A secret is a secret | ONC 2024

20 | The freedom

All the years of my life, there have been a couple of times that I have been stubborn and today is one of those times. As soon as I heard that my boyfriend was going to be finally free from prison. I wanted to be present when he was released. My sister knew better than to try to change my mind about this.

So, Colton was driving, my sister was sitting in the passenger seat, meanwhile, Beck and I were in the backseat and Cyrus was driving his car right behind us. All of us were making our way to the prison where they were going to be releasing Alfred. None of us wanted to talk so there was silence surrounding us, the only low sounds coming out from the radio.

"Are you okay, Lenora?" Beck softly asked me at the same time Colton slowed down the car stopping at a red light.

At the sound of my best friend's voice, I looked away from the window and started looking at her. "Yeah, I am okay, I am just excited and nervous at the same time to see my boyfriend after being apart not by choice. Beck, what about you, how are you feeling?"

My best friend set her phone down on the middle seat dividing us as she looked back at me. "Lenora, that's understandable, you're not the only one who is feeling that way.

To answer your question, for me, I am looking forward to seeing your guys' reunion. And after you guys are done, I am going to hug the heck out of Alfred."

Beck's answer to my question brought a smile to my lips. And obviously, my best friend took notice of my smile. "There's your smile that I haven't seen in a while. I am glad that you found my last sentence funny."

"To be honest, these past few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions so I haven't felt like smiling so thank you for returning a smile to my face." I thanked my best friend, smiling wider. "Beck, I am glad knowing that we are at the end."

"You're welcome, Lenora." Beck told me, returning my smile. "I am glad too, I can't wait for things to go back to normal."

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Colton entered the police parking lot and that's when it took me by surprise how many news outlets and their cameras were standing outside of the prison. I thought that I was going to reunite with my boyfriend in front of the eyes of my family and my two best friends and not in the eyes of people that I didn't know. I wasn't the only one who took notice of this, Beck, Kara, and Colton realized this as well. Colton parked the car in the parking lot far away from the cameras and the news outlets.

As he placed the car in park, Kara looked at me over the passenger's seat. "Lenora, are you sure that you want to do this here?"

I took off the seatbelt, and then I started looking back at my sister. "Kara, I am sure, I want to see my boyfriend here."

My sister nodded at me as she didn't look away from me. "If Beck and you are ready to get down from this car, then we will be getting down from this car."

I looked away from my sister's eyes and started to look at Beck. "My sister is right, if you don't want to do this here then we will leave and we can go to our dorm room."

Beck took her seatbelt off first before she looked at me. "I want to do this here, Lenora. Honestly, I don't care that there will be strangers surrounding us."

"Then let's get out of the car." Colton said as he opened the driver's door and hopped down from the car.

My sister looked at me and Beck one last time before she opened the passenger door and hopped down from the car.

"Lenora, you and I are together in this." Beck told me, looking seriously into my eyes.

"Yeah, I know and wouldn't want it any other way. Are you ready Beck?" I asked her, looking back at her.

"Yeah, I am, let's go." Beck shared her response to my question before she opened the door and hopped down from the car.

With my hand on the door handle, I took a deep breath in before opening the door and then I opened the door, got down from the car, and rejoined my older sister, her boyfriend, and Beck.

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About six minutes or so after we had arrived at the police station, Alfred's family and Cyrus had arrived. Alfred's mother was the first one to get out of the car. As she closed the passenger's door, she scanned the parking lot until she spotted us. Alfred's mother didn't waste any time walking towards us.

The first person that my boyfriend's mother hugged was me. I have been hugged by Alfred's mother more times than I can count but this hug feels different. However, this didn't stop me from wrapping my arms around her shoulders as I accepted her motherly hug.

"Lenora, sweetie, thank you for helping my son." Alfred's mother whispered into my ear.

"You're welcome, I love your son and he doesn't deserve to be in prison for a case of self-defense." I told her, whispered back into her ear.

A few seconds after those words left my lips, my boyfriend's mother pulled away first from my body. Before she greeted the rest of our group, she gave me a soft kiss on my cheek. I looked at her, showing her a happy and soft smile.

"Lenora, do you know when Alfred is going to be released from prison?" My sister asked me as she approached me and stood next to me.

I leaned my head down on my sister's shoulder. "Kara, I have no idea, I just hope that they release him soon."

"Alfred's lawyer called me on our way here to notify us that Alfred should be released from prison in about the next twenty minutes. As well, he told us that my son could be released earlier than that, I am guessing that we need to wait and see what happens." Alfred's father said, adding to our conservation as he answered my sister's question.

"Okay, thank you. Speaking for my sister, we are staying, she doesn't want to leave before she gets to see him." My sister thanked Alfred's father as she placed an arm around my shoulders.

I didn't know how minutes had passed until I felt my sister tapping my shoulder. "Lenora, you should open your eyes."

I lifted my head from her shoulder as I opened my eyes. "Why?"

My sister looked at me with a wide smile on her lips. "Lenora, you should see for yourself."

I felt my face transforming into a confused expression as I began scanning my surroundings. My eyes landed on my two best friends, Beck and Cyrus who were standing in the front steps of the police station entrance.

My legs started moving before my mind caught up on what was happening at the front of the police station. The closer I walked toward them, that's when I realized that the news outlets were pointing the cameras at the entrance.

"Hey Beck and Cyrus, what is happening?" I asked them after I joined them at the steps of the entrance of the police station.

"Hi, Lena, baby." I heard his voice inches away from me. My eyes landed on him and there he was standing on the front steps of the police station, he was wearing his normal clothes, and the orange prison suit was long gone.

I began crying as I started making my way towards my boyfriend. My boyfriend looked at me, opening up his arms for me to walk into and that's what I did.

I leaned my head on his shoulder underneath the beating of his heart. I felt my boyfriend's arms around me, giving me the hug that both of us needed.

"I love you, babe."

"I love you too, more than you even know, baby."

I lifted my head from his shoulder and I finally kissed him. Not caring that we were people watching us.

This is not about them, it is about me and him.

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One last chapter after this one until this book is completed :(

Final chapter word count: 1381

Total book word count: 26,174