We were never meant to be

Chapter fifty-four

Aaron
I always thought that if I went to prison, it would be because of some crime I committed and not because I have to visit someone there.
Guess I was wrong. And now I'm standing in the middle of a room full of criminals and their family members, or friends or lawyers, I don't know at this point.
What I know is that I want to take Kayla away from here and never come back again. I hate how all of them are looking at her. Like they've never seen a woman with their eyes. Although with all those years inside a prison state, I guess you don't get to see any women. Also Kayla is prettier than any other female I've ever seen, so no wonder they're looking at her like that. She's a sight for sore eyes. That still doesn't ease the urge in me to rip all their eyes off their skull so they can never look at another girl ever again. Not with that gaze of an animal.
I glare at one of the idiots beside us on the other side of the glass. He was watching her way too much for my liking. He looks away and continues on talking on the phone with his lawyer.
Kayla is sitting at the chair while I'm standing tall behind her, in case anyone has any dumb ideas or the guards are useless.
I lower my head down to talk to her.
"We can leave anytime you want. Just say the word and we're out of here." I whisper. She leans her head to look up at me.
"Something tells me that you're the one who wants to disappear from here."
I clench my jaw at that.
"Damn right I'm the one who wants to leave. If I don't, I'll be the next one in trial and it will be for murder with intent." She chuckles at that.
"Leave the prisoners alone Aaron."
I will, as soon as I unalive them. But I don't voice that.
A door opening captures both of our attentions.  As soon as Kayla sees him, she stiffens, but she doesn't look away. Her bravery would astonish anyone. I put a supportive hand at her back. And also to show everyone here who she belongs to.
He takes a step back when he sees us. He's shocked. Good. He didn't expect us.
He makes his way to the table with the phone and sits. He picks it up from where it's hanging and puts it to his ear. Kayla does the same.
"Well you as sure as hell aren't my lawyer." He spats. We told the guard that we're the jackass's lawyers, because we weren't sure he would come if he knew with whom he would meet.
Kayla doesn't talk. Just holds the phone. She's holding it so tightly her knuckles are white. I don't think she's aware.
"Well what do you want bitch?! Isn't it enough that you locked me up for 20 years? Now you came to gloat?" I don't let Kayla answer. I take the phone away from her hand and put it on my ear.
"If you call her bitch or any other name one more time, I don't care how many guards or people are in here, I don't even care about this useless piece of glass between us. I will beat the shit out of you, again. And this time, I won't hold back." I say through gritted teeth. I don't think I've ever heard my voice this harsh. I don't even know where it came from. Maybe from the need to wipe his existence off this world.
He doesn't say anything. Just gulps and glares at me.
I hand the phone back to Kayla, whom takes it with unsteady hands.
She turns to face the jackass again.
"Um...I'm not going to take much of your time. I just wanted to say two things."
"What?!" He spits.
"Careful." I growl at him. He avoids looking my way. Fucking coward. Using his power with defenceless underage girl. When faced with someone his size he scurries away. He's one of those disgusting human beings, whom waste the oxygen of this Earth.
"Look, I don't like talking to you as much as you don't like talking to me. Maybe even more. But I just need to say this." Kayla says. She takes a deep breath and continues. "What you did to me and to that girl, and who knows to how many others, it's not normal. I believe you have figured that out by now. You need help and I sincerely hope you get it and change. You did destroy my life, but you didn't destroy me. And you never will. This urge, this want of yours to make people feel below you, or this abuse of power you use, because of your money and wealth, it will only shatter you in the end. Put a stop to it, while you still can." He doesn't say anything. Just stares back like a useless idiot.
"What's the second thing?" He then asks.
"What?"
"The second thing. You said you have two things to tell me. What's the second?" I barely heard all of that. He's not spatting words through the phone anymore.
Kayla stares at him a bit before just being out with it.
"I forgive you."
"Wh-what?" I only understood what he said from the movements of his mouth. He was barely audible when he spoke.
"I forgive you for what you did to me. Don't be so surprised. I know most people wouldn't. But I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for me. I want to move on. I want to close this chapter of my life and never open it again. I need to let go of whatever grudge I have against you. I need to let go of whatever power you hold over me. And in order to do that, I need to forgive you and move on. So I forgive you Jack. Not from the goodness of my heart, but because He showed it to me." She points up. "Because you are where you deserve to be. Now it's up to you to change yourself or not. I hope you make the right decision. Goodbye." And with that she closes the phone and gets up.
She turns to me a bit shaken, but overall she looks fine.
"I'm ready to go now." She whispers up at me. My cheesecakes looks exhausted. I kiss her forehead, closing my eyes, breathing her in.
"We'll leave now. Just wait for me at the door. There with the guard. I won't be long." I whisper back.
She looks up at me confused.
"Why? Where will you be?"
"There's just something I need to do first." I say and she nods.
"Just stop threatening him. It's useless." She mumbles before leaving the room.
And then I turn the face the jackass.
***
"So what? You'll threaten me some more and then tell me how you will rip me to shreds for what I did to her?" The jackass questions through the phone. Voice all sarcastic. I scoff in amusement.
"Why state things we already established?" I smirk. He shuts up at that.
I need to be a grown up at some point.
"No. That's not what I'll do. Instead I'll show you something." I barely refrain myself from slamming the book on his face. Yet I still bring it to the table. He scoffs.
"What now? You'll convert me into a priest or something?" He taunts pointing at the Bible on the small table.
"For what? So you can do the same things you already did, but with the excuse that you're a priest now, so no one should be questioning you?" He doesn't say anything, remaining quiet. "That's what I thought."
"This," I point at the Bible. "is the only reason I'm not in jail with you right now. Because I swear to the God I believe in, if it were up to me, I would have killed you a long time ago, and would have taken my precious time doing so, making it as painful as possible." He stiffens, but covers it fast. "This, is the reason why that girl out there not only didn't sue your ass further more, for all the damage you caused her, but also forgave you for every pain you brought her." I hold my phone closer and lower my voice so no one hears me. "This is the reason you're not in for life right now or why you're not six feet under." His knuckles are awfully white from gripping the hell out of the phone.
"Next time you have the urge to fucking rape someone else, remember what we did for you and never do it again. Next time you think about taking someone else's whole future away, think twice, because the next person you do this to, may not be as forgiving as us."
"Next time you pick up this book," I hold the Bible up on his face. "do not be cocky, but remember what we sacrificed, remember the reason you're still alive and never do it again, because that's the Reason you still breathe, you jackass." I slam the phone on its place and put the Bible on the table.
When I get up from the chair, he's still in shock and hasn't moved. So I leave and walk away to never look back again.
***
"So? What now?" I ask Kayla once we're outside the prison. She just shrugs.
"I don't think I have anything in mind now." She says walking beside me and I nod. I'm about to say something, when she adds. "Except maybe that I have to go home."
"Okay." I sigh. " I just...I thought we could talk a bit before we emerge in our houses, but okay. I get it, you're tired. I'll take you home." I really wanted to discuss what happened in my room the other day, but I guess that kind of conversation has its own exhaustion.
"I meant home in Texas." Kayla says. I stop my walking and turn to her.
"What?"
"I need to go home in Houston." She faces my way too.
"Okay. Why?" I ask confused.
"It's the last thing I need to do. No matter how much I avoid it. It needs to be done. I can't put it off for later. No more."
"What are you talking about cheesecakes?"
"The letter. I need to read Aaron's letter. And it's in my old room at Houston. But even if it wasn't and I had it here with me, I'd still go there. Because I haven't been to his grave since the day we buried him and I have to go. I need to."
I look at her heart in throat.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I already know the answer to the question, but I still need to hear it. To be sure.
"No. This is something I need to do on my own." I nod, already aware of the answer.
"When?"
"Tomorrow. I bought the plane ticket yesterday."
"Does anyone know you're going?" She shakes her head no.
"I'm leaving at 7am tomorrow and I believe I arrive somewhere at 12. I bought a two-way ticket so I'll return back tomorrow."
"When does your plane take off?"
"7pm."
"So you have somewhere to five hours there. What about the letter? How will you get it?"
"I have the house keys. At that time no one will be home. Mom and dad will be at work, while Addie at school. I'll be in and out in no time." I nod and get closer to her, taking her hands in mine.
"I'll pick you up from the airport tomorrow when you return."
"But it'll be late. I arrive at 11:40pm and that is if somehow there aren't any delays." She says concerned. I shrug.
"You could arrive at 3am for all I care. I'd still be there." She shakes her head tears welling up.
"I don't deserve you." She mumbles and then proceeds to lean her head against my chest. I wrap my arms around her small figure.
"That's where you're wrong cheesecakes. It's the other way around." I whisper softly on her hair. She shakes her head in protest, but doesn't say anything.
"Do you need anything from me?" I ask holding her close.
"Nothing. Just for you to be with me tonight." She mutters in my shirt then raises her head looking up at me. "Can we go to our place?"
"We can go anywhere you want. I'd follow you to the ends of the world." And I've never meant nothing as more.