Almost Forgotten

Chapter 22: Strings attached

He sneaks another glance to see my face not believing a word of his story, but still playing clueless, knowing I won't push much while Leah is here.

I have time for his family issues later.

I need to settle my own now.

"So, what brought you here?"

Central California Women's Facility is as large and grand in surface as they claim it is.

I suppose I cannot say it's bigger than the rest, taking in that I have never been this close to a prison before, certainly not passing the gates surrounded with metal spikes to enter a one.

I can vividly describe and feel all the nerves pulling backward, the dull faces of guards telling me that this is a mistake.

And I know it is, but I have made so many of them through life, so why not one more.

A last one for the end.

I couldn't tell Winter I was coming here, he would try to stop me and reason with me and I suppose I need that. But I need this much more than any sanity on the table.

I am placed at the far end of the wall, two seats next to mee empty while an old man sits at the third place talking to a much younger man through the glass.

A click of the door is heard again and I take my chances to look up and the both of us freeze in place.

A mistake.

A guard is pushing Lilah through the doors, leading her to sit in front of me as her wary and shocked stare stays on me. I suppose when they told her someone came to visit, I was on the bottom of the list.

Still my glare is not much different when she sits, the black left eyes more prominent as my eyes flicker up at the stitches near her hair line. A day has passed since she arrived here, and she is already in bandages and stitches.

Not surprising, we all know what happens to cops in prison.

She grabs the phone harsly, placing it at her ear as I follow her motion more hesitant. The line is quiet at first, one scared of talking, the other not having much to say. Although I can tell which is which.

"Well?" she breaks the silence. "What is the point of visit if we both keep quiet?"

I nod a few times, lots of words. I had all this speech of the words I wanted to tell her, how much I wanted to make her hate herself for what she has done and maybe break this glass on top of her out of spite.

Yet I do none of it.

"Why me?" I ask with a shushed voice.

She sends me a confused look. "Why what you?"

"You wanted revenge on my brother." I snap harsh words cutting the air. "Why did you have to pull me in this?"

Lilah braces herself back on the chair, features mixing between something I can tell as I keep my clenched fist in front of me, continuing cruel words. "Were you bored? Wanted to spice things up so you have some interesting stories around you psychotic friends?"

"That's quite reaching." she calmly replies, voice barely steady.

"Then why?" I yell, slamming the fist down and ignoring the pain of the hard wood and nail cutting through my skin. "Tell me why did you do this?"

"Did you come here only to yell at me?" she asks after patiently waiting for me to finish my series of yells.

But her voice is crude and still, not a single emotion behind it. Or even if there is, I cannot hear or feel it. I don't know why I am even surprised, I knew this would happen.