Their Loving Solitude

Chapter 13 Questioning

Mia's POV

When we see the lights approaching, the man jumps up even on his hurt leg, shoving Caleb back as he falls over the top of me, and I yelp out in shock. Caleb tries to catch me as he turns, wrapping his arm around my body as he holds me into his side. He has his gun pointed out in front of us, looking out at the alley to get the man who did this to me, but he is nowhere to be found. "F*ck." He says under his breath as his eyes pan around the dark alley way eith his gun following, but he is not moving a muscle from me.

He still has his gun pointed out trying to stay alerted yo out surroundings, by staying on his toes, just in case that man is really not gone, but he is not leaving me to find out. Caleb looks furious as his body shakes, not in fear, but I think anger. He has a tight grip on me as I do on him, and I can't or maybe won't let go of him.

When the police vehicles arrive right next to us. Caleb picks me up bridal style and holds me into his frame. I lean in on his shoulder, crying as my body just trembles in his hold. "Mia.. You're safe now.. I promise I will protect you.. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you from this.. I'm so sorry." He whispers in my ear as I shake my head, not wanting him to feel bad about this.. he didn't cause this. "It's.. not.. your fault.. don't blame yourself." I stutter through gasps of air and sniffles as he just shakes his head.

He takes me to one of the cars, opens one door, and sets me into it as the men run up to him and act like they have seen him before.. I don't understand. But I don't have the thought process to think about that right now. Caleb squats down in front of me as he quietly states, "I will be right back, ok?" I slowly nod, looking around worried about being left alone, but his hand covers over my cheek as he softly retorts. "I will be right back.. don't worry, I won't leave you alone." I feel the tears dripping as I nod my head at him. His eyes show so much heartbreak as he nods and lets out a deep breath before standing up.

He walks across to the other officers, I assume he is giving the police his side of the story. He is pointing and talking as if he is directing them as they nod and talk back. But I can't hear a word they are saying. I hope he doesn't get in trouble for defending me by shooting that man because I see him pulling out his gun and showing it to the officers. I am astonished at how brave he was helping me out before he even knew it was me, and I couldn't be more grateful.

I see an officer slowly walk up to me as I watch him approach cautiously. He asks me questions as he looks over me and what has been done with all the cuts I was given in this process. "Ma'am you need to come with us so we can get these wounds taken care of now." The officer insists as I just nod. I watch his eyes land on Caleb as he finishes whispering with another police officer, then comes right over to me.

"We need you.. sir.. to come with us to the station.. and.. we need to confiscate your weapon for the time being and take a report from you as well." He declares as I notice Caleb head nodding as he looks from the officer to me. "Of course, Officer.. Stevenson.. anything to help." He states, looking at his name tag as Caleb stays right beside me.

"Ok, let's get you both into the police vehicles." He declares as he opens the door the rest of the way for me to scoot all the way in. I'm nervous about being in there.. I know they are police but I don't know if I can really trust them. I'm reluctant, and I think they can tell this. "Mia, they just want to help, and they need this evidence to find him and put him away so he won't do this to anyone else again." Caleb states to me while standing closer at my side as my arms tighten around me once again.

I feel the tears coming down once again at how overwhelming all of this is for me right now. "Yeah.. I know.. I.. I just.." I stutter out as I shake my head, turning and crashing my body into Calebs. I can feel my body trembling as I keep readjusting my hold arI und him, not knowing what else to say. "Sir.. you will need to come into this car over here." The officer instructs Caleb as he glares at that man, and I watch his jaw clenching, hating that idea as much as I do with my grip tightening around him.

Caleb leans me back, so I release his torso from my hold just to quickly wrap my hands around his arm for comfort. "Would... um.. maybe if you're comfortable with it.. would you want me to go with you? If that helps with your comfort since we both have to go there anyway." he softly asks me this. I think I realize how scared I am to be on my own right now after everything. Or maybe he just doesn't want to leave me, but either way, I think he can feel my hands tightening around his bicep, not wanting to let go. I think about that for a moment, then nod. "Yes, please."

"If course anything to help you, Mia." He says as we watch the police officer nod at Caleb, who is staring at him deeply with authority. The police officer doesn't object to one but as he holds the door open for us to enter. He helps me in as I scoot across the back seat, feeling the anxiety hit me from never have been in the back of a police car before.

I can hear him sitting down and scooting in as the police officer shuts the door and then moves to the driver's seat. My eyes are panning from every little detail in this car, knowing I can trust it but not being able to find the trust within myself to calm down after everything. I know they are here to help me, but my body is skeptical. Which is understandable.

I feel my hand being grabbed as I look over to see that it's Caleb's doing. He holds it tight, rubbing his fingers over my hand, so I just scoot and lean over on him. He wraps his arm around my shoulders to pull me in closer, and I don't object, I just let him hold and comfort me in this moment. I don't know if it was because he helped me in my time of need, but he brings my heart a wave of comfort that I never expected but truly needed.

No words are said between us, and nothing needs to be said to convey the moment.. we know what happened, and we know what's about to happen, so what is there to say. I sit in complete silence until my phone rings louder than I ever expected, getting not just my attention by also everyone else's in the car. I jumped out of automatic reaction, causing him to do the same.

I slowly pulled the phone out of my apron that was in my bag just to see that Naomi's name was vibrant, showing she was calling me. I wearily pick up the call. "Nay." I say, not knowing what all I could get out. "Mia? Where are you? Are you alright? I have been waiting for you!" she declares to me as I just shake my head and cry into the phone with no words coming out. "Mia, what's wrong?! are you ok? Do I need to come get you?" She asks me, obviously confused about this call.

I can't get any words out between the gasps and sniffles, which gets her even more concerned. "Mia? Where are you?" That question is easiest enough for me to answer. "Headed to the police station." I keep crying and shaking as I feel Caleb's thumb rub over the back of my hand, trying to provide comfort in this already hard situation.

"Mia, I'm coming down there right now, ok?!" she asks in a panicked tone. I vigorously nod my head. "Yes.. Nay." I hear her hanging up the call as I sit there feeling my body trembling without any sign of stopping in sight. "It will be ok.. You're ok." Caleb softly says to me as I nod and reply. "Thanks to you.. what would he have done to me after he was done with me if you weren't there." I find myself saying outloud from my way to present thoughts on the matter.

"Hey, don't think about that stuff.. all that matters is that he was stopped and will be going to jail for this because I won't stop until he does.. the police will have my testimony and yours to go off of.. plus all the obvious evidence of the situation.. this will be taken care of, and that piece of sh*t excuse for a person will be gone." He declares as he tightens his arm around my shoulder. I lean into him, crying, letting all the anger, confusion, and hurt out. I pull my legs up on his lap as he holds me like a teddy bear, swaying and cooing me. "You're ok, Mia.. I promise you're ok.

"Ma'am were here." the officer says to me as you can feel the car's momentum slowing down. I take a couple of deep breaths as I feel his hand circling over my back to try to help. I slowly sit up from him as he stares into my eyes, showing all the concern in the world for me. He leans his forehead against mine as he states. "You can do this, Mia.. I know you can.. it will be hard, but I will be with you the whole way." I nod at his kind words as I slide off his lap just to hear the door opening beside me.

I look at Caleb only for a short moment, feeling a type of embarrassment for seeing me like this. I look down and away as I turn around to scoot away and out the door, that is, until I realize I'm still holding his hand without even realizing it. I look down at our locked hands as he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, slipping his hand away from mine. "I'm sorry about that." He states to me as I send him a small smile before turning back around as I scoot the rest of the way out.

I glance back in the car as I see him fighting with himself as he states. "I'm such an idiot." showing his embarrassment with wanting to hold me while not even thinking about how I didn't mind and loved that he did that.. which actually made me feel better. I turn back to look forward as I continue to follow behind the multiple officers who have now opened the door for me with only pity on their faces as their eyes look at every torn up detail on me that they can.

With embarrassment now filling my senses, I feel my heart racing as I try to let a deep breath out, only looking at the floor and the officers feet to keep me on track.. because I don't want to see their stares. They sit me down in a room where a woman is present and has scrubs on like a nurse. She has a plastic bag in her hands that has different items inside. She looks sad but is patiently waiting for me to get into the room. Once I do, she pats for me to have a seat.

"I'm Cynthia, and I will help you out anyway I can.. mrs?" she asks as I clear my throat to barely squeak out."Mia." She nods at that as she plainly states. "We are going to need to get all the evidence of the man that assaulted you off of your body. I need to take pictures of the wounds.. any afflicted areas. So I'm going to need you to take off the big sweater that's covering everything." She declares as I nervously look over at the man who helped bring me here.

"You can put it right, back, on once we are done." She declares as I nod, but look back at the officer that I don't want in here. He is waiting for me, I understand that, but I don't want to get undressed in front of him. He sees the nervousness as he clears his throat. "You ladies, let me know when you're done, and I'll come back to get your statement." He declares as he leaves the room shutting the door behind him.

I swallow the lump in my throat as I slowly unzip the sweater. I slip it off of my body and gently put it onto the back of my seat. Her widened eyes showed me that she wasn't expecting to see my shirt fully ripped along with my shorts. Or maybe the tons of tiny cuts and bruises accumulated all over my body from this attack.. but hey, neither was I.

I look away as she brings out her camera and takes pictures of every inch of my body. I thought I felt violated before, but after this process, that has added to my already painful torment.. I can say that the sample taking on top of the excessive amount of photos taken.. that now I have been thoroughly violated. I know this isn't her fault that she is only doing her job, but that doesn't make it any easier on me.