Back to You

Mia

After having a final check on me and the baby, we can leave the hospital and head home. I still feel exhausted after everything that has happened. We when enter the apartment I look towards to lounge and the memories of how close I came to being raped again fill my head.

"I'm just going to go to my room" I whisper to Ella before heading down the hall. I lay down in my bed and try to erase the memories from my mind but it's no use. There is a quiet knock on the door and Ella is standing there with a plate in her hand.

"Hey, I thought you could be hungry, so I made you some toast." She sits down beside me and hands me the plate as I sit up in my bed. "Thanks" I know I need to eat especially for bub. We sit in a comfortable silence while I finish my food. There is 1 question that has been on my mind since yesterday and I need to ask Ella "How did the police know to come?" I ask quietly.

"When I got off the elevator, I heard you scream and saw Ryan push his way into the apartment. I called the cops straight away. I wanted to come in, but they told me it wasn't safe. I was so worried for you Mia; I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you or my niece or nephew." She rests her head on my shoulder and places her hand on my belly.

There is a knock on the front door and Ella gets up to answer the door. I put the now empty plate on my bedside table and lay down under the covers hoping to get a little more sleep but when I hear the voice that is at the door, I panic. What is he doing here? Maybe he told me he was coming; I haven't checked my phone since yesterday afternoon. I don't know if I'm ready to explain to Ethan about what has happened, I never told him that Ryan abused me. Maybe Ella won't let him in. Then there's a knock on my door again "Are you up for visitors? I told him you weren't feeling well"

I nod my head and she goes back out to the living room to tell him he can come in. When he enters the room I can't hold back anymore, I begin to cry and he rushes over and sits down next to me wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his hard chest. His hands rub my back in a soothing manner. I have no idea how long we stay like this for but once I finally get my tears under control, I pull away. He doesn't move his arms from around me and he has a worried expression on his face.

"I... I need to tell you something" I can see the concern in his eyes as I shuffle a little further away from him making his arms fall from around me. "I just got home from the hospital" I could see him tense at my words. "Is the baby okay?" I nod keeping my eyes looking down in my lap then take a deep breath. "I'm not sure where to start" he takes my hand and gives me a gentle squeeze to reassure me. "Ryan found me. There's more to our past than what I have told you. When we were together, he was controlling and abusive you already know that. But he didn't just stop at hitting me. If I disobeyed him, he felt like he had to take the control back and his way of showing me who was in charge was with sex." I manage to look up into his eyes and all I see is anger. I can feel the tears falling down my cheeks again "When he found me last night, he wanted to show me that control again" I hear him gasp at my words "He didn't...." he asks not knowing how to finish that sentence. I shake my head. I hear him curse under his breath as he wraps his arm around me and pulls me into his chest.

"I did nothing to try and stop him" I continue as I cry "I didn't want him to hurt our baby. But I did nothing to try and stop him. If the cops didn't come..." he interrupts me "Shhhhh. It's ok, it's ok." I continue to cry while he wraps his arms around me tighter. I feel safe in his arms. My eyelids grow heavy, and I find myself trying to fight to stay awake but hearing Ethan's voice and the feeling of his soft kiss on my forehead sends me off the sleep.

I'm not sure how long I was asleep for but when I woke up I was alone in my bed. I look at my phone and notice that is it nearly 1pm. I make my way out into the kitchen where I see Ethan and Ella talking but their conversation stops when they noticed me enter the room.

"Are you hungry? I made some sandwiches." Ella asks as she pushes a plate towards where I have sat down at the counter. "Thanks" I take one of the sandwiches even though I don't really feel hungry, but I know I need to eat and pick at the sandwiches while nobody says a word. Ella breaks the silence telling us that she'll be in her room if I need anything. After she leaves, I can feel Ethan watching me, but I can't look at him, what does he think of me. I did nothing to try and stop what Ryan was going to do to me. I was weak and Ethan probably sees me that way now too.

"What are your plans now that Ryan has been caught?" his question surprises me. I haven't even thought about that honestly. I don't have to look over my shoulder all the time thinking and wondering if or when he'll just show up. I can finally live my life, but I also now have this little one to think about, I rub my belly whist I'm lost in my own thoughts. I know Ethan. I realise that I haven't answer Ethan "I haven't really thought about it."

"Would you consider coming back to Boston? I'd really like if you were closer to me especially as you get further along with the pregnancy. I want to be able to come to all the doctors' appointments and be there if you have a craving in the middle of the night. I want you close to me."

"I can't just leave Ella, she's settled here and in going to transfer for next semester in the local college plus I have job? How can I support myself without a job? Nobody is going to hire a pregnant person and then I'll have no money to pay for an apartment" I put forward all the reasons that I need to stay here but Ethan seems to have an answer for everything "Ella is happy to go back to Northeastern, we already talked about that while you were asleep, I will support you so you don't need a job plus with everything you have been through, you should probably slow down." He makes his way around the kitchen counter and is now standing in front of me and takes my hands in his, pleading with his eyes for me to agree. "You can live in the apartment with me, there is a spare room that means if you need anything or anything happens to the baby, I'll be just down the hall but if you really want your own place, we will find one for you."

"I need to talk to Ella." It comes out as almost a whisper, but I know he heard because he steps back and let's go of my hands and nods his head in understanding. I make my way into her bedroom and close the door behind me. "Did you agree to move back to Boston?" she asks me as I sit down on the edge of her bed. I shake my head "I needed to talk to you first."

"Mia, can you not see how much Ethan loves you. He wants you and this baby in his life. He even offered to pay for an apartment for me to live in, but I told him I'd just apply for the domes for next semester. He cares for you so much Mia and now that Ryan is gone you have nothing holding you back. You can have the life that you have only ever dreamed of. A man that you love with a baby of your own and I'm not going to lie, I'm so exciting that I can go back to Northeastern, I would do anything for you, you know that and if you want to stay here or go somewhere else, I will but I think that you need to follow your heart for once. Do this for you and my future niece or nephew."