Maya

The questions feel like they never end, although I think the police only stay another half hour. They want to make sure my story is the same as Holden's. It is. Holden didn't know the extent of it, but I tell Officer Samson. I tell him everything, even what that last month was like before I came back to Boothbay. Nella has to walk away after she tells what happened before Holden went into the house. She can't handle the details. I tell Officer Samson about how I've been in Boothbay since early March. I tell him how I got a new phone, because Ryland had messaged me threatening messages before I did. That's enough for the officer.

   He closes his tablet and looks at me. "Are you hurt?"

   I shake my head. "No. He just... he was going to make me go with him. He was so angry. He would have -"

   "Okay. And what's your relation to Mr. Prescott?"

   I freeze. What do I even say? "Friends. We've known each other since we were kids. We were just out for coffee when my sister called and told me to come..."

   "You're very lucky that he was with you."

   I let that sink in before I speak again. "Will he be okay? I can't believe he... he stabbed him." I'm still in shock.

   "Let me take your number. I'll call as soon as I hear which hospital they were taking him to."
I give the officer my number and thank him. It feels like he's ready to get going, but I need more answers.

   "What will happen with him? Ryland?" I spit out.

   "Oh. Don't worry-"

   "I need to know."

   "We will do all our questioning at the station. He was arrested and he'll need bail, or he'll stay in jail until he gets a court date."

   "He'll be here? In Boothbay?"

   "Unfortunately, yes. But I promise you'll be safe."

   But I don't feel safe knowing this. At all.

   "Will I have to go to court? Do I have to be apart of any of that?" I want to know.

   He nods. "They might call you to testify. Mr. Prescott, for sure."

   My stomach drops and turns upside down. I'm going to be sick. I turn away from the officer and take a few steps but can't keep it in. I puke off the side of Nella's driveway. The officer walks over and puts his hand on my back.

   "You're safe. You're okay. I'll be in touch. Go inside with your sister."

   I nod and agree and then go inside. I watch as the officer walks back to his car and drives off. He probably deals with stuff like this a lot. Maybe it doesn't even faze him.

   Nella has already called George and he comes home as fast as he can. He was out with some of his work buddies. He had brought Nella and Willow home after dinner at Marcus' and then he just went for one drink. George looks distraught as pushes open the front door and runs over to us. It's only been fifteen minutes since the officer left. Willow's in bed. She was pretty much unfazed by the event, while Nella and I are traumatized.

   "Why didn't you call me sooner?" George wants to know.

   My face is still tear streaked. I can't look at him. I put his family in danger. He's going to hate me.

   "I couldn't," Nella says, "it wasn't safe."

   "You were in danger. Some psycho was in our house threatening you-"

   "He was threatening Maya, actually, and Holden is the one who-"

   George huffs and takes a deep breath. "Holy shit. You guys could have been..."

    "Yeah. But we're okay." Nella is keeping a strong façade now.

   When I look up, George is staring at me. I feel like he's going to yell and say this is all my fault. I'm expecting to be kicked out and told to never come back. I'm so scared of this. I only just got my sister back.

   "Are you okay?" he asks me instead. "You look pale. That must have been... terrifying, seeing him."

   I burst into tears again. I'm not scared anymore. Now, I'm happy. Sad. Surprised. George didn't yell at me he didn't tell me to leave. He's concerned about me.

   "I'm... okay."

   "No. She's not," Nella yells. "That asshole almost kidnapped her. With a knife against her back."

   "Nella," I say, breathing heavy.

   George looks horrified. "How did he ... know you were here?"

   "He had her last known location from her other phone. But that was two months ago," Nella says.

   "He was planning. Waiting. He didn't want me to suspect he would show up-" I say, putting the pieces together now.

   "Well, he won that round," Nella says.

   "No, he didn't. Holden hit him over the head with a frying pan and knocked him out. Now he's in jail," I tell George.

   "Holy shit. I knew I liked that guy," George says and smiles, but then pulls Nella to her feet and wraps his arms around her.

   I'm terrified to go back to my apartment. It's pretty late now and we have been so preoccupied that we forgot to tell anyone what happened. George calls Kayleigh and Marcus, at some point.

   Officer Samson calls me at 10P.M. I answer right away and he says they took Holden to St. Andrews Hospital. He even gives me his room number and an update. He had to have emergency surgery to repair some damage but he's in recovery and is going to be fine.

   When I end the call, I see there are a bunch of texts that I didn't see before.

   Maya. Omg. We are the hospital. What the hell happened? From Landon.

  Maya honey please call me. From Annie

   And then, a text from Marcus:

   I just heard that something happened at Nella's. Are you okay?

   I can't take this, so I put my phone down and cry a bit more. I take a shower and get redressed and then George offers to take me to the hospital. I want to go. I need to go. But I don't want to face Annie and Landon right now. It's so late. It's probably after visiting hours.

   But I call Annie on the way there anyway, half an hour later. I just know I have to go.

   "Maya! Honey, I've finally got to talk to Holden," she answers right away.

   "Hi. I'm so sorry." My voice is quiet, and I'm expecting her to yell and be upset with me, just like I was expecting it from George.

   "No, honey. No, do not say sorry. This is not your fault."

   "Is he okay?"

   "Yes. He's okay. He's just in some pain, but they were able to fix him up."

   "He... he was protecting me. He saved me."

   "Of course he did. That boy would do anything for you."

   I don't know how to take this so I tell her I'm on my way and I hang up.

   George doesn't say much for the rest of the drive. When he pulls in and parks, I let out a breath I'd been holding in. He looks at me, concerned.

   "Should I wait?" he asks.

   "Oh. Um. No."

   "Maya, that was... a lot. You're still processing this. Tell me how I can help." George sounds so concerned.

   "I feel... so horrible." I finally admit. "This is all my fault. Nella and Willow were in danger, and Holden got stabbed-"

   "No. You just go in there and see Holden. Tell him I said he's a hero. And don't worry about anything. You're okay. You're safe."

   "I'm scared," I say anyway.

   George squeezes my arm. "I know. Call Nella soon, okay?"

   I agree and get out of his car. Walking towards the hospital, I feel like I'm going to walking into a tiger den. I caused Holden to get stabbed today. How will I be able to face his mom and his brother? It's only been a few weeks since we've all gotten back together, so to speak. The initial
shock from the event is gone, but I'm now in disbelief.

   "Maya!" Annie yells, when she sees me walking down the hallway towards her.

   I already asked for Holden's room number at the desk, because I forgot what the officer had told me. I was told that immediate family only were allowed in that area. So I end up waiting in the waiting room, but Annie comes out to find me.

   She's hugging me a minute later, her thin arms wrapped so tight around me. I'm so relieved she's not mad.

   "Holden told us... honey, I can't believe you were going through all that."

   Now she knows my secrets. But I didn't tell Holden everything so I wonder what she knows. It feels like she can see through me now. She's looking at my soul and I'm just standing there in front of her, so exposed.

   "I am so sorry," I say anyway. "Holden was... he..."

   "Oh Maya. It's alright. He's fine. Come on."

   When I follow her into the area where Holden's bed is, I hold my breath. My mom died at this hospital. I can't look around. I don't want to see anything that reminds me of that.

   "Maya." Holden's voice comes out of no where. I mean, he's right there all of a sudden, in the bed in front of me. "I'm so glad to see you."

   I don't have any words, and my mouth is too dry to even speak. I look between him and Annie for a minute.

   "I'll let you two talk," she says and scurries away and down the hallway again.

   "I'm... I don't know what to say," I admit. "I feel so shitty that this happened to you."

   "Maya. No. I'm the one who charged in there."

   "You got Nella and Willow out safely. And then you... you saved me, after being stabbed," I go on, as if he doesn't know what happened.

   "Right. Well, I was just doing what I had to do."

   "Holden." I have tears in my eyes and just seeing him there in that hospital bed is killing me.

   "Maya. I'm serious. Don't make it a big deal," he says, then runs a hand through his hair. And then he smiles. At me.

   "It's a big deal, what you did for me," I tell him.

   He's quiet for a minute but he's looking at me like he wants to say so much more.

   "So, you're okay?" I ask, finally.

   He pulls up the hospital gown and shows me the bandaged up spot on his stomach.

   "All fixed up. I think," he grins. "Sit. You look... fuck, are you okay?"

   "Well, I didn't get stabbed," I say quickly. "I think I'm still... I can't believe this happened."

   He takes in a deep breath. "The cops... they said this guy had been... abusing you for a long time. Why didn't you tell me?" Holden wants to know.

   "I thought I was safe here. From him. I ran back here when things got really bad, and I got a new phone and-"

   Holden looks disgusted and angry. "I almost killed him, Maya. I could have. And I didn't even know what he had done to you, then."

   I reach out and take his hand into mine. This is the first moment for us. The first spark. The moment everything falls into place for us, once again. Our broken, patchwork hearts somehow beginning to heal.

   "I'm glad you didn't kill him. You're no good to me in jail," I smile.

   "No good to you?" he questions, like he wants me to elaborate.

   I shake my head. "You need to rest."

   He gives me a half smile. "You're bossy."

   "I'll come see you tomorrow?"

   "Will you?"

   He knows I will.

   "If you want me to." I shrug.

   Now, he grins. His hair is so messy and I notice a bruise forming on his chin. "This evening... we were meeting for coffee, and I was just trying to decide how to ask if you and Marcus were serious..."

   I take this in. I know what he's saying. That coffee "date" was more than that meeting up to talk. I didn't really know it at the time, but it's so obvious now.

   "And then everything happened so fast. But when I was in Nella's house and that asshole was saying those things about you..." Holden goes on.

   "What?" I ask. "What did he say?"

   "He said he would take you away from here. He said you were his."

   My stomach spins and tightens. I instantly feel nauseous.

    "I just knew I had to stop him from getting to you. But I wasn't anticipating him stabbing me," Holden says, then manages a smile.

   "Holden, he threatened me so many times before I left Albany. He said he'd kill me if I'd didn't do what he wanted me to do. So when he almost got me into his car today... I thought I was dead," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

   Holden squeezes his eyes shut. "Don't think about that, okay. I promise you're safe. The cops said I'll have to testify in court whenever that happens, but... you don't have to worry about him anymore."

   I want to believe that, so I nod. For now, I'll have to be okay with that.