Gregory's POV
I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit at home and pretend like everything was okay while my family fell apart before my very eyes. After my fight with my mom, I got into my car and drove to my dorm room at The University of Pennsylvania. I am so happy that I have a single this year because I don't think I'd be able to deal with a dotting roommate tonight. The only person I want to deal with right now is Kennedy, and she should be here any minute.
I know it's selfish of me to burden my girlfriend with my problems, but I needed to see her. Kennedy always makes me feel better when I'm having a shitty day, and her smile might be the only thing that can cheer me up tonight. As I'm thinking this, my door bursts open. Thank God! She's finally here!
"Gregory, I got your message. Is everything okay?" Kennedy asks as she hurries over to me.
"Lay down with me, please." I say as scoot over to make room for my beautiful girlfriend.
Kennedy nods before crawling into my bed and wrapping her arms around me. I hold Kennedy close to me as I kiss her forehead multiple times. It's such a relief to see her. I might not have been able to protect my mom or Hope, but at least Kennedy is safe in my arms. I love her so much.
"Will you stay the night? I don't want to be alone." I tell Kennedy truthfully.
"Yeah, I was planning on it. You seemed really upset in the voicemail you left me... Is everything okay?" Kennedy asks with concern in her voice.
"No. Everything is so fucked up right now, Kennedy." I say with a breathy sigh.
"Why? Did something happen with Hope? I never heard from you after she called you from that party." Kennedy says as her eyes grow wide with worry.
"That's because someone raped her. I had to take her to the hospital last night, and today I've been dealing with the aftermath." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.
"Oh my God... Hope was raped? This is probably a stupid question, but is she okay? Do you know who did this to her?" Kennedy asks with shock in her voice.
"She's not doing well, Kennedy. My mom took her to the police station for questioning, and she's been in a funk ever since. The person who raped her has already been arrested. His name is Owen Labrie, and he is the golden boy of Rosewood. The kid had a full ride to Harvard." I say as I shake my head slowly.
"Poor Hope." Kennedy murmurs as tears begin to well up in her blue eyes.
"Hey, don't cry. Hope is going to be fine." I say as I run my fingers through Kennedy's sleek blonde hair.
"What about you? Are you fine? I know how much Hope means to you, Gregory. Especially after everything that your family went through before she was born." Kennedy says as her voice begins to soften.
"Kennedy, I'd be lying if I told you I was fine. My heart is broken, and I'm angry enough to kill the boy who hurt my baby sister." I tell her.
"Why are you here with me right now? Don't get me wrong, I love being with you, but why aren't you with your family? They need you, Gregory." Kennedy says as her tone turns serious.
"My family is falling apart, Kennedy. My parents won't stop fighting, and my mom doesn't even want to be in the same room as me." I say as even more tears begin to spill out of my eyes.
"Gregory, that's crazy. Your parents are so in love, and your mom loves you more than anything in the entire world. Why is everyone fighting?" Kennedy questions.
"Because everyone disagrees on how we should handle the situation. My dad thinks we should tell Hope about what happened to my mother, but my mom doesn't want that. She wants to stick to her original plan, and wait until Hope turns sixteen to tell her." I explain.
"Well, what do you think?" Kennedy questions.
"I agree with my dad. The media has already taken an interest in this case, and I don't want Hope to find out the truth from someone who isn't my mom. Besides, my mom is the only person in our family who knows what Hope is dealing with. She can help Hope, and my sister needs all the help she can get. Do you agree?" I ask Kennedy curiously.
"I don't know, Gregory. It would suck if someone told Hope about the room, but your poor mother is probably terrified to talk with her about it. Your mom talks to groups of people about her story on a weekly basis, but telling Hope would be so much harder. I can't even imagine what it would be like for your mom to have to relive all of that trauma in front of her own daughter." Kennedy says with a shutter.
I'm about to open my mouth to respond, but I quickly stop myself. Kennedy doesn't seem like herself. Her eyes look all glassy, and her petit body is shaking vigorously. She reminds me of my mom during one of her spells...
"Honey, are you okay? You just went somewhere." I say as I pull her even closer to me.
"Gregory, I can talk to Hope if it's too difficult for your mom." Kennedy blurts out suddenly.
"You want to talk to Hope about my mom's story?" I ask with confusion in my voice.
"N-no. I want to talk to Hope about my story." Kennedy mutters as she avoids looking into my blue eyes.
"Your story? What does your story have to do with any of this? Your dad died when you were two, and your mom raised you alone in New York City. Hope already knows those things, baby." I tell Kennedy gently.
"Does she know that when I was twelve, my mom had a boyfriend named Steve? Does she know that Steve used to come into my room when my mom wasn't home, and rape me?" Kennedy blurts out.
Kennedy's words cause my mouth to drop open. I've been dating Kennedy for almost three years, and this is the first time I've heard the name "Steve." I know nearly everything about Kennedy. I know about her habit of twirling her hair when she gets nervous, and I know that her biggest fear is forgetting the sound of her father's voice. If she was willing to tell me those things, why wasn't she willing to tell me about Steve? I thought she felt comfortable enough to tell me anything...
"Gregory, please say something." Kennedy says as she begins to sob into my grey t-shirt.
"Honestly, I have no idea what you want me to say. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier, Kennedy?" I ask as I try to mask the hurt that I'm feeling.
"Gregory... I never told anyone. I didn't even tell my mom, and she's my best friend." Kennedy says as she stares into my blue eyes.
"Why?" I question.
"At first it was because she was so in love with Steve. I thought-I thought that what happened was my fault, and I was so afraid that she'd hate me for having relations with him. By the time I was old enough to realize that Steve was a sick man, I was too ashamed to come forward. I felt disgusting, Gregory. I still feel disgusting. " Kennedy says with an involuntary shutter.
"Is that why you didn't tell me? Did you think that I'd view you as disgusting if I knew the truth?" I ask her curiously.
"Maybe a little." Kennedy admits.
"Well, that makes me feel absolutely sick! I told you everything about me, Kennedy! I told you about being held hostage, and I even talked to you about watching Nick rape my mom. I was around sexual violence for the first five years, and you still thought that I wouldn't understand? Did you think that I would blame you somehow?" I ask as I begin to raise my voice.
"No, of course I didn't. I was just afraid, Gregory. It's as simple as that." Kennedy says as she avoids looking into my eyes.
"Do you have any idea how scary it was for me to talk to you about some of the things I went through? I told you things about my childhood that I never even told my own father! It wasn't easy, but I did it because I love you Kennedy. I love you, and I wanted us to have an honest relationship." I say as I gently push her away from me.
"I'm sorry, Gregory. I'm so sorry." Kennedy says through her tears.
"My God, Kennedy. You told me that I was your first! I wish I had known that someone hurt you before we had sex for the first time. It all makes so much sense now! The way you used to shake when I touched you, and how you cried for about an hour after our first time... Oh Kennedy. I feel sick. I bet I made you feel even worse..." I start to ramble.
"Gregory, stop. You didn't make me feel worse. Before I met you, I thought I'd never feel comfortable being intimate. I was so afraid the first few times we did it, but you were so gentle with me. I never once thought of Steve when we were together, Gregory. The only person I ever think about is you. Besides, I'm glad you didn't know the truth the first time we had sex." Kennedy confesses.
"Why?" I ask as I furrow my brow in confusion.
"Because I know you, Gregory. You're a protector. Had you known, you would have doted over me. I didn't wanted to be doted over, Gregory. I just wanted you to love me like you would have any other girl." Kennedy says through her tears.
"You're not just any other girl to me, Kennedy. Besides, I do dote over you when me make love. Not because you were sexually assaulted, but because I love you so damn much. I still can't believe think I would have treated you differently had I known the truth." I say as I shake my head slowly.
"For the love of God, Gregory! You would have treated me differently!" Kennedy says as she begins to raise her voice.
"You don't know that!" I argue.
"Yes I do! Do you how I know? Because you're already starting to treat me differently!" Kennedy shouts.
"Jesus Christ Kennedy, I'm treating you differently because I'm angry!" I yell.
"You're angry with me? Why? Because I was sexually assaulted?" Kennedy asks through her tears.
"Of course not! I'm angry at you for keeping this from me." I tell her truthfully.
"Am I obligated to tell you everything about me?" Kennedy questions.
"No, you're not obligated. You're not obligated to do anything, but I thought you trusted me as much as I trusted you! I thought we knew everything about each other and that's why-that's why I was going to ask you to marry me." I say as I avoid looking into Kennedy's tear filled blue eyes.
"Y-You were going to propose?" Kennedy asks as her voice begins to soften.
"Yeah, but not anymore. I think we should take a break." I mutter.
"Wow! I've thought about telling you the truth in the past, but I never expected the conversation to end like this. I thought you of all people would understand what I've been through and stand by me. Well, I guess you're not the guy I fell in love with after all. This isn't a break, Gregory. This is the end. Don't call me. Ever." Kennedy shouts before storming out of my dorm room and slamming the door behind her.
Ezra's POV
My wife and I are passionate fighters. Whenever we argue, one of us ends up taking it to the extreme and storming out of the house. Earlier we argued about how to deal with our daughter, and this time I was the one who left. I've been away from my wife for hours, and I miss her terribly. We need each other more than ever, and I need to make things up to her. That's why on my way home, I picked up flowers and chocolates for my beautiful wife. I hope she appreciates the gesture and lets me back in.
"I'm home, baby girl. I'm so sorry." I say as I creep into the bedroom.
A startled gasp escapes from my lips when I see Aria laying in our bed, and not moving a single muscle. Great. She's gone. I set my gifts to Aria on the nightstand before hurrying over to her and kissing her forehead repeatedly. My poor baby. I hope I wasn't the one who set her over the edge...
"Please wake up, Aria. Hope needs you. Heck, I need you." I say as tears begin to form in my eyes.
Obviously I don't get a response, and Aria continues to lay in bed lifelessly. Great. Not I'm going to have to care for our little girl on my own. I guess I should start by making her dinner. I kiss Aria's forehead one last time before leaving the bedroom and making my way towards the kitchen.
I want to do something special for Hope, so I decide to make dumplings and brownies for dinner. Obviously I don't cook as well as Aria does, but it's the thought that counts. As soon as I stick the homemade dumplings into the oven, I hear footsteps making their way down the hall. Who could that be?
"Hi, Daddy." Hope tells me softly.
"Sweetheart, what are you doing down here? I thought you were taking a nice nap." I say as I turn to face my daughter.
"I got hungry." Hope explains.
"Well, you're in luck! I'm making your favorite." I say as I offer her a nervous smile.
"Why isn't Mom doing it?" Hope asks me curiously.
Oh God. I have to tell Hope about that's going on with Aria. I don't want to worry the fourteen year old, but she deserves to know why her Mommy isn't here with her.
"Honey, your mother isn't doing too well." I say as my voice begins to soften.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Hope asks as teas begin to form in her hazel eyes.
"Yeah." I say with a small nod.
"She promised she wouldn't do this today!" Hope says as she begins to raise her voice.
"Oh Hope, don't be angry with your mother. She doesn't consciously chose to be gone. Unfortunately, it's just her brain's way of dealing with her anxiety." I explain.
"I know. It just sucks." Hope says with a breathy sigh.
"Trust me, I know. Do you want to tell Gregory that dinner will be ready soon?" I ask my daughter.
"Dad, Gregory left about an hour ago." Hope informs me.
"What? I thought he was staying for a few days." I say as I furrow my brow in confusion.
"So did I. Apparently something came up." Hope grumbles.
"Well, I guess it's just us tonight, kiddo." I say as I try to cheer my depressed fourteen year old up.
Hope doesn't say anything, or even crack a smile. Instead, she stares at me as though I'm transparent. Obviously I'm doing a shitty job of cheering her up...
"Hope, you remind me so much of your mother." I blurt out suddenly.
"I-I do?" Hope asks me curiously.
"Uh-huh. You both try to shut me out when you get upset about something. The thing is- I don't want you to shut me out, Hope. Do you know what I do with your mother whenever she's feeling down?" I question.
"No." Hope says as she shakes her head vigorously.
"Well, I watch chick flicks with her until I hear that adorable laugh of hers. You have the same laugh as your mother, and I really need to hear it tonight. What do you say we eat dinner on the couch and watch whatever funny movie you desire?" I suggest.
"R-Really?" Hope asks as brief look of excitement washes over her face.
"Yes, really." I say before pulling the girl in for a hug and kissing her forehead softly.
Line Break
Hope is even more like Aria than I thought she was. She asked if we could watch Bride Wars, which is her mother's favorite mindless chick flick. But that's not all. Oh no. Hope laughs at the exact same parts as Aria does, and their subtle similarities never fail to blow my mind.
I glance towards my daughter during Aria's favorite scene in the movie and secretly expect her to be laughing hysterically. But Hope isn't laughing. She's staring at the TV screen and sobbing. I don't see Aria anymore. I see a terrified fourteen year old girl.
"Oh, Hope." I murmur as I scoot towards my daughter and wrap my arms around her.
"D-Daddy..." Hope says as she begins to sob into my chest.
"Sh-sh. It's going to be okay, baby. I promise it's going to be okay." I whisper as I tighten my grasp on her.
I don't say anything else to my daughter. Instead, I hold her until she manages to cry herself to sleep in my loving arms. Yes. She's just like her mother.
Authors Note: So we saw a very different side of Gregory in this chapter. Did he have the right to be angry with Kennedy or was he being insensitive? Does this chapter taint your view of him at all? What did you think of the Hope and Ezra scenes? What will Ezra say to Aria once she wakes up? Please review and tell me your thoughts. Thanks for reading :)