I was mid playing with the soggy mashed potatoes on my tray when West burst through the door holding a paper.

"Guess what? They're letting you go home today! No more uncomfortable hospital bed!" West exclaimed.

I felt my stomach drop. "H-home?"

Just thinking about going back to that smelly, bland, and lonely apartment made me feel drained already. I knew I'd have to go back to my reality again eventually. After all, I had nowhere else to go and Reid knew where I lived. Even if I did get the police involved, I knew Reid wouldn't go down without a fight.

West frowned at my fearful expression, "what's wrong, Blue?" When I didn't answer his eyes widened, "do you live with the guy who did this to you?"

I shook my head quickly, "no it's not that... he just knows where I live. He pays for it basically."

"Well you can't go back there then." West sat down at the edge of my bed with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I have a house here that I live by myself in. It has an extra guest room. And I'm not there all the time. Only when I'm in town and I don't have work. If you're comfortable with it, you could stay with me for a little while?"

"I don't know..." I trailed off.

West has done a lot for me. I can't afford to rack up another debt to someone. Not when it's already draining the life out of me to pay off the first one.

West spoke up as if he were reading my thoughts, "I don't expect anything in return for any of this, Blue. I'm helping you out because we're friends."

"Friends?"

West looked stunned for a moment, "oh, are we not friends?"

"N-no! We can be friends." I blushed. I hadn't had a real friend since I was eight.

"So, what do you say?" West grinned.

"O-okay."

West made me eat the tray of food that I had been playing with and after the doctor came in to do one final check-up on me. He also encouraged me to go to the police and recommended a few therapists to us, and handed West a paper of names and numbers.

"What's a therapist?" I asked West as we were exiting the hospital together, a quiet nurse was pushing me in a wheelchair.

"You talk to them about problems you're having and they give you advice. There's more to it than that but that's basically a simplified explanation."

Ugh a shrink?

"Why would they recommend me a therapist when I said I don't talk?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"You're talking fine right now," West pointed out.

"That's only with you."

"Why?"

"You're different," I muttered.

"Is that a good or bad thing?" West smirked.

I blushed and looked away from him, embarrassed.

West helped me get into his car and buckle up, before he got into the driver seat and turned on the radio where soft music began pouring out of the speakers.

West drove us to his house. It was close to the beach, hidden in a group of trees. West scanned a card at a gate which opened seconds after. He pulled up to the rustic looking home where a man in formal clothes was waiting. The man opened my door and I flinched at the suddenness of it. I exited the car as West handed the man his keys.

Valet parking for a house? Usually these were at fancy hotels like the ones Reid would take me to for work events. I watched the man drive West's car into the garage that led underground as West lead me up the wooden steps and unlocked the door. I was stunned to see the beauty of his home. Reid loved expensive things but none of his rooms or hotels we stayed at were as nice and cozy as this.

"You live h-here?" I asked, suddenly extremely shy. I mean the front porch was already half the size of my own apartment flat. This was a mansion in comparison.

"Yep. This is the living room, over that way is the kitchen, over there is the TV room and next to it is the study. Up those stairs are our rooms. Follow me." West pointed to each door as he named them. The living room had two large bookshelves full of movies. I never really watched a movie before. Reid never let me do much even when he was nice to me. I played with toy cars and action figures most of my very brief childhood. Until I turned thirteen. Then I didn't have much interest in doing anything.

There were countless photos and posters. Most of them had West and a few other beautiful people on it. There was a shelf with two identical golden trophies of a person with their arms kind of crossed in front of them.

Is he... a model? An actor?

Somehow I felt even more embarrassed at the thought. I shook my head, catching up with West.

"My room is right next to yours so if you ever need me don't be afraid to come in."

I nodded as he opened the door to 'my' room. It was the size of my apartment, maybe even bigger. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk, and an empty bookshelf. You could tell it hasn't been used in a while but is still kept clean.

"I know it's kind of empty and plain. We could go shopping soon to find some decorations if you'd like?" West said, looking shy.

"Thank you, West," I said.

"Oh it's no problem. You can stay as long as you want. I've actually been looking for a roommate. It gets lonely here sometimes."

I nodded and yawned, "I think I'll take a nap now." I said tiredly.

"Oh yeah. Sure! Uhm have a nice nap. I'll be in my office if you need anything."

I nodded and closed the door.

🌊🌊🌊

It's been a few weeks now.

My feet have healed so I'm able to walk on my own. All my bruises have lightened to a greenish-yellow. I'm able to take showers by myself and I don't feel too dirty anymore. I still get nightmares every night and wake up in awful states of panic. West started staying in the guest bed with me, a pillow sat between us, so he could be right there when I woke up from a nightmare, not remembering where I was. I usually woke up still thinking I was with Reid. I even ended up running outside of the house one night which was what prompted West to start staying with me.

I'd try to push him away from me sometimes or scream at him to leave me alone when I don't recognize him right away. I feel bad for waking him up every night. Even though he said he didn't mind, dark circles began to appear under his eyes and he seemed way more tired than usual.

So, I decided I wouldn't sleep for a few days. West thought I got better and I told him to go back to his room.

He was doing so much for me and there was nothing I was doing in return. It made my stomach twist with a deep feeling of guilt. It felt so wrong not to please him in some way.

"Samuel," a woman chimed, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the police station. My head snapped up and surprise flashed across my face.

A siren. Right here in front of me.

I could feel my chest emit a soft purr, hers doing the same as she smiled kindly at me. I haven't met a siren outside of the club before. And she was working a normal job.

She stuck her hand out for me to shake which I did.

"I'm detective Jamie Herrera. You could just call me Jamie though. I'll be the one working on your case." She said.

I made up my mind to report Reid two days ago and here I am actually doing it.

With adjusting to my new environment, the nightmares, and other things I wasn't in the right headspace to deal with the stress that comes with reporting the man who abused you for years. Not to mention Reid was constantly blowing up my phone. The texts ranged from sweet and worrying to threatening. It made me even more fearful to report him. Until I finally destroyed my phone and tossed it in West's trash bin before I watched it get dumped into a garbage truck.

Now that I was slightly better than before, and scared out of my mind that Reid would find me and hurt West, I decided to go to the police station.

For the past couple of days I've been practicing what I was going to say to the police. I was so focused on it that I forgot about proper greetings and just ended up blurting it out to the first clerk I saw as soon as we walked into the station.

"My name is Samuel Finn and I was sexually assaulted for five years."

The clerk and West both looked shocked and soon after I was speaking to a patrol officer who sat behind the front desk with an old-school notebook.

"Hi Samuel," the man smiled kindly at me. He smelt a bit like dog and I assumed he must be a werewolf or some kind of dog shifter. "I'm officer Thompson. Can you explain to me a bit of what happened?"

I nodded shyly and glanced at West who was standing across the room to give me some privacy. He sent me an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. I looked back to the officer and swallowed thickly before speaking.

"Um, I was sexually assaulted."

The officer nodded sympathetically, "do you know who the person is?"

"Yeah, Reid Valentine. He started taking care of me when my parents died."

"Is he a family member or family friend?"

I shook my head.

"How did you meet this person?"

"I was eight and sitting on Riverstone boardwalk waiting for my parents. I didn't know they were... weren't coming back. Reid found me and took me back to his house. He took care of me for a while." I was mainly just whispering at this point, hoping the man was able to understand my words. I couldn't bring myself to raise my voice any higher.

"When did the assault start?" Officer Thompson asked.

"When I was thirteen. And most days ever since then. I'm eighteen now....He'd... he'd sell me too..." I mumbled.

"Do you remember any of the other people who assaulted you too? Or maybe describe them?"

I shrugged, "maybe a few."

The officer smiled encouragingly, prompting me to describe them.

I tried my best but I bumped into so many gaps in my memories. So many blurry faces. I was able to describe the convenience store man at least.

"Do you still live with Reid or anyone who has hurt you?"

I shook my head, no.

"Alright last question for you, Sam. Have you ever gotten a forensic exam?"

I nodded, "yes, two weeks ago at Riverstone hospital."

"I'm going to refer your case to one of our detectives. Meanwhile I'll have you and your friend, if you want, wait in a private room. Sound good?"

I nodded.

Through my whispering and mumbling I was afraid my points didn't get across as well as they needed to. But I must have done something right because I was speaking to a detective now twenty minutes later.

Jamie Herrera the siren detective who I now have the urge to glue myself to but I restrain myself as I stare at her from across the white table.

It's been so long since I've been around a genuinely kind siren. This is a siren who's job is to help people. I've only known sirens like that in my pod and looking at her made me feel like I was back home.

She explained she was apart of a supernatural council that help people like me. I didn't even know something like that existed. Law & law enforcers, court, judges, all for the supernatural world. I always thought that people like Reid always got away with everything because human law didn't pertain to them.

She asked questions and let me tell my story at my own pace.

Besides taking me, he did nothing until I was thirteen. I already told her about the first time he ever hurt me. All the times he hit me. The time he nearly killed me when I was sixteen. Now we're at the most recent time.

"So, he was drunk..." Jamie started for me.

I nodded, "he threw a glass at me but I moved out of the way and it hit the wall and shattered. At some point I stepped on the shattered pieces and that's how I got the cuts on my foot. The-en he tried to make me um..."

"Take your time," Jamie assured.

I relayed the rest of what happened vaguely. Not really feeling anything but the numbness that comes along with recalling these kinds of things. These conversations left me feeling sort of dazed like the reality I'm living right now isn't real. That it's a long detailed dream and I'm still asleep on Reid's floor surrounded by broken glass.

"That's all," I whisper. I feel so incredibly drained,

"You have been so brave. Me and the team here are going to make sure you get the justice you deserve. I just need one last thing from you, do you give consent for us to collect your assault kit from the hospital?"

"Yes," I said. "He took pictures... of the bruises and cuts too." I nodded toward West.

Jamie nodded, "I'll get a release form printed for you to sign that's going to authorize us to collect the evidence. Before you leave just speak to Officer Thompson in the front, he'll collect the photos from you. Were there any clothes you have from any of the incidents that may still contain evidence?"

I shook my head, "the hospital took them already."

"Okay perfect. We're going to work on hopefully getting an arrest warrant out very soon. Once he's here, I'll conduct interviews with him. I may contact you to get further information. If this case ends up going to court you may also need to testify against him."

I nodded, too stunned by how quickly things seem to be moving to speak.

"I'll refer you to a counselor who you can reach out to about anything else you remember. They'll also be sending updates on the case as well. I'll have them come in here to meet with you."

I nodded again to show I was understanding her.

She smiled kindly at me as she stood, "We're going to help you, Samuel."

I smiled weakly and nodded.

Jamie left the room and West took her place.

"Hey there, buddy." West spoke softly. "What's happening in the Blue mind right now?"

"I'm scared," my voice came out shaky,

"It's okay to be scared. You've been through a lot over a long period of time and putting a stop to the cycle is very scary." West said.

I nodded.

Continued... ->