I stayed the rest of the day at Hellbound, as did Josie. The pepper spray effects didn't last long, our red eyes the only lasting effect throughout the day. The real nightmare began when West picked me up at the end of the day.
"Are you sure you're okay?" West asks again as he looks over at me in the passenger seat. I look out the window, rolling my eyes so he can't see.
"Yes I'm fine, West" I state firmly, the irritation clear in my voice. He had been at it since the moment I sat in the passenger seat and he got a look at my red eyes. He doesn't seem to understand that I feel fine; my eye's are fine they're just red.
"I don't know, maybe we should go to your mothers" he mutters "she would know what to do" he continues on. I roll my eyes again as the outside rushes past the windows. It irritates me that he's treating me like a child that can't speak for myself.
"We're going there for dinner tonight, she can check my eye's then" I say firmly as I turn to face him "can you drop it now?" I would've loved his concern a few weeks ago, the worry in his voice would've made my heart beat for him but now I'm just annoyed. I'm overly irritated and I can't tell if it's my emotions or Hex's.
The rest of the car ride home is silent, the radio making it slightly less awkward. My annoyance starts to fade once we get out of the car and inside the house.
"I'm having a shower" I mutter as I start for the bedroom. West doesn't answer me.
I lock the bathroom door behind me just to make sure I'm alone and West doesn't try to join me. I just need to be by myself for a few moments.
I can still smell the tiniest scent of pepper spray clinging to my clothes as I slip from my uniform and into the shower. It's not enough to make my body react and it's gone in seconds as the water runs down my body and washes it away.
The tension rolls off my body quickly, being washed down the drain. I feel my shoulder's drop and my jaw relax.
Just like everytime I'm alone my mind wonders to Hex. It's become a routine now. All the tension is suddenly between my legs as I breathe out a deep breath. The difference this time is that it's all me and not nearly as strong as when Hex triggered it.
I won't do it though. I cross my legs and rub my thighs in an attempt to make it go away. I can only hope it's not strong enough that Hex has picked up on it.
My breast's become round and heavy, wanting nothing more then for someone to touch them but I keep my hands in my hair, washing away the shampoo.
"Babe" a knock is heard at the door, breaking my thoughts and making me jump "hurry up, we're going to be late" West calls.
"Almost done!" I shout back.
*
"That was lovely, Emma" West says as he finishes off his plate. Sure enough, mum had fussed over my eyes even though after the shower they'd cleared up considerably. I allowed her to put eye drops in so that the worrying between her and West would stop.
"You're welcome, West" she smiles as she gathers the dirty dishes "Poppy, can you help me in the kitchen?" she asks. I nod and grab the remaining dishes she can't hold.
"Here, honey" she holds out the tea towel as she begins to wash the dishes before handing them to me to dry. It's silent between us for a while as mum hums a song under her breath and dad and West talk about cars in the next room.
"Hey mum?" my voice is quiet, not wanting dad and West to hear the conversation.
"Yeah?" she hums as she continues washing dishes.
"Would you leave dad if your Darling was still alive?" I question. She stops washing dishes for a second as she turns to face me. I remain drying so that I don't have to face her.
"Why would you ask that, honey?" she asks as she goes back to washing up.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about it" I reply "would you?" I push the question she had tried to avoid.
She takes a second to think about it "well, if my Darling was alive I wouldn't have met your dad" she explains. She looks out over the yard from the window above the sink, her eyes almost dreamy. She snaps out of it when she drops a dish, making it clank against the bottom of the sink. "But he's dead" she finalises the conversation "and I'm thankful I met your dad, I wouldn't have you if I didn't" her smile is strained as she kisses the side of my head and places the last dish in my hand.
I hear her heels click behind me as she walks back into the dining room "ready for dessert?"
*
"Here, have my number, then we can hang out outside of this place" Josie says as she hands me her phone and I type my number in it before texing myself her number.
"Would you do your job?" Colin asks annoyed as Josie gets distracted by the items on the desk.
"Would you do your job" she mocks him under her breath as she pulls up the cameras. "Here Poppy, we have new inmate's coming in tonight" she hands me papers with the inmate's personal information on it "put everything from the papers into the system" she pulls up the document with all the inmate's on it.
Murder's and abuser's scatter the pages; the amount of them makes my skin crawl. I'm half way through when Josie stands up from her seat with a stretch.
"I'm going to get lunch, you want anything?" she asks me, I shake my head. I had packed my lunch this morning and it sat in my locker "Colin?"
"No thanks" he dismisses her without taking his eyes off the computer.
Her boots stomp down the steps as she leaves the tower. It's quiet between Colin and I as he puts headphones in his ears, every now and then he talks into them, communicating with the other towers.
My heart pounds as I scroll through the list of names and stop at R. There are a lot of last names beginning with R before I find Hex's.
His mug shot comes into view, he looks much younger then he does now. I click on it, his file loading.
Rose, Hex.
1/3/1990
Assault, grievous bodily harm and resisting arrest.
Incarcerated: 30 May 2010
Release date: 26 April 2018
Time added: for assault and violence; 4 years.
He had been in Hellbound for almost twelve years, since he was twenty. Originally he was meant to only serve eight years but got an additional four years for assault and violence inside the prison. He's thirty one now and had spent all of his twenties inside Hellbound.
That explains why we had never found each other. When he was twenty I was fourteeen, far too young to develop any type of relationship, even if it is with a Darling. If he hadn't gone to prison we would've met when I turned eighteen, making him twenty four.
The document says he's meant to be released within the next six months if his good behaviour keeps up. The thought makes my heart pound.
I hear the stomping of Josie's boots on the steps. I rapidly click out of Hex's page and find the next inmate to work on as she bursts through the door.
"Cheese and ham" she waves around a sandwich in a plasic wrapper and her other hand holds a bag of chips. She throws the chips on the desk for the three of us to share.
I stand up and head to my locker pulling out the salad that I had packed this morning.
"Salad? Gross" Josie scoffs at my lunch as she tears into the bag of chips. I only chuckle at her.
"Mind your own business, Josie" Colin mumbles. She rolls her eyes and offers him the bag of chips to which he takes a handful.
"Can you watch this for me, I need to go to the bathroom" I ask Josie as I push my salad towards her.
"Yeah sure, trust me I won't touch it" she says as she shoves more chips into her mouth. I shake my head as I get up and leave.
The Rec Room is quiet today, only around half of the inmate's wanted to hang out in the Rec Room while the rest chose to stay in their cells.
Everything had been pretty relaxed after the brawl in the Yard. The two men were sent to Solitary Confinement for thirty days, Aaron's group seem to be irritated that he had been taken away, they protested by refusing to come out of their cell's. Quite childish if you ask me.
"Poppy!" I stop in my tracks as Reg's voice calls out to me as I pass Tower One. He leaves the girl he had been talking to and makes his way over to me.
"Is something wrong?" I ask, my voice wary.
"How are you settling in?" his gruff voice asks, ignoring my previous question.
"Uh-yeah good" I say, my voice hesitant. He raises an eyebrow hearing the uncertainity in my voice "it's been good, very good" I say firmly with a nod. This time he looks like he believes me.
"Good, good" he mumbles "maybe it's time for you to have more responsibility" for a second I panic, is he going to send me to another part of the prison? Selfishly instead of worrying about not seeing Josie anymore, my mind goes straight to Hex.
"What kind of responsibility?" I inquire. I hear the door that leads out of the Rec Room open behind me. Reg hums under his breath as his eye's go over my shoulder; I see a slight smirk pull at his lips. My skin tingles as my brand heats and I know who has just walked through the door behind me.
"Rose!" Reg calls, I don't dare turn around. I feel Hex come up behind me, standing just behind me.
"What do you want, Reg" Hex's voice rumbles into my ears sending a shiver down my back.
"You still need a new guard?" my entire body freeze's as soon as he speaks the words, my lungs seem to stop working.
"Yeah" Hex answers. My brand aches as he stands so close to me, I link my hands together to stop my hand from rubbing it.
"Poppy, you're Rose's new guard starting tomorrow" Reg says before he turns around and heads back to Tower One. I stand in place for a while, shocked before I shake myself out of it
"Rose, lets go" one of the guards lead Hex away and into the Rec Room.
I don't bother to look back at him as I face the ground and walk out of the Rec Room. My eyes fill with tears as I make my way to the bathroom.
There's no way I can avoid him now. I'm responsible for getting him to and from places safely, making sure he is fed and healthy. The constant time spent around each other will no doubt make our bond grow until it's impossible to ignore and I fear the things I may do when that happens.