Chapter 139

**Logan**

Megan had been quiet since we got back. She didn’t seem too happy about having a security detail, but I don’t know any other way to make her feel safe. I’d told them not to interfere with anything in her life unless it was to keep her safe. That meant if she snuck out of the house one night to let her, just follow her and tell me. I do doubt she’d do that, but it would keep them on their toes if she did. 

I’m not too sure her uncle likes me. He keeps scowling at me. David says that he’s probably trying to get a read on me. From what I’ve gathered he’s a SEAL which is just ideal. I don’t need Megan to tell me that he would kill me if he found out about us. In actual fact, it was David who told me and then proceeded to tell me he probably knows about 40 ways to do it too. 

After the frosty reception, Megan gave her grandfather he left. Not long after Carl came home. He didn’t seem too happy and went straight to his room. I tried talking to him but it would seem he is heartbroken, which is a first. 

I hear whimpering coming from the hallway. I get up from my desk and walk out to see Max at Megan’s door, he paws at it and then looks at me and whines. I smirk and shake my head as I walk towards to let him in. 

“You have attachment issues,” I state. I watch him go bounding in and then stop and sniff around her bed. It is then I realise she’s kicked her covers off and she’s talking in her sleep. From the look of things, she’s having a nightmare. 

“What’s going on?” I hear her uncle say. I look at him. “What are you doing?” he asks as he walks from the room that was next to Megan’s towards me. 

“Max normally sleeps in here with her, I was letting him in,” I state “and she’s having a nightmare,” I add nodding towards her. He looks and then walks in to go wake her up. He shakes her awake. 

“Megan wake up,” 

I watch as she startles awake and then looks at her uncle and I see the complete terror wash over her and I can understand why. Brett looks like Jonathon and in the dark, she’s mistaken him for Jonathon. 

“No,” she snaps and shoves him away from her. He doesn’t move “Get off me,” she screams. 

“Megan,” I call. 

“Get off, don’t touch me” she cries in fear and he finally lets go of her. I turn her bedroom light on and she half falls and runs out of bed. I catch her and hold her to me. 

“It’s ok,” she looks up at me, tears stream down her cheeks. “It was a nightmare, he’s not here,” she wildly looks around the room and then her eyes land on Brett. I look away from her to him to see the anger on his face. He’s staring at her pillow and I can see the thought going through his mind. 

“I’m sorry,” Megan says quietly. He turns to look at her and he shakes his head. 

“I’d never hurt you, Megan,” 

“I...I know,” 

I slowly let go of her as the urge to pull her closer to me is too strong, I’d usually hold her as tight as possible just so she would know she was safe but right now I can’t. 

“I’m not him, I’m not like him,” he adds. 

“I know, I just,” she looks around her room and I know this look, she wants to escape or hurt herself. The after-effects of her nightmare, she can still feel his hands on her and she wants to feel anything other than that right now. 

“Why don’t we have a cup of tea?” I ask and it’s probably the most British thing to say right now but it’s the best I’ve got. 

“I need to have a shower,”

I nod in response and walked over to her wooden box on her dresser. 

“I’ll take this and then I’ll meet you downstairs, ok?” I ask and she nods as I walk out of her room with it. Her uncle follows me, he calls Max as he does so, “Don’t bother, he won’t listen anyway,” I’m pretty sure Max now only listens to her and probably only listens to me because it’s what he wants to do. I’ve lost my dog to my girlfriend. I think I can live with that. 

“What’s the deal with the box?” Brett asks me as we walk into the kitchen. I place it on the kitchen counter and turn the kettle on before turning to him. 

“She self-harms with things that are inside it,” I state. He looks at it and frowns. 

“Why don’t you just throw it out?” 

“She’ll find other things to use,” I state with a yawn. "Do you want a drink?" 

"I'd like something stronger than tea," 

"So would I and so would Megan if my experience is correct," I state as I take three cups from the cupboard and I start to make us all tea. 

Sitting down in the living room I watch him as he looks off into space. I can just see the thoughts going around in his head. It's probably a shock to his system seeing her like that. 

"She's never looked at me like that before, she looked so scared of me,"

"Not you," I state. He nods and looks down. 

"I should have taken her from him, her mother wanted her to come with me," 

I frown at that information. Why would her mother want her away from her own father? I don’t think he needs me to tell him that none of this is his fault. It was out of his control. There was nothing he could have done. He wasn’t to know. 

He takes a sip of his tea and turns to the TV. After about ten minutes Megan walks into the room. She looks at me and then to her uncle. 

“You ok?” he asks. She nods and sits on the couch opposite us. Max comes bounding in and lays at her feet. I smile a little at his protectiveness. “That dog sure is protective of you,” he states.

“I think he’s got a thing for her,” I state

“He likes me is all,” she says, laying down and patting the couch for him to lay at the side of her with his head on her lap. “Plus he’s a great heat source,” she strokes his head and then gives him a kiss. 

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” I ask slowly. Megan shakes her head in response. “Will you talk about it tomorrow with your therapist?” I ask. She looks at me and shrugs. 

“It’s always the same, she’ll just tell me it’s down to my fear of him,” 

“I know, I just think you should at least talk to her in detail about it,” and I know I’m pushing. I just feel that if she holds it in and doesn’t talk about her nightmares she’ll get even more down. She doesn’t tend to get them as much when we sleep in the same bed together but while her uncle is here that can’t happen. 

\---

**Megan**

I stand at the doorway of Logan's classroom. He came in early for a meeting which meant Brett also wanted to take me to school. It was awkward, to say the least as I could tell he wanted to ask me about my nightmare but didn’t know how to. Plus Carl was in the car as he is subbing as the Music teacher as ours has gone on sick leave. 

Logan looks up from the paper in his hands at me. I give him a small smile and hold out the coffee I had got him on the way in.

“Good morning,” he says as he watches me walk in, closing the door behind me and placing the hot drink on his desk in front of him. 

“I figured you’d need it,” 

“I do,” he says before taking a small sip. I lean against his desk and look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m just tired,” I say and look down at my denim dress. His hand moves to the hem of my dress, he tugs on the material a little before placing his hand on my knee. 

“I like this dress,” he states looking me up and down. “It suits you,” 

“Thanks,” The dress is only simple, it's a medium blue denim shirt dress with a drawstring waist to make it a little more fitted and fold up sleeves. It’s a little big on me but it’s good for the heat. “I missed you this morning,”

“Yeah I had to come in early for meetings and to plan my lessons, I spoke to the principal too about me leaving, she asked if I could stay till the end of the school year as it’ll be difficult for them to find a replacement,” he explains. 

“And what did you say?” I ask. 

“That I’d have to get back to her on that, I wanted to ask you first what you thought,” 

“It’s not really up to me, do what you want to do,”  

“Megan, what’s wrong,” he asks again and stands up. 

“Nothing,” I lie. 

“There is, you seem distant,” 

I look down at my dress and fuss with the tie in the middle. He sighs and places his hands at the side of my head over both ears and kisses me at the parting of my hair. 

“You’re scared,” he states and I nod a little as my vision blurs with tears. “Is it your nightmare or Benjamin,”

“Both,” I whisper. He tilts my head up so I’m looking up at him. 

“Tell me about the nightmare,” he states. I close my eyes and feel the tears finally drop down my cheeks.