Scream with Me

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Maryanne wanted to believe in miracles but that was a little hard to do in her present situation. Jensen swore he’d be back and begged her not to give up on him but was that really fair? This wasn’t his battle and she didn’t put it past Danny to try and hurt him to keep her in line.

She was sitting in the dark against Annalise’s crib as she slept. Thankfully her father was such a hard ass and married to Danny or not he wasn’t allowing them to share a room under his roof. She quickly jumped and offered to room with her daughter. Her parents were so happy to see her making such a huge effort that they both smiled and said that would be fine as Danny camped in her bedroom in exchange.

Absentmindedly she was rubbing the bruise across her arm, willing it and all the realities it brought away. Danny had dragged her out of the school with all the force he could carry in his grasp. It didn’t take a genius to see how he was angry at her and if he could he’d hurt a lot worse but the risk of raising flags was too high at the moment. All throughout dinner he continued to spew fake lies and his dreams for them to get their own place and be a real family. Maryanne didn’t doubt if they were alone Danny would do a lot worse to her. Whatever happened next she could never live with him.

The streetlight outside cast a shadow in the room and she was unlucky enough to see the wedding band on her finger. There hadn’t been a choice, it was either marry Danny and bide some time or lose Annalise. He had endless resources and her parents on his side, the fight wasn’t fair but it was the truth and she had to find a way to win before making a move against them.

She closed her eyes to the dark reminder the ring represented and tried not to let her emotions come forth and strangle her into gasping for breath and endless tears. She had to be strong.

~*~

Jensen paced around his bedroom with his fists tight at his sides. He wanted to run back to Maryanne’s place and punch that bastard until he was bloody and broken. As nice as the fantasy was it wasn’t a solution and right now that’s what Maryanne and Annalise needed; a solution.

His mother appeared at his doorway and regarded him with kind eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

That’s when it hit Jensen, what Maryanne needed most was her parents on her side. If they stopped defending the bastard and what they thought was the right thing Annalise’s father wouldn’t have a fighting chance. He remembered Maryanne saying the bastard’s name was Danny.

“Jensen?” his mother stepped into the room with her worry soaring up ten notches.

“I’m fine but Maryanne isn’t.” Jensen didn’t know how to smile right now and lie his way through this. He needed someone to confide in that it wouldn’t get back to Maryanne that he broke her trust. “Annalise’s father is back in the picture and he somehow used the baby to force her into marrying him.”

“What? This all happened just today?” she had been fully aware about how her son was helping Maryanne with her daughter and the budding relationship between the two. It was becoming common knowledge Maryanne and Nate were never a romantic couple. 

“Yeah, just a few hours ago and I just found out. I cleared it with Miles to go find out what was happening and he gave me the rest of the day off.” Jensen shouldn’t have been home for several more hours to come and it was no wonder his mother’s curiosity was peaked. “Nate and I found her with her parents and she was down right terrified. I didn’t want to leave her.”

“What are you scared of? How could this guy blackmail her into marriage?” she stepped farther into the room and they sat together on his bed.

“I don’t have all the details but he’s an older guy that knows how to get shit done and her parents are on his side a hundred percent. All she has on her side is me and Nate and there’s nothing we can do against the legal system.” The truth sucked big time but he couldn’t let that decide the winner, there was always a way to fight.

“Maybe not, if she’s being hurt and the baby is also at danger we can go to the cops. Judging from Annalise’s age and Maryanne’s she must’ve had her very young.”

Jensen knew she was doing the same math he did weeks ago. “She was pregnant at fifteen and it wasn’t by choice. You’ve met her, she’s a girly girl but not obvious about her sexuality. That night she got sick at dinner and she crashed her with me she was shaking with fear to share the bed and that’s when I realized something major was going on and then meeting Anna only added to my fear.”

His mother nodded sadly. “She was raped.”

“I brought it up and she didn’t deny it but she can’t talk about it either. I don’t think it was just one time, this guy was in her life a lot before the Hale’s moved into town and now he’s followed her. She’s trapped in that house right now with a baby and no one on her side. I don’t know what to do.” Tears of regret and fear pricked his eyes.

His mother laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You should’ve told me all of this when you found out and we could’ve done something to get her out of that house but it doesn’t mean there aren’t any options. I treated a cop at the hospital awhile back and he told me if I never needed anything to call him. I’m going to find out what legal options there are for Maryanne and her daughter but until then I need you to calm down and not make the situation worse.”

“I’m not being reckless mom. That bastard was standing in front of me and I didn’t deck him. I don’t want to make it worse for her but I don’t think I just sit back and wait either.” There was a knot of fear curled around his heart and no amount of talking or planning was easing it.

~*~

Maryanne was asleep in her sleeping bag next to Annalise’s crib when her eyes snapped open at the weight of something across her mouth. It was Danny and he was making sure she couldn’t scream.

“Shh, you don’t want to wake up our sleeping baby.” He whispered roughly inside her ear.

Hot tears blurred her vision as she tried to fight against his much heavier frame. She pulled at his hand trying to move under her shirt first. She didn’t want him touching her, she felt sick to her stomach the more she inhaled his scent and felt him on top of her. This can’t be happening, she frantically thought, she never suspected he’d be so bold to try and hurt her with her parents just down the hall. If her father heard…

She found new strength to grasp upon and bit down on his hand so he’d have to move it. He hissed with pain and pulled his hand back just like she hoped he would but he was still straddling her middle and she couldn’t move. “Help!”

Danny was used to her fighting and was quick to recover. He covered her mouth again and tightened the other around her throat. “They’re not going to hear you. No one is going to hear you.”

In the middle of his taunts neither he nor Maryanne noticed the window being pulled open or that they were no longer alone until he spoke. “That’s what you think.” Jensen jumped in the room and kicked Danny under his chin with enough force that he went flying to the nearest wall. 

Maryanne jumped from the floor and reached for the light. She couldn’t believe he was actually there and needed to see him. Jensen rushed to her side and held her arms before she fell over.

Her cry for help hadn’t been loud enough but the ruckus was and in seconds her parents came rushing through the door.