Safe and Sound | Marina

Chapter 7:

Siena POV

After basically storming into the restroom, I just turned the shower on and let the water run, but I didn't get in. I just sat on the floor in front of the door. After about 5mins, I pulled myself together to walk outside, and I see Maya laying in my bed. She motions me to come over and lay down with her. Beds really aren't my thing right now, so I just sit down in the chair. She drags the chair so that I'm sitting in front of her and she's now sitting on the bed with our legs touching.

"Bug, I don't want to push to you, and I don't want you to say anything you don't want me to hear," she says as grabs my hands and hold them. I nod slightly, I can guess where this is going.

"You live with your mom and dad?"

Yes. I nod and avoid eye contact.

"Does your dad yell?"

Hell yeah, what kind of ques-, she doesn't know. I nod.

"Does your mom?"

She would be dead even if she tried. I shake my head no.

"Does your dad.. does he hit you?"

I pull my hands away from her hands and sit back in the chair fully. I can feel the anxiety in the build-up, so before I respond I take a deep breath. I nod my head yes. I can feel her facial expression change, but I can't not, and will not look into those eyes because I will fall apart. I start to bounce my knee anxiously.

Before she asks her next question, she puts her hand on my knee, so that if I stop bouncing it. "Siena, did he- does he touch you?"

Nope, we're not doing this. I want to open up really bad, but I'm afraid. I'll just tell her that instead of answering the question.

"I'm afraid— to talk to you," I say still looking down, and now pinching myself. That wasn't intentional. She gets out of the bed, and walks to the side of me, and turns the chair facing her while she's kneeling on the ground.

Maya POV

As Siena is answering these questions, my heart is aching for her. I'm pissed off, but I don't want her to see me angry. I ask the questions slowly so that I don't overwhelm her.

When I kneel down in front of her, I grab her arm that anxiously pinching herself, and take my other hand to lift her chin, so that I can take into her beautiful hazel-brown eyes. "Siena, you don't have to be afraid, you're safe with me," I assure her. "I can stop asking you questions if you want."

"No— it's fine, I just— not use to someone caring. What was the last question?" She responds, but I can hear cracks in her voice as if she's about to cry. I take a deep breath before I repeat myself, preparing myself for her answer. "Sweetie, did he to-" I got interrupted by Siena.

"Yes," she says softly, but I heard her very clear. I can feel my face turning red my throat closing a little bit. Poor baby. I stand up and pull her hands up so that she can stand up. I pull her into the tightest hug. I can hear her start to cry, and her heart starts to beat fast. Unknowingly, I wipe the tears that start streaming down my face and rub her back.

"Shhh... it's okay honey I'm here."

We stay in this position for a while before we both start crying. She pulls away and sits down on the floor against a wall. I sit in front of her and we both have our legs crossed. I want to ask her another question.

"Siena, can I ask you another question?" I ask. "You don't have to answer of course."

She just nods her head.

I put my hand on her cheek, and rub it while I ask this next question. "Sweetie, was it recent?" I question looking into her eyes. I can see that tears are forming, which already gives me my answer. I whisper "Ok."  I sit on the side of her and pull her into my chest. "You've done such a good job," I tell and I hear her sniffling. "I'm very proud of you bug."

She looks up at me, "I don't want to go home, she says in a shaking voice. "Trust me, sweetie, you're never going back." My heart is hurting for Siena. Her dad is a bastard and a coward. How could you put your hands on a 15-year-old? You're sick! So sick. Sick in the fucking head.

After about 10mins of us sitting on the ground, Siena's tears have stopped, but she was playing with her hands. "Sisi, how about we order some breakfast from the cafeteria," I said as I stand up and reach from her hands to help her up. "And we move over to the bed." She just nods her head yes.

When we get over to the bed, she lays down and pats the empty spot next to her, and motions for me to come to lay with her. As I lay down she lays her head on my chest and grabs the phone to order breakfast. After I get off the phone, I hear a deep sigh. "Sisi, are you okay?"

Siena POV

I feel so comfortable with Maya. She's warm and smells amazing. Before she got off the phone, so many thoughts were racing my mind.

I think I'm ready to tell her more. Not too much, but enough for me to make sure I never have to go back. I don't want to go back, and I feel like running away will only make things worst.

After Maya asks me if I'm okay, I stand up. I feel slightly anxious and take a few more breaths. "I'm ready," I say shyly with a whisper. She looks at me with a confused face. "Yes, he hits me. He hits my mom too. For absolutely no fuc-, sorry. No freaking reason. He treats us like trash," I say as I'm pacing back and forward in front of the door.

"Maya.." I say and I walk back over to the bed, "I don't want to go back, I- I don't think I can take it anymore. I'm exhausted, I'm tired of not being to sleep, I'm tired being forced to— I'm just tired." I stop myself remembering not to share too much. I start crying softly because I haven't really expressed myself out to anyone. I never get the chance to. Everything inside me is just bubbling up, and I can't hold it all the time.

Maya gets out the bed and hugs me tightly. "You're not going back, I promise you," she says in a whisper. "You've endured enough and you shouldn't have to. You're too young to have this much weight on your shoulders." She grabs my face in her hands and uses her thumbs to wipe away my tears. "Thank you for telling me Sisi, but to make sure you get out that house you know I have to report this to CPS," she says. I take a breath and say "Yes, I know, and I'm ready,"

She looks at me with a smile and hugs me again. We get interrupted by a nurse bringing in our breakfast. I sit on the bed and she sits next to me. "Eat something please," she says passing me a fruit cup. "I'm not hungry," I respond. She tilts her head at me and it feels like she's looking into my soul.

"Fine, and water that's it," I say while taking the fruit cup out of her hand. "Yes!" she says out loud, and I just giggle at her reaction to me eating. After we finish, we watch TV for a bit, and I realize it's almost 11 am. "Hey bug so I have to go in like 30mins." Maya says while sitting next to me in my hospital bed. Feels like a coffin.

"I need to stop by the station and fill out some paperwork and talk to my team," she finishes. "Ok," I say softly while my eyes still looking at the TV. "Carina is still here though, and she'll come to check on you every once in a while," the older woman adds. I nod accepting the fact that I won't be completely alone.

It's now 11:45 am, and Maya gets out the bed. I see her put on her jacket and say, "I'll be back in probably an hour, the station is only 3 blocks away from the hospital." When she finished her sentence I can hear someone outside say my name and so does Maya. She looks through the blinds to see who it is, and I can kind of see who it is, just by the plaid shirt, and white hair.

"Stay," I say firmly, realizing that it's my dad.