A/N: Down to the final two chapters, including this chapter!

I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE CHARACTERS.

Chapter Ten:

It's been almost a week since the ball and my father was arrest. Caroline's locked up my dad, just like Mason said she would. Mason was awarded temporary custody of me and my parents were temporarily stripped of their rights. I don't know how permanent it'll be, but from what the Sheriff says, it looks good.

Mason has been great. Apart from the obvious questions, he really hasn't pried too much. I had to tell him when my dad started hitting me and things started to get really bad. I went through it with Mason after I gave Liz my statement. He asked me how long Jeremy and I have been seeing each other. I told him that we'd only been together, if you can even call it that, for maybe a month.

It's been comfortable staying with him. It's more of a home, than I've had in a really long time. It's nice here… It feels safe…

Matt's come by a few times. After he ripped me a new one for refusing to talk to him, after he found out about me and Jeremy, I opened up to him. He didn't really care that I was seeing Jeremy. He was surprised, but that was it. That's pretty much what I expected from him. It was everyone else I was worried about.

I haven't gone to school or seen my parents since that night. My father was screaming. There's no doubt in my mind that everyone in this town knows. Mystic Falls isn't known for their secret keeping. After spending so much time under my father's constant judgment, the thought of being scrutinized by everyone is just… overwhelming.

"Tyler," Mason said, coming into my room at his place. I looked up at him and turned off the game I was watching on TV. "I know that you're hurt, but you can't avoid Jeremy forever. It's not fair to just leave him hangin'. That poor kid has come by ten times this week and every time, you turn him away. He's already seen you all beat up. What's your deal?" He asked me. I sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know. I just… I can't face him after what went down. He saw… He wasn't supposed to see. No one was supposed to see that… What he did… What my Dad was doing to me… I can't. I just can't Mason. I don't want him to look at me with pity. I don't want his pity. I wouldn't be able to stomach it. He's going to think less of me. I can't." I sighed. I tried to ignore the giant knot my stomach had turned into. I was telling Mason the truth. If Jeremy looks at me like I'm less of a person, I know that I wouldn't be able to take it. I can take a lot, but I can't take that. He's mean too much… It would hurt too much.

"Do you even hear yourself? I may not know the kid that well, but I know him enough to know that he's not that shallow. I saw his face when we found you. He wasn't pitying you. He was terrified out of his mind. We both were. You looked so bad… There was so much blood… I didn't know if you were gonna make it, Tyler. He cares about you. He just needs to know that you're okay." Mason argued with me. I sighed. He doesn't get it.

"Then tell him that I'm okay."

"You know what I mean, Tyler."

"I'm not seeing him."

"You're being stupid."

"Yeah, well, apparently that's my specialty, or haven't you heard?" I scowled.

"Once you're done feeling sorry for yourself, you'll realize that you have someone who cares about you, who you're ignoring. He's not going to wait around for you forever, Tyler. Get your head out of your ass. Or do you really want to lose Jeremy?"

"I… It's his choice. I don't… I don't deserve him, anyway."

"That's crap. You deserve to be happy." Mason sighed, as he sat down next to me. I shrugged my shoulders and winced. I'm still sore as hell. It's a miracle I didn't break anything. I tore some ligaments in my shoulder, fractured two ribs and have a concussion.

"If you say so," I deflected.

"I do say so. I say it, because it's true. One of these days, you're gonna believe it, too. I'm going to make sure of it."