Maya
Shawn places his hands on my hips and I look up at him. Today, we take Drew to trial. Shawn and I testify. He kisses my head and pulls me close to him.
"Hey, it's going to be okay," he whispers.
"I know. I'm just scared." He places his finger under my jaw and lifts my chin up.
"You have every right to be scared. That man put you through hell. He will pay for it."
"I love you." He kisses my head again.
"I love you more."
Drew sits up on the stand and is glaring at me and Shawn. It's him against the state.
"Mr. Kingston, can you explain your relations to Maya Young?" His lawyer asks. Shawn grabs my hand and rubs circles into my skin.
"Yes, she was an employee of mine."
"What do you mean 'was'?" My breathing stops. He's going to lie somehow. Turn this on me. Shawn told me not to blame myself but somehow I still am.
"She just stopped coming to work." That is true.
"Why do you think so?" the lawyer questions. He locks eyes with me.
"I don't know. Probably because she didn't like what I was paying her." The lawyer nods.
"You are aware of the allegations placed against you, correct?" Drew nods. "Tell me, did you assault Maya Young in any way?"
"No," he answers. My hand squeezes Shawns and a stray tear falls down my cheek. "When she was my employee, she always had her shirt a little undone, a short skirt, and was always flirting with the men. One day, she came on to me."
"Shawn, I'm going to be sick," I mutter to him.
"I brought her into my office to talk about a pay raise and she groped me and tried seducing me." I can feel the bile in the back of my throat. Don't get up, I tell myself, not yet. "She wanted me to have sex with her."
That's all it takes. I drop Shawn's hand. Standing, I walk out of the courtroom with no intention of turning back. A hand grabs mine. It's warm and comforting. When I turn, I see who I knew I was going to see. Shawn pulls me into his chest. He lets me cry.
"Shh," he coos," It's going to be okay. "He's a piece of scum, baby girl. Don't let him get to you."
"They're not going to believe me, Shawn," I cry. He cups my cheeks and makes me look at him.
"Maya, the caught him in the act with another girl. She's your age. Not only that, the caught him trying to kill you." My cries stop.
"There was another girl?" It doesn't come out as loud as I'd hoped, but he heard me. He nods. He takes me over to a bench and we sit down. Shawn bends down in front of me.
"She's in the hospital."
"In the hospital? What did he do to her?"
"I don't know. This is just what Derick told me."
"How old is she?"
"A year younger than you were." He doesn't look at me when he says it.
"What? What's wrong?" He looks at me. The look in his usually warm chocolate eyes is cold. There is nothing but pure hate. It almost makes me pull away from him. I've seen that look enough though.
"They don't know if she's going to make it."
"I-I have to use the restroom." He hangs his head but moves to the side.
The restroom is silent. The water from the faucet is cold as I splash it on my face. When I look up, my makeup is running. Sighing, I grab a paper towel and wipe it away. When I look back in the mirror, Drew is behind me. Before I can scream, his hand is over my lips.
Shawn
I sit on a bench near the courtroom. My head in my hands. She blames herself after I told her not to. Digging my phone out of my pocket, I unlock it and see the picture I took of her and Hope a couple of days ago. They were both asleep on the couch. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to take a photo.
I shouldn't have told her. She would have been fine. My mind rushes, she has two people to fight for now. She also has Hope to fight for. I put too much on her shoulders and I'm terrified she's going to break.
There's a scream. My heart stops as I stand and run to the bathroom. I try to open the door but it's locked.
"Maya!" I shout. I beat on the door. Derick rushes over and tries to open the door as well.
"Maya, I need you to open up." She doesn't respond.
"Drew is in there," I grit. "We have to get her out."
Maya
He pushes me into the mirror and I fall to the floor. There's a ringing in my ear preventing me from hearing. For some reason, it doesn't get rid of his voice.
"Little Maya," he spits, "so weak and pathetic."
"W-what do you want, Drew?" I stutter. He bends down next to me and caresses my cheek. I can't move away from him because when I move, it hurts.
"You can't testify, Maya. You can't kiss Hope or Shawn. You can't leave this bathroom alive." He slaps my cheek lightly.
"Drew-" I can't say much more before he kicks my stomach.
Shawn
"I need someone to open this damn door!" Derick shouts. A staff member rushes over and unlocks the door. Derrick pushes it open. When we enter, Maya is against the wall and Drew is on the ground. My hands grab her and pull her into my chest. Her cheeks are soaked and her lip is cut.
"What happened?" I ask her. She looks up at me. That spark in her ocean eyes is gone.
"He was going to kill me." I hold her so tightly. She just stares at him with absolutely no emotion. I kiss her forehead and bring her out of the bathroom. We sit at a bench outside of the building. Warm air blows strands of her ash blonde hair in her face. She has her hair pushed back behind her shoulders.
"What happened?" I question, bending down in front of her. She plays with her fingers rather than looking at me. My hands cup hers. She lets them close around hers.
"I was washing off my makeup when he came in. He put his hand on my mouth and started talking to me. Then he began hitting me. He said I didn't deserve to live. He said I wouldn't get to testify or kiss you or Hope again. He pushed me into the mirror and I fell. The glass fell around me and cut me. I grabbed a shard of the glass and stabbed him in the side," her voice breaks. "He was going to kill me."
"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. He can't hurt you." She rolls her eyes and stands.
"How many times are you going to say that? He's going to hurt me again and again and there's nothing I can do to stop it. The jury won't believe me. One day, you'll say that and it'll be true because I'll be dead and he won't be able to hurt me." I cup her cheeks.
"You can not say that, Maya. You are not going to die. He will go to jail. If he doesn't then I'll make sure he won't hurt you again." She pulls away from me.
"I don't believe you."
YOU ARE READING
raising hope | s.m
Fanfiction𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏 Maya Young is the mother of Hope Young. Maya has barely enough money to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. She didn't ask for this. She didn't ask to have to work as a waitress at a bar. She didn't ask for Hope but s...
