CHAPTER 32
*PAST*
“Betrayal”
Maya
It all happened so fast. One moment I was high on happiness and hope, and the next, my dad destroyed all that I had fought hard to get.
I was mad at Aaron, too. I knew that what he had done was trying to help me, but he didn’t realize the implications of what he had done.
He was next to me until the doctors told him to get out because they needed to tend to my wounds. They started to check the ones that were in sight, then started to see the rest. The dark bruise on my ribs, the ones on my legs.
They checked to see if I had any broken bones. So far, it was only my right arm. Luckily, I was left-handed. I could do exams and homework, even if it was only a little annoying.
I didn’t say a word. They asked me how these injuries occurred. I didn’t reply. At first, I was going to lie, but I was too tired to even try.
Then the police came. My heart sank when they asked for me. I just wanted to rest. Last night, I didn’t sleep much because of the pain and heartbreak. I felt stupid. I had some money in the bank, but all my tips and extra money that had paid me in cash was there. I had asked the bank when I could put my money in the bank before needing my parents to do so, and they told me to wait. I waited too long, busy with work and school. It was a disaster and now it was worse. The police were involved. They asked me some questions, but I didn’t reply.
“Maya.”
A young woman with a dark bob and pitiful eyes was trying to get my version of the facts. “It must have been very hard, what you went through. The doctor said that you have bruises all over your body and a broken arm. Luckily, you don’t have any internal damage.”
I didn’t feel lucky. I didn’t know how I was going to pay for the hospital. I didn’t even know if I had a house to go back to. I just wanted to be left alone in peace so I could try to recover from all this. I just wanted to go to college.
To get out of this damn town and be someone new. Someone whose father had never hit her, never spent the hard-earned money of his only daughter. Someone whose father wasn’t drunk one day and the next, and the rest, too. I wondered what my mom thought of all of this. So far, she wasn’t here. Maybe they didn’t let her come, my hope said. Or maybe she didn’t want to see me. I knew Aaron’s parents were there with him outside. They had tried to talk with me, but the police had come.
“Maya,”
she continued to try. “We want to help. Someone hurt you. Who was it? We talked with your dad, with Nicholas and Aaron Willow, with a neighbor, Mrs. Sullivan, and with Mr. Green. We need you.”
“What if I don’t want to talk? I don’t want to press charges.”
“You can do that. We will let you rest, but if you change your mind, you can call us.”
She gave me a card with her name and a phone number.
I was discharged from the hospital. My mom was waiting at the entry with cheeks full of tears. The last thing she needed after a double shift was this. She hugged me fiercely. Too strong for my broken bones. I made a sound and she let me go.
“I thought it was a lie. I thought people were lying—you know how this town loves rumors and salacious stories, but this … I’m going to kill that piece of shit. I’m going to destroy his life. Make him miserable. If I ever see that motherfucker again, I will—”
Before I knew what was happening, Aaron appeared and my mom almost jumped him. “How can you do this to my daughter? Everyone thinks you are a saint, but you’re evil. You and your family are going to pay for this.”
I put myself between Aaron and my mom, even though his family was quicker and Niko and his parents had put him behind them. I tried again to put myself between them and my mom, but she kept pushing me to the side.
“Mom!”
I screamed angrily. “Aaron didn’t hurt me. He helped me. Niko and he brought me to the hospital.”
“What are you talking about? I talked with your dad and he told me everything that has happened.”
My heart broke. Of course, she would believe my dad. I took some air and tried again.
“Mom, my father and I had a discussion last night, and he hit me.”
She was shaking her head with tears in her eyes.
“Your dad would never do that. Don’t lie, Maya. You can tell me the truth.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“He would never hurt you. He loves us. He—did they pay you to say that someone else hurt you? We don’t need their money. We don’t want it.”
She grabbed me by my injured arm and I got out of her embrace. “We need to go to the police station. You are going to tell them what he did to you. Your dad is telling them how he broke into our house trying to hurt you again.”
“What are you talking about? None of that happened.”
“We need to tell the police so this excuse of a man can pay for it.”
“Mom!”
I cried out.
“Let’s see what college is going to want a woman-beater like him. I bet their family will try to buy him a place with their blood money.”
“Stop!”
I screamed at her. “You have no idea what happened. I came home in perfect condition. They were the nicest to me. They never hurt me. When I came to our house, I saw that my father had torn apart my room. He stole my money and probably spent it all. Then he came home and I confronted him. He did this. By morning, Aaron and Niko came because I hadn’t been able to call them. I was supposed to tell them that I was safe back home, but your husband broke the telephone when he hit me with it! They confronted him when he tried to hit me again. They didn’t hurt him. He doesn’t have any injuries. We left and they brought me here.”
She started to cry again while shaking her head. She was chanting no over and over again.
It was painful to see her this heartbroken, but she needed to know the truth. I wasn’t going to lie and damage Aaron because my mom insisted on it. I didn’t want to go to the police to tell them about my sorry excuse for a father figure. I just wanted to be left alone. My mom turned around and left, taking my hopes with her. She got into the car and started to sob uncontrollably. My tears wanted to get out, but I didn’t cry. I didn’t cry. Ever. She started the car and left, leaving me alone.
I felt a soft hand on my left shoulder. “Maya, darling. Are you okay?”
I laughed. “Yep, I suspected exactly that.”
Aaron came next to me and tried to make eye contact. I didn’t want him to see me like this. On the verge of breaking. I needed to get into a safe space before breaking. “Maya, what do you need?”
he asked softly.
“I want to go home.”
He looked shocked.
“Your dad might be there. I don’t think that it’s safe,”
Mr. Willow said. “You can come to our house. Rest some and then decide where to go from there. How does that sound?”
It did sound good.
“Thank you.”
I tried to smile.
I wanted my mom’s affection, and for her to take care of me, to tell me that she believed me and that she was going to kick her husband out of our lives. I didn’t want to think of him as my dad. Right now, he wasn’t in my head and in my heart. It wasn’t only because of the damage that he had done externally. It was also because of all the hurtful, horrible words that he had said. But the reality was that my mom was probably going back to him. So, technically, my only option was going to the Willows, but even though it was my only option and I was mad with Aaron, I felt better knowing that they were going to be there. I couldn’t think of a better option than them. They were way too nice with me and all this bull crap that had just come into their laps when they should have been worried about the recuperation of Aaron’s grandfather.
I also felt embarrassed. After everything that had happened in the last day, my mom had just left me here.
I followed them to the car and expected them to be in some way angry with me, but they didn’t seem to be. The ride to their home was quiet and tense. Aaron sat next to me and caressed my hand. I put my head on his shoulder and tried not to fall asleep. Now that they had me on some meds for the pain, I was starting to doze off. I tried to resist on the shortish ride, but it became harder and harder. Somehow, I was able to stay awake. When the door to their house opened and I saw the stairs, I almost wept. Aaron was beside me.
“I can pick you up princess style and bring you to your chambers like the knight that I am.”
I didn’t know if he was kidding or not. He was faking a smile, but I could see that he was trying. He made a movement with his head. “Let me help you, princess.”
My lips trembled. I nodded and he picked me up, trying to avoid hurting me. I rested my head on his shoulder and he climbed the stairs slowly. This close to him, I could smell him. That and the touch of his hands was a balm to my soul.
“Thank you, Aaron. For everything.”
“Don’t thank me. It’s the least I can do.”
“It isn’t. I’m sorry that my mom said those horrible things and made that threat with the college.”
“Don’t apologize for her. You had nothing to do with that.”
“I feel sorry for her, but I’m angry with her too.”
I felt him swallow.
“Maya, was this the first time that this has happened?”
“Yes and no. He and I don’t have the best relationship. Even when I was younger. He started to drink and it was downhill from there. You know the rumors. Most of them are true. But he never has hit me or my mom before now. Not that I know of.”
“I’m sorry that you went through that.”
I made a tiny sound, and I pressed my head closer to his cheek. It felt so good. I thought I was a bit delirious because I had never wanted to tell him that, but also, Aaron had that effect on me.
“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me or think that you need to save me. I’m still Amery, the one that you compete with in high school. The one that crushes you at chess and debate and physics and chemistry and—”
He shook his head softly.
“If I remember correctly, the leader of debate doesn’t have the smart mouth that you have. It’s a handsome, intelligent, hot man who has a way with words.”
“I didn’t know you had that opinion of Ben.”
His laugh carried me to my sleep.