The Mute Reporter

46- Six Years Earlier

Samuel Winters

The following week had been hell.

My nightmares had increased, and I was getting little to no sleep. Sometimes my body would pass out and I would just wake right back up from a nightmare.

Only this time it wasn't Hayford who was over me, but it was Jensen.

"Do I need to call the doctor and tell him about your condition?" Celia frowned, and I shook my head.

"I'm worried about you Sam." Celia whispers, and I don't say anything. I don't react.

She just sighs, and doesn't press it further. I can tell she wants too, but I need my own time.

A soft knock sounds at the door, and I see my sister give me a concerned look out of the corner of my eye.

I give a shrug, even though it's barely noticeable. I'm not sure who's at the door either.

She gets up off the couch reluctantly and opens the door.

"Leave." Is all she says, and that has me craning my head over to see who it is.

It's Jensen.

"Please, just let me talk to Sam." He sounds desperate.

Good.

"What part of leave do you not understand?" Celia's voice is getting angry.

Jensen sighs, and he looks away from Celia to look inside. His eyes catch mine as I'm sitting on the couch.

He looks just as bad as I do. Like he also hasn't been getting any sleep.

"Sam, please." He's begging me now, not caring about my sister who's about to throat punch him if he stands there any longer.

Celia turns around and looks at me, her hand still on the door handle, and I can tell she's expecting me to kick him out.

'Why are you here?' I feel weak, like I could fall asleep against my will at any moment.

I'm glad I was sitting down, because if I was standing up I would be swaying on my feet and nothing would catch me if I fell.

"I wanted to apologize before I leave."

That has Celia's protective guard expression falter, and I just sigh.

'Whatever Jensen.' I look away from him and wrap my blanket closer around my body, like it'll protect me from him.

"I'm moving to LA. I'm leaving and most likely never coming back. I really needed to tell you how sorry I am before I go."

I just hum in response, still not looking at him.

"Can you blame me? For feeling responsible for what Hayford did to you? For not recognizing what he was doing to a child earlier?" Jensen blurts out, and I slowly turn my head to look back at him.

"I did choose you because I felt responsible. I'm sorry. I wanted to make a wrong thing right."

I hold back a scoff. At least he was honest about pitying me.

I genuinely don't know what to say to him now. Him trying to right a wrong only made things worse.

Left me even more traumatized, and pregnant.

I was lucky I didn't end up pregnant when Hayford did things to me.

My hands rest on my abdomen underneath my blanket. It was starting to have the tiniest swell. My heart broke, because now I couldn't tell Jensen.

Even though he's been unfair to me, I'm not going to be unfair to him. I'm not going to hold him back from his dream of being a pro athlete on one of the big name teams. He's been working for that his entire life, and I'm not just going to rip it away from him like that.