“McCartney if this is you coming over to crash cause you’re too damn wasted to go home, you owe me big…” He opened the door, but what he saw was not what he expected. He expected to see Jesse, barely standing, waiting to collapse. Instead, he saw a worn-out, beat up, tired, Hilary. He gasped when he looked at everything she was carrying. He could barely make out her face since she had a scarf tied around it to keep out the cold. By instinct, he took her bags and she followed him into the apartment.

          She sat herself down on the couch and just looked at the empty wall. Greg had pictures he was meaning to put up, but he got busy and they ended up sitting in a pile in the corner collecting dust for a few months. He just looked at Hilary, then walked into the kitchen area to make hot tea for her. He came out with a coffee cup in his hands, totally forgetting he was in his boxers.

          “What’s this all about?” he finally asked.

          “I’m sorry I didn’t call or anything. I couldn’t really call any place. I did ask your mom for your address, but I told her I was sending a care package…I guess you got it.” She was joking, but her voice steady.

          “Here, let me have your coat and stuff,” Greg took her jacket, gloves, and scarf and put them in the entrance closet. When he came back, she was passed out on the couch, and he didn’t want to wake her.

          Greg just stood above her, looking at her body breathing, in and out. Then he saw her eye. “Jesus, that looks bad. How could I have let this happened?” he sighed, “I should have been there for her, instead she came all the way to me. I was eating pizza and watching movies, while she was being abused. Damnit.” Greg cursed at himself. He took a blanket and covered Hilary with it, then headed off to bed.

          It was about 9:30 when Greg woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. He grabbed a pair of pants and walked into the kitchen, where Hilary was busy making breakfast.

          “Good morning,” he smiled.

          “Hey you, look, I can explain everything, but over breakfast, it’s the least I can do for you putting me up a night,” she was talking at light speed and doing 10 things at once. She had the table set, orange juice out, and a stack of pancakes.

          He sat down while she finished putting the bacon on a plate. “Here you go, ok,” she started, “I’ll tell you everything, but first I need food, I feel like I haven’t eaten in forever!”

          “You look like it too, have you lost weight?”

          “Oh I don’t know, I was working a lot and never really found time to...”

          “Hil that isn’t good, you cant work so much you cant find time to eat-”

          “Greg, you don’t need to play big brother, I’m fine. I just haven’t eaten a full meal in a few weeks. Anyways that isn’t going to happen anymore, I’m gone for good,” She sighed and put a forkful of pancakes in her mouth.

After eating 10 pancakes between the two of them, and leaving only scraps of bacon left, Greg started getting anxious.

“Ok, now if you don’t mind me asking……I mean I’m not mad or anything, but it was kind of surprising seeing you at my door last night, and I haven’t decided good or bad surprise yet. Don’t get me wrong but, the day I left wasn’t exactly….” He trailed off and never really finished his sentence.

          “Greg, just listen to me. I’ll start from the beginning, but, well there’s certain parts where details wont be necessary….ok, after we got off the phone yesterday, I was too late for the bus, so I missed work. I stayed home watching TV when my dad walked in. I could tell by the way he was walking that it was going to be a bad night, but I wasn’t sure just how bad. Then, well, you know, this happened,” Hilary pointed to her eye which was still swollen, “and a few other things. I was in my room and I realized what you were saying was right. I swear Greg if I stuck around that shack any longer, he’d of killed me. He really would have. And I didn’t want to hang around long enough for that to happen. I didn’t know where else to go but you. I hope it’s ok, and it’ll only be temporary I promise! But I made a promise with myself I wouldn’t go back there.” She was pleading.

          “You are not going back Hilary, I promise. And you don’t have the money for a NYC apartment, you are staying with me, we’ll make it work.”

          “I don’t want to be a hassle though. But I’ll get a job and we’ll split the rent. There’s nothing I can say but thank you and I’m sorry.”

          “I know,” Greg stood up, grabbing his plate along with hers, “Do you need anything? I’m running to the store, and since you’re going to be staying here, I think you’ll need some things.”

          “Actually yeah, mind if I shower first though? It was a long night.”

          “Sure, everything’s in there,” he pointed down the hall.

Hilary got a towel from the linen closet and closed the door behind her. She waited for the water to get steamy. While it was heating up, she decided to use Greg’s toothbrush, since she didn’t have her own. Oh he wont mind, its like French kissing…I guess if you put it that way!

After a 15 minute shower, Hilary stepped out of the bathroom with only a towel on and walked towards her bag sitting on the coffee table.

Greg had called Jesse to make dinner plans. It was a long time since Hilary had last seen Jesse. He nearly dropped the phone when Hilary walked into the room.

          “Greg? Greg you there?” Jesse was repeating over and over.

          “What-oh yeah, I’m here,” he stared at Hilary.

          “What is it?”

          “Um, nothing, look meet me at Sparklers at 6, k?” Greg said that then hung up. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to Jesse McCartney question and pester him.