice in my head, and build up the courage to propose to Kennedy? I want to spend the rest of my life with her, so why can't I just let go of all my fears and uncertainties and be honest with her?
"What are you thinking about?" Kennedy asks as she cuddles closer to me.
"Nothing important." I mutter, as I avoid looking into her piercing green eyes.
Before she can respond, my cell-phone begins to buzz. It's probably my mother. Whenever I watch Hope, my mother calls me every hour or so to check up on her baby girl. My mom was protective of me growing up, but she's even more protective of Hope. Even though it drives everyone crazy, my mom's behavior is understandable considering everything she went through with Nick. Honestly, I'm lucky to have a mother who cares about me and my sister so much.
I reluctantly pull away from Kennedy, before reaching over to grab my phone from the nightstand. To my surprise, it isn't my mom. It's Hope. I bet she wants me to pick her up from Rebecca's house as soon as possible.
"Hello?" I ask as I answer the cell-phone.
To my surprise, I don't here my younger sister's sweet voice. All I hear is the sound of her sobbing hysterically on the other end of the line. What the hell is the matter? Are the girls at the sleepover being mean? Hope can be shy and sensitive at times, and as a result, her feelings get hurt quite often.
"Why are you crying? Is everything okay?" I ask my sister in a concerned tone.
"N-No." Hope says through her heavy sobs.
I begin to panic, as I start to think of all the things that can be wrong with my little sister. What if she's hurt?
"Hope, please tell me why you're so upset. Do you need me to pick you up?" I ask as my tone turns serious.
"I-I don't want to talk about it now, but yes. Please come pick me up as soon as you can." Hope says with a sniffle.
"Okay. I'll be at Rebecca's house in ten minutes." I say as I spring out of the bed.
"Gregory, I'm not at Rebecca's house. I'm at Olivia Quinn's house." Hope says as she begins to cry even harder, if that's humanly possible.
Olivia Quinn's older sister, Casey, was in my class at Rosewood High School. She was known for being wild, and throwing the biggest parties in town. I went to a few of them my senior year, and they were definitely crazy. Why would Hope be hanging out with Casey's sister? And that's when it hits me. Hope is at a party. A loud, exciting, and dangerous party.
"Tell me you're not at a party, Hope." I say, as I begin to raise my voice.
Hope doesn't respond. She just keeps crying, and absolute rage fills my body. What on Earth was my little sister thinking? Nothing good ever comes out of parties, especially when you're an innocent fourteen year-old girl. To make matters worse, Hope lied to me. We're always honest with each other, and I'm hurt that she tried to keep this from me. Nevertheless, Hope is still my sister, and she obviously needs me. I can yell at her for being so stupid later.
"I'm on my way. Just meet me in front of the house." I say before hanging up the phone, and letting out a prolonged sigh.
"What is it?" Kennedy asks me gently.
"It's Hope. I just found out that she's at some party, and I need to pick her up." I say as I shake my head slowly.
"A party? That doesn't sound like Hope. Do you want me to come with you?" Kennedy asks me curiously.
"No. Hope seems really upset, and she's probably going to need my undivided attention. Thanks for offering though." I say as I take a piece of Kennedy's hair, and tuck it behind her left ear.
"Yeah. No problem. I should probably get back to Philadelphia, but I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Kennedy asks as she grabs her black purse.
"Please do." I say before pulling my girlfriend in for a long hug, and pressing my lips against hers.
"Bye, Gregory." Kennedy says as she breaks the kiss, and begins to walk towards the door.
"Bye, Kennedy." I say, as I watch her leave my old bedroom.
Line Break
When I pull up to the party, I see a girl Hope's age throwing up in a bush, while her friend holds back her hair. Jesus Christ. This party might be even worse than the ones I went to. I look up, and see my younger sister sprinting towards the car. Her make-up is completely smudged, and she's obviously been crying. What the hell happened, and where is Miranda?
"T-Thanks for picking me up." Hope says as she climbs into the front seat.
"No problem. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" I ask my sister softly.
"No." Hope says as she shakes her head vigorously.
"Why not? You always talk to me, Hope." I say with a hurt expression in my voice.
"Not this time." Hope says as she begins to sob even harder, if that's humanly possible.
"Why not?" I question.
"Because it's... Awkward." Hope says with a sniffle.
Awkward? What is she talking about? Maybe Hope had too much to drink, and is embarrassed? What could possibly be so bad that she can't talk to me about it?
"Hope, please just talk to me. I promise I won't judge you. Whatever it is, I love you." I say as I grab my sister's hand, and give it a gentle squeeze.
"Gregory... I think I had sex." Hope says as she begins to hyperventilate.
I do not believe what I am hearing. Hope had sex? No. This can't be true. She's only fourteen, and last I checked she hadn't even kissed a boy. No. My baby sister did not have sex. It's not possible. This is a lie.
"What do you mean you think you had sex?" I ask, as I begin to raise my voice.
"I-I didn't want to. I'm so sorry." Hope says through her tears.
She didn't want to have sex, but she did it anyway? Could Hope have been raped?
"Hope... Did someone hurt you? Did a boy make you do something you weren't ready for?" I ask, as tears begin to form in my eyes.
Hope doesn't respond. She just continues to sob even harder, and I immediately wrap my arms around her shaking body. I begin to rock Hope back and forth, just like I used to do when she was a little baby. I need her to calm down, so she can tell me what happened. As soon as I find out who did this to her, I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him with my bear hands, and I won't lose a minute of sleep over it.
"Hope, just talk to me. Tell me what happened." I say, as my voice begins to soften.
"I-I was dancing with this boy and Miranda and I got into a huge fight over it. She left, and I got really upset. The guy offered to take me to his car so we could talk about it, and then he started kissing me. I kissed him back, and he started to get more aggressive. He took of my panties, and then I felt him there..." Hope says, breaking down before she can finish her sentence.
Oh my God. Hope really was raped. My baby sister. The one I was supposed to be taking care of. How did I let this happen? I can feel my heart breaking in my chest because my worst nightmare is coming true.
"Hope, have you been drinking?" I ask her seriously.
Hope doesn't respond, and she avoids looking into my blue eyes. She's definitely hiding something.
"Hope?" I ask, with a bit more force.
"Y-Yes." Hope says, with shame in her voice.
"And he knew you were drunk? Did you tell him no?" I ask as I rest a hand on my sister's shoulder.
"I told him no three times." Hope says with a whimper.
I don't have the strength to respond, so I step on the gas and get on the dusty road. My paternal instincts kick in, and I realize that my only job in the world right now is to take care of Hope. I need to get her to a doctor. The asshole who did this might have seriously hurt her.
"W-Where are going?" Hope asks through her tears.
"To the hospital." I tell her flatly.
"W-why are we going there?" Hope asks, with confusion in her voice.
"Because you were raped." I say, as I focus my attention on the road.
"W-what? Are you sure?" Hope asks, as her eyes grow wide with shock.
"You'd been drinking, and you told him no three times?" I question.
"Y-Yes, but I didn't fight him or anything. I was too afraid..." My sister starts to ramble.
"It doesn't matter. You said no, and that should have been enough." I tell my sister, as I slam on the gas.
Line Break
Hope and I sit in a private waiting room in the hospital, while we wait for the nurse to give us further instructions. I hold Hope in my arms, while she sobs softly. To say she's afraid is an understatement. I don't think I've ever seen my baby sister this upset in the fourteen years I've known her.
After a few minutes of waiting, a young female nurse comes into the private waiting room, and ushers us into an examination room. When we arrive in the hospital room, a doctor in his early thirties is waiting for us. This cannot be the man who is taking care of Hope! First of all, he looks way too young to be a doctor. I want someone more experienced to take care of my sister. To make matters worse, he's a man. Hope won't feel comfortable with a man doing medical examinations on her. She's just been assaulted for crying out loud!
"Hello, my name is Dr. Robinson. I'm guessing you're Hope?" The man asks as he stares into my sister's tear-filled hazel eyes.
"Can we get another doctor? Preferably a female." I ask, before Hope can answer the question.
"I'm sorry Sir, but a female doctor won't be available to work with her for another hour. Would you rather wait?" Dr. Robinson asks.
I don't want to wait. Hope's had a traumatic night, and I want to get her home as soon as possible. The sooner we get through this, the better.
"No. It's fine. Let's just get started." I grumble, making no attempt to mask my irritation.
"Alrighty then. Hope, why don't you take a seat?" Dr. Robison asks as he gestures towards the examination table.
Hope nods, before walking over to the examination table, and taking a seat. I stand next to Hope, and keep a tight grasp on her trembling hand. I wish I could take my sister home, and tuck her into her warm bed, but I obviously can't. I have to make sure she's okay before I take her anywhere.
"Hope, we have two important things to get through tonight. First, we're going to perform a rape-kit on you. This is a forensic examination, that will help us gather important evidence to give to detectives. After we finish that, I'm going to give you a medical examination. Your body has been through a lot of trauma tonight, and we have to make sure that you're not sustaining any major injuries. It's also important that we check for any STD's, or infections that your attacker might have given you." Dr. Robison tells my sister gently.
Hope nods, and begins to sob even harder if that's humanly possible. I feel like crying too. Why should Hope have to go through all of this, when she didn't do anything wrong? It isn't fair!
"Any questions?" Dr. Robison asks her.
"C-Can my brother stay with me?" Hope asks with a sniffle.
"He's welcome to stay, but this is a pelvic examination. You're going to be naked." Dr. Robison says as he clear his throat.
When Hope was a little girl, she ran around our house completely naked all the time. When she turned twelve, Hope abandoned some of her old habits. Instead of walking around naked at night, she started wearing pajamas, and changing behind closed doors. One night I walked in on Hope taking off her clothes, and realized that she wasn't a little girl anymore. Her body was starting to develop, and become more woman-like. I haven't seen Hope naked since that incident occurred, and I always make sure to knock before entering her bedroom. I don't want to see my sister so exposed... It's weird.
"Can you please stay with me, Gregory?" Hope asks through her tears.
Even though this will be extremely uncomfortable for both of us, I know I can't leave Hope when she's in such a vulnerable state. I'll just focus on her face, and avoid looking at the private parts of her body.
"Yes. Of course I'll stay." I assure her.
"Why don't you undress and hand me the clothes you're wearing. We're going to hand them over to the Rosewood PD." Dr. Robison instructs.
Hope lets out a breathy sigh, and I turn my head to give her privacy. After about a minute, Dr. Robinson speaks up.
"Hope, I don't see a bra." I hear him say.
"I wasn't wearing one." Hope says softly.
I shutter involuntarily. That isn't going to look good for her case. Why the hell didn't my sister wear a bra to the party? I still don't even know why my sister went to the party in the first place...
"Okay. Now that we have your clothes, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Dr. Robison asks.
"I guess not." Hope says as she shakes her head slowly.
"Have you been intimate within the last week? You know, other than the rape?" Dr. Robison questions.
"N-No. This was my first time." Hope says with a whimper.
The simple sentence almost causes me to burst into tears right in front of Hope and Dr. Robison. I remember my first time. It was with Kennedy in her dorm room freshman year, and it was honestly the best moment of my life. I was so in love with Kennedy, and I wouldn't change anything about that night. It makes me sick that Hope's first time was with a rapist, instead of with a boy who loved her like she deserves to be loved.
"Did you engage in oral sex tonight?" Dr. Robison asks Hope.
"Um, yes. I didn't want him to though..." Hope says, as her cheeks turn bright pink.
"So he performed oral sex on you?" Dr. Robison asks, cutting Hope off mid-sentence.
"Yes." Hope says, as she begins to choke on her own tears.
"Was he violent with you? Did he strike you, or do anything other than the act of sex that could have potentially hurt your body?" Dr. Robison questions.
"H-He bit my breast. It hurt a lot." Hope says with a sniffle.
I can't sit by, and listen to this any longer. It's too much. If I don't get out of here, I'll lose my mind.
"I have to go." I mutter before letting go of Hope's hand, and rushing towards the door.
"Gregory!" Hope exclaims helplessly.
"I'm sorry." I say as I leave the examination room, and close the door behind me.
As soon as I'm out of that terrible room, I crawl to my knees and begin to weep shamelessly. My mind begins to wander back to when I was five years old, and had to watch a monster rape my mother. It hurt her so much, and now my baby sister is hurt. The two people I care about most in the world have been violated in the worst way possible. I hate Nick for hurting my mom, and I hate the asshole who raped Hope, and took her virginity. Above all, I hate myself. Why wasn't I there for my sister tonight? She needed me, and I didn't keep her safe. I failed the baby girl I promised to always protect.
AN: What did you think of this chapter? Is this how you imagined grown up Gregory? How will what happened to Hope effect him? Do you like Gregory and Kennedy? Do you like Hope and Gregory's relationship? Should he have run out on her? Please review and tell me your thoughts :)