Bless Your Little Heart

FOURTY-ONE

Everything happened so fast, I couldn't stop them from taking me. I fought harder than I ever have as they removed me, I felt as if I was being ripped away from the one thing I love. Funny enough that's exactly what they've done.

I won't talk, I won't move, Im just sitting in this god awful grey room alone. Only my thoughts to occupy the silence that surrounds me, I felt like I was going crazy and nobody cared, all they wanted was Malcolm, to see him behind bars. I couldn't understand it, I told them I willingly stayed, that I loved him and he never did anything to hurt me. My pleas went unanswered and unnoticed, they said my parents were on their way but I didn't even want to see them.

I just wanted things to go back to how they were.

The chair in-front of me scrapes against the cold concrete floor, snapping me from my thoughts as an older man sits before me. Clearing his throat as he moves papers around on the table and opening a manila folder full of photos.

He slides one toward me, not saying a word before leaning back in his chair with a huff.

I looked down examining the photograph, taking in every detail until I realized what I was looking at. Seeing my car and the clothes I had donned mere months ago as someone's grabbing me from behind.

"Why are you showing me this?" I lean back into my seat before shoving the picture back his way, crossing my arms angrily as my eyebrows furrow.

he lets out a stifled laugh before putting the picture back in the folder, adjusting his position in the chair and placing his elbows on the metal table. "Madelyn, you realize you've been through something very traumatic? Three months of being held hostage by-"

"I wasn't held hostage." I hiss as I interrupt his words, "Okay, three months of being away from home, with someone you don't know. That's a lot for an 18 year old to go through. You look rough." His eyes scan me as I try to keep my composure, "I willingly stayed, I could have left at any point."

He lets out a 'huh' before pulling out another picture, now showing the multitude of locks that lived on the front door, each with its own key that Malcolm kept on a ring.

"Willingly?" He pushes it closer to me as my throat starts to itch, my mouth becoming more dry by the second. I wanted to leave, I wanted to go home, home to Malcolm.

"I'm not here to fight you Madelyn, I'm here to help." He pulls out another picture showing the mat I had called my bed for the first month & a half of staying with Malcolm.

Just seeing the disgusting small thing made me ill, thinking of the nights I laid all alone before Malcolm opened up to me, how close he was but yet so far at that time.

"That's where you stayed, correct?" He raises a brow at me before I shake my head 'no'.

"Only temporarily."

"What do you mean temporarily?" His voice seemed intrigued now, and sympathetic. Instead of feeling like I was being interviewed, I felt almost safer. Like how safe Malcolm made me feel.

"Only when I first stayed, till Malcolm knew he could trust me." I stared down at the photo seeing my clothes in the corner, along with my sketchpad next to my pillow. A small smile creeping o my face thinking of the few drawings I made while sitting there all alone.

"How'd you gain his trust?"

I sigh while rubbing my head, "When can I see Malcolm?" I was honestly over this now, I felt like everything I say would somehow be used against Malcolm, and there's no way I'd be the one to put him away.

"Madelyn, you know that's not gonna happen. He's gonna be locked away for a long time with all his previous crimes. You're not the first woman he's taken." He looks into my eyes, almost pleading with me to help him. I only can roll mine back at him, "You don't want to help me, you just want him locked away." I turn my body to face away from the gross man sitting before me, the one I no longer had an interest in talking to since he seems to think I'd just willingly throw Malcolm under the bus.

"I won't testify." I mutter under my breath, this causes him to slam his hand on the table, making my body almost jump put of the chair, shaking as I snap my head in his direction.

"All you're doing is hurting every victim of his Madelyn, you're being incredibly selfish right now to anyone he's ever hurt. To every girl who was in the same spot you were in, they just weren't lucky enough to get away." His words pierced my skin like knives, burning my heart because he was right.

That wasn't stopping me.

"I'm not them. I won't do it." I shoot him a devilish smirk before he shoots up out of his chair and collecting everything before me, "Your parents will be here soon." He gives me a disgusted look before turning his back to me and walking back out the door he once entered.

Leaving me all alone with my thoughts as I ponder the words he said.

"All you're doing is hurting every victim of his Madelyn."

Victim? What victims? I was no victim in this situation, Im a grown woman who willingly stayed. He didn't force me to, at least after a couple of weeks. I felt safe and secure, always with him. Never once did I feel forced to do anything, nor did I do anything against my will in my eyes.

I loved him and he loved me, it was evident, and once the cops realized that they would let him go. I'd finally see him again and we'd love out my dream of us growing old together.

I knew it would happen.

•••

Getting down to the nitty gritty now babes, only a few chapters left :(((

xoxo