Convict

23.

We laid in silence for a little while more, just enjoying each other's company until he sighed "I need to shower"

It dawned on me then that I had no idea what his morning routine with the guards were, I stood up and nodded knowing that I wasn't going to be allowed to escort him anywhere but his cell and the canteen. I sighed as we sat up "Can't we just hide in here forever?"

"I wish" He stretched as he stood in front of me "But I feel we could outgrow this dingy cell" He said this with a wink that caused goose bumps to explode all the way down my body.

I laughed, picturing what our children could look like. Our brown hair, his green eyes and button nose. Pictures of what our life could be flashed before my eyes again, I sighed "in another world"

I stood quickly before I allowed myself to fall into my selfish pit of despair. I wanted nothing more in this life than to freely call him mine, I unlocked the door and called his guards over and made my way back to my office whilst they took care of his morning routine. Once sat down I opened my laptop up and loaded his file, I flicked right through to the beginning. I had re-written the notes in my notebook, remembering how cold he was towards me, how far we've come since that very first meeting.

To think how terrified I was to be walking in there, unsure of what I was going to be dealing with, how I was going to deal with it. So naïve to think that I would be gone by the time we got to where we are now, I had never thought I would fall in love again.

I have suffered so much loss in my life, I was about to suffer the biggest loss. I sat with my head in my hands, I was so consumed in my own thoughts I hadn't noticed Henry walk in. He placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump out of my depressing thoughts. I looked up at him as he placed a coffee in front of me, I inhaled the smell of the fresh caffeine that invited my senses.

I took the cup and thanked him as I sat back, he took a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk. His face was sad as he looked at me "Chloe, can you do this?"

"I have to" I sighed, looking down at my hands "It's not really an option to quit now"

"His mom and dad want to see you" He looked at me, his face was deathly serious. I didn't understand, I didn't understand why they would want to see me, speak to me or have anything to do with me.

I knew after our last encounter that I certainly wasn't going out of my way to impress the in-laws. My head spun with all the possible reasons for why they would want to speak to me, Oliver hadn't given them any indication of my role. I swallowed hard "When?"

"Lunch" He sighed "It was passed through with urgency so, please, don't be late"

I agreed and watched as he left my office, today clearly had more in store then I had hoped for. The entire morning, I couldn't stop thinking about why they would want to speak to me, I thought it best not to tell Oliver that I was meeting with them. At least not until I knew why I had been summoned.

I was laid with Oliver all morning, trying to remain myself for his benefit so he didn't suspect something was wrong. My fingers were intertwined with his behind my head, he was telling me about the time him and his brother had accidently destroyed the grandmothers garden with her dog.

Apparently the dog had a mind of its own and is had nothing to do with the fact that the two boys had hidden treats in every crevice, petal and leaf they could find. I laughed as he feigned innocence over the whole thing, I could imagine him an innocent ten-year-old boy explaining to his grandmother why every flower bed had been turned up, the evidence of a once blooming garden shredded over the place.

The door beeped and we separated as usual, Henry walked in and we relaxed slightly. He looked at me "Lunch?"

"Oh" I suddenly remembered "Yeah, I'm coming"