The Man Of Little Words (Thomas Hewitt x Reader)

Chapter 2

       Our differentiated gazes only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity until I had broken the stillness of the atmosphere with uncomfortable shuffling, "I-I don't know much about him, officer. All I know is the stories I heard from residents who had left long ago." I explained, mentally damning myself for stuttering. An unimpressed scoff left the man's lips as he shifted his full attention back to the deserted road. "Those bastards only know how to talk bad about someone they don't fuckin' know." he responded through gritted teeth as, I noticed his knuckles getting white from his increased grip on the already worn steering wheel. I scooted to the middle of the back seat to be able to hear him better, "If you don't mind me asking... you seem like you know more about him than the other people I interviewed. What do you know?" I asked placing more emphasis on 'you' than the rest of the sentence. He let out a disgruntled chuckle and a small smile peaked from the corner of his wrinkled lips, "He's a good boy. Always has been..." he paused for a moment as the sliver of happiness was replaced with anger, "... he's misunderstood. And those worthless sons of bitches didn't see that. You don't know the full story, kid. Maybe you'll be able to learn it..." he trailed off as he slowly yet carefully pulled into a driveway that led to a beautiful, rustic mansion-like house. I got a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, almost as if my fight or flight responses were going to kick in.  I waited patiently on the officer to exit the car, expecting him to leave me behind, but he did the opposite. He yanked open the door to let me out. I got out of the vehicle feeling as though I had left a safe place and was now in imminent danger. While taking in my surroundings i noticed a man with no legs sitting in a wheelchair on the porch, looking at me with curiosity and distrust in his eyes. He examined me like a dog protecting its territory, making me feel uneasy and out-of-place.

       "C'mon, little lady. Time for you to meet mama and the rest of the family."  the officer said with an almost threatening grin. I caught a glimpse of his name tag to see the name 'Hoyt' engraved on the smudged metal, he seemed to notice my staring as he then began to wave a hand to interrupt my focus. My head shot up and I gave a slight smile, not wanting to seem rude or awkward. I didn't want this man to know my confidence and security was lacking at that moment. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm (y/n). Thank you for helping me out." I said with a low laugh. He slightly tipped his hat, "Name's Hoyt. And it is my absolute pleasure, now come... we don't want to keep them waiting." he said with an insincere tone as he began the short walk to the porch and up the creaky steps, me following in quick pursuit. The wind blew at a steady pace, causing me to get a slight scent of iron, making me nauseous. Keeping my calm was difficult as we reached the other older man, "This is Uncle Monty." Hoyt said while gesturing towards him with a slight nod in his direction. Uncle Monty only raised two fingers in greeting and went back to surveying the land laid before him. "It's nice to meet you, I'm (y/n)." I responded to his silent greeting not expecting a response from him. Hoyt opened the door and entered the house, which was beautifully decorated, a bit dusty and had a slight scent of mildew and whatever candles were burning in the house. I let my eyes take quick glimpses at photos hanging on the walls as I followed behind Hoyt at a slow and steady pace. My attention shifted to the sound of dishes clattering and low feminine humming coming from the kitchen. "We're home, mama." Hoyt called out only to earn a semi content, "She's here?" called a familiar voice.

       Once we were in the kitchen I recognized the woman all too well, it was the woman from the rest stop. "Welcome, my dear. We hope you enjoy your stay here." she said with a sincere smile. My heart began to race with anxiety and fear as I nodded, "Thank you for having me." I said nervously. Hoyt had cleared his throat loudly, "She was wanting us to answer some questions, mama." he said with a stern and emotionless expression. Her face seemed to drop with concern as she looked from him to me. "We'll have to speak on that topic tomorrow, dear. For now, lets eat."

(Short chapter, I know. My apologies I've been stuck in a writer's block for a bit. Much love to y'all <3)