Chapter 41

**Third Person's Point of View**

Megan stood outside the school, waiting for her dad. She has been standing for five minutes so far and no sign of him. She didn't have a big hope for him coming. She knew he was scared of what people would think she could see when she told him what he was doing to her. He is scared not just for her but for himself.

Jonathon sat in his car he had parked a little away from the school. He could see his daughter standing waiting for him to pick her up so they could go see his therapist. He knew exactly what would happen as soon as he saw his therapist again. He would get hospitalised like last time. His eyes scanned his daughter he hadn't noticed before, but she had lost a lot of weight, and she looked withdrawn, almost gaunt. A sigh escaped his lip when he saw the bruised eye that he had given her unwillingly.

"C'mon Jonathon, you can do this," he told himself and looked at the ignition, then back at his daughter to see she had noticed him. He saw the disappointment in her face and the heartbreak. He watched as she sighed and walks back into school.

His fists clenched and he punched the steering wheel. This is his daughter and he couldn't even protect her because he is too much of a coward. He had broken the promise he gave his wife. He had hurt his own daughter and he couldn't pluck up the courage to help her. He is not worthy of a father and he knew that.

For the past few weeks, he had been having vivid dreams and flashbacks of someone abusing his daughter and that someone is him. The things he saw he could never forgive himself for. The look on her face whenever he hit her struck his heart like a blade and he still couldn't make himself get help.

He sighed and leaned his head back "You arsehole," he told himself "you stupid, idiotic son of a-" he cut off when his phone rang. He looked down at it and picked it up to see Megan's school number blinking at him.

He frowned and answered it "Hello,"

'Hi Mr Wright, this is Louise Bell the guidance counsellor at Megan's high school,' she explained.

"Urm yes, speaking," he replied.

"Hi I'm sorry if I've caught you at a bad time but I'm wondering if you could come to a meeting today regarding your daughter?" she asks.

"Urm yeah when?" he asks.

"Well now would be best or in the next half hour,"

"I can make it now. I'm on my way there now to drop something off for Megan," he lied.

"Oh that's great, so, I will see you in five minutes then?" she asks.

"Yeah sure," he says, "see you," and with that Jonathon hangs up. His heart pounded had she told them what he had been doing to her. He hoped so because then she would be safe and away from him and he could get what he deserved.

**Megan**

I’m not shocked that my father didn't come to meet me and I’m not disappointed. I knew this was going to happen. It was obvious when he told me not to get in the car. I don't blame my father. He has obviously been through this before and is scared to go through it again so something must have happened last time for him to be so scared.

I walk into the study hall and say my apologies for being late and then sit down at the back where Melanie and Tyler are. Tyler looks at me then frowns and stands up. I quickly turn my head so I'm looking out of the window so he can't see anything. He hasn't seen the bruise because I've been hiding from him the whole day. I made sure I got into the lesson before him and made sure to sit away from him.

"Is this why you weren't here yesterday?" Tyler asks me quietly now he is knelt in front of my desk. I shake my head and continue to look outside. "Then why weren't you in school?" he asks.

"I had a hospital appointment," I answer.

"What for?" Melanie ask.

"A check up," I say and look at them both "there's nothing to worry about he says he's going to get he-" I'm cut off by the teacher shouting.

"Tyler this is study hall not break get back to your seat"

"Fuck off," Tyler snaps. The teacher looks a little shocked and Tyler turns his attention back to me. "You said that last time," he states.

"Tyler Bedford to the headmistress's office now," the teacher bellows.

"Or what?" Tyler says standing up to his full height and taking an aggressive stance, I see his head turn slightly as if he is listening to something or someone. I sigh and look down. He has stopped taking his medication.

"Tyler, do not make me tell you again," the teacher sighed.

"I'm not making you do anything. I'm seeing if she is Ok and you were been a fucking dick of your own accord," Tyler says. Everyone's attention is now on Tyler and the teacher.

"Tyler," I say, getting his attention. He turns and looks at me, "Just leave it and do what he says," I say.

"No, he's been a fucking twat to me on purpose because he doesn't fucking like me," he growls.

"No, he's not, and he never said he didn't like you," I say, standing up.

"No, but I can tell, and anyway people have told me," he says, glaring at him now.

"Tyler," I say, taking his hand and making him face me "No one has said that," he looks at me confused, then sighs and looks down. "He's just going by the rules," I say and then I turn to the teacher "I'll take him to the headmistress’ office," I say and pick up my stuff and drag Tyler out of the classroom.

Once out of the classroom and on a different corridor I turn to look at him. He looks down at his feet "I know and I'm sorry but I forget," he says quietly.

"No you don't, because your mom tells you to take them every morning," I say, folding my arms.

"I don't need them," he says quietly.

"You were about to kill the teacher," I snap.

"I was not," he retorts, I raise my eyebrows "fine I thought about hitting him." He says

"You mean Christopher did?" I ask.

"I'm sorry, I'll start taking them again," he says and then looks at me "I promise," and he moves his hands around my waist and hugs me. I feel a little claustrophobic and take a deep breath and hug him back. "What about you? Are you going to report your dad?" he asks

"Tyler,"

"It's just, I'm really worried about you, Megan, and I know I made a promise to you. But I can't just keep this to myself if this continues any longer" he says holding me tighter. I winced a little and moved out of his grasp.

"I can't he's my dad and he's just ill that's all once he gets help it'll all be fine," I say not believing it myself "and then I can move on" I say

"And if he doesn't get help?" he asks.

"Well I’ll be leaving for college next year," I say with a small smile. He growls and punches the wall.

"That is too long," he snaps ,now looking at me, "he'll end up killing you before then," he growls. I sigh and look down "can you really put up with him hitting you and touching you for the next year?" he asks. I shake my head and tears slowly start to fall from my eyes. He sighs and pulls me into a hug "I wish I never promised you," he sighs and holds me closer to him.

After a few minutes I pull back from the hug and wipe the salty water off my cheeks "I'm sorry," he give me a confused look "You have mascara on your jumper now," I say.

He shrugs his shoulders and takes a more serious expression "I can always kill him," he says "I would take much pleasure in doing so. I have already thought of many ways," he adds on. I look at him "I'm kidding," he says with a small smirk that soon fades which gives me the idea he isn't kidding.

I sigh and grab his hand and start to drag him to the headmistress’ office. As we walk down the first set of stairs I feel Tyler tug me. I look at him and as I do he pulls me into a kiss. My eyes widen slightly and I feel his hands go around my waist. He pulls back and moves a hand up to my cheek and lightly traces the bruising with his fingers. I see the anger in his eyes fade to something akin to sadness. Before I can say anything, he kisses me again. I kiss him back and slowly part my lips as he slides his tongue over mine. My bag drops on the floor as I move back and he moves forward.

"It's against school rules to skip lessons and to make out," we hear someone say. We pull back and look to see it is Mr Peters. He stands with his hands in his pockets, glaring at Tyler. I quickly move my hair so he won't see my bruise and pick up my bag.

"We're sorry, I'm taking him to the Headmistress's office," I state and grab Tyler's hand and drag him down the steps as quickly as I can. I can hear footsteps behind us but I’m not turning to look at him.

"Megan, slow down," Tyler says but I don't.

"We need to get you to the heads office because I'm not getting detention because of you," I snap and drag him down the corridor and then up a few steps to the main office and push him down on the seat. "You can explain what you've done, if you don't I'll be angry," I say glaring at him "do you understand?" I ask. He nods quickly and I turn to walk out to walk into Mr Peters. "Sorry," I say and put my head down to continue walking out.

"Megan," I hear the secretary say. I turn "here this is for you," she says passing me a piece of paper "you have an appointment with the guidance counsellor" my eyes widen slightly and I turn to look at Mr Peters. His eyes widen as he looks at me. I quickly turn away "thank you," I say and walk out of the main office.