"I have to call Charlie" I shrug off Harley's arm around my shoulders and take a few steps to the left. She stays in place and watches me as she folds her arms around her waist, either for comfort or because the air is chilly.
My hands shake as I unlock my phone and scroll the list of names for Charlie's and when I find it I press the call button immediately. I hold it up to my ear and gaze around hoping that Charlie picks up quickly. We need to get to the police station as soon as possible.
"Charles speaking" he answers. His voice is emotionless but still professional like it always is.
"Hi Charles, it's Poppy" my voice shakes as I speak and I know by the pause in Charlie's answer that he knows something is wrong.
"What can I do for you Ms. Hart?" he asks. A shout of a man grabs my attention when he makes a 'woop woop' sound. I block my spare ear with my other hand and step further away.
"Hex was arrested" I admit, the shake in my voice only worsens.
Charlie is silent for a moment before I hear noise in the background as he moves around. The rattle of keys can be heard when he picks them up.
"What police station?" he asks and I hear the sound of a door shutting.
"Eastridge" I say as I head back towards Harley who hadn't moved, neither had the guy behind her. Does she know him?
"I'll meet you there" he says and then hangs up, not giving me a chance to respond.
I put my phone back in my bra and look at Harley as she waits for me to tell her what Charlie had said.
"So? What'd he say?" she asks as she nervously bites her fingernail.
"I'm going to meet him at the police station" I say as I hold out my hands "can I have your keys, please?" I ask, hoping she gives them to me because I don't have the time to wait around for an uber. I have no idea how Hex had got here because my car is no where in sight.
"Y-yeah, sure" she reaches into her clutch and hands them over, dropping them in my cupped hands.
"Will you be okay here?" I ask as I glance behind her and make eye contact with the man that hadn't left her side.
"Yeah, go. I'll get an uber home with Stevie" she says.
"I'll take you home" the man speaks up. He looks younger close up, the glow of the street lights showing more of his features. I glance between the two of them. Harley ignores him, not even acknowledging his presence and she also ignores the look of confusion I send her way.
"Keep me updated, let me know what's happening" she says as I step up to her and wrap my amrs around her.
"I will" I say as I step back and start a jog towards her car that sits in the dark car park. I get in the car and lock the doors out of instinct. I start up the engine and then pull out of the car park, giving Harley one last look. She hadn't moved as she watches me leave, the man close behind her.
The police station is close by and only a short ten minute drive. I see the police cars that had taken Hex away parked close to the entrance. There's no one around and I assume they've already taken him inside.
It's intimidating to walk into the station but I push past the anxiety and soldier on. A policewoman sits at the reception; she looks up at me when the sliding, automatic doors open. I walk up to her, picking at the cuticles of my fingers in nervousness.
"Hi, how can I help you?" she asks with a friendly smile on her face.
"Hi, I'm looking for Hex Rose" I say and watch as her hands move faster then my eyes can keep up as she types on the keyboard and looks at the computer sceen while skimming the list of names of everyone that is currently being held in a cell here.
"Take a seat and I'll let the Constable know you're here" she says as she points to the line of chairs behind me.
"Is there any chance I'll be able to speak to Hex?" I ask befor she goes back to her work.
"I'm unable to say" she gives a sympathetic smile as I nod and then turn and take a seat on the chairs that remind me of the chairs in a doctors office.
I glance around, unable to see Charlie. I must've bet him here. My feet tap the floor silently as I take in the room. The lady sits behind her large desk in front of me, a security shield in front of her for protection. Off to my left there are big sliding doors that show a long hallway on the other side. Whenever it opens and allows an officer through the shouts of the arrested can be heard before they close again and it's silent.
I hope Harley left Club Rosa and got home safely. I feel bad that I left her but there's no way she'd be allowed to see Hex while intoxicated. Besides, Stevie is with her.
My gaze quickly swings to the doors when I hear them open, Charlie walks through. He looks tired and I feel bad for pulling him out of bed. He's dressed professionally despite the time of night and he carries his briefcase with him.
"Charles" I call, gaining his attention as he walks over to me. I stand to greet him, shaking his hand before we both take a seat again.
"What happened Ms. Hart?" Charlie asks. He seems unfazed, like he does this all the time. I wonder how many other ex-inmate's he keeps tabs on.
"U-um" I stumble over my words as Charlies eyes pin me in place. He raises an eyebrow, urging me to continue. "He started a fight" I say. Charlie sighs deeply and makes a clucking noise with his tongue to show his disapproval. "He was also on the Eastside" I almost whisper but Charlie hears me loud and clear.
"He started the fight? So self defence is out of the question" I hear Charlie mumble to himself as he quickly flips through the papers in his briefcase.
"He was defending me" I admit, shamefully.
"Well, that's better" Charlie says.
"Better?" I mumble in confusion but the sliding doors to my left open and the loud shouts can be heard. A man in his late fifties dressed in a police uniform walks through, his greying and going bald on the very top of his head. His bulging belly makes him walk with a slight wobble.
"Hex Rose?" he points at us as we're the only ones in the waiting room. We nod and he hooks his finger to make it curl back towards him, calling us over.
We stand and follow behind him as he walks back through the doors and down the hallway. There are cells on either side but they're nothing like Hellbound's cells. These cells have brick on three of the walls so that nobody can see who is next to them and the front wall is made of clear plastic, allowing anyone to look in. There's also nothing in the cells besides a bench that is built into the wall. These cells are holding cells and not made for long term use, they just hold the arrested individual until they can be released or shipped off to an actual prison.
Most of the arrested are calm and lying on the bench as it's getting late but a select few violently throw themselves or their fists at the plastic when we walk past, some of them are obviously drunk or high off some type of unknown substance. It doesn't stop me from glancing in each cell though, hoping to see Hex in one.
"You're not going to see him here, he's in the back" the Constable says as he sees me checking the cells. I don't say anything but continue looking in each cell.
We round a corner and walk into an office where a big desk sits, Charlie and I take a seat on the chairs on one side of the desk. The Constable closes the door behind us and takes a seat on the other side of the desk, opposite us.
"Charles Wright, Mr. Roses parole officer" Charlie sticks his hands out across the desk in greeting.
"Constable Earl Baker" the Constable says while shaking Charlie's hand before sticking his hand out to me.
"Poppy Hart, Hex's Darling" I say and shake his hand.
"Right" Constable Earl breathes out a breath as he shoves some papers out of the way and finds what he's looking for. He squints his eyes to see the small writing on the paper. "We're here because Mr. Rose was fighting at Club Rosa at around 11.30 tonight, not only that but he assaulted one of the security guards" fuck, I forgot about the security guard, my heart sinks even further into my chest. "A look at his record shows he's recently been released from Hellbound Maximum Security Penitentiary and was under the parole conditions of no fighting and forbidden from the Eastside and he broke both" Constable Earl reads out, he's slightly out of breath when he finishes.
I can almost hear the gulp of Charlie next to me as he hears the full story.
Constable Earl glances between the two of us, waiting for one of us to speak up.
"Right, okay" Charlie says, I glance at him expecting him to say more but he doesn't. I take his silence as a bad sign. It's silent between the three of us as we wait for one of us to say something, it turns the air awkward.
"A-are we able to see him?" I ask. I just want to see him and see where his head is at. At Club Rosa he had been emotionless and hadn't said much, I know seeing another man kiss me had sent him spiralling and I fear he may think I had liked Jacob kissing me.
"Uh" Constable Earl glances at the watch on his wrist, once again squinting his eyes "yep, he should be out of the interview by now" he stands up and Charlie and I do the same.
Constable Earl leads the way further down the hallway; I once again go back to looking in each cell.
"Charlie" I whisper as we follow behind Contable Earl. I don't notice that I had messed up until Charlie swings his head to look my way, so fast I don't know how he didn't break his neck.
"Charles" he hisses, correcting me.
"Charles yes, sorry" I clear my throat "what does this mean? What's going to happen?" I ask as I twirl my hands together nervously.
"Mr. Rose will have a preliminary hearing in court to see if there is enough proof that he violated his parole" he explains. I nod even through I feel there's much more to it but Charlie had dumbed it down for me. I gulp, realising that there's definitely enough proof since he was literally caught in the act.
"And if there is enough proof?" I question almost unwillingly.
"Then he'll go to a violation hearing and be given whatever punishment the board and judge decides to give him" he explains. Punishment? I feel sick.
I watch as Constable Earl scans a keycard to show his ID and the door opens on command. It reminds me of Hellbound. I hope this place hadn't sent Hex deep diving into old memories of Hellbound.
Multiple police officers walk past us; I even see two of the policemen that had arrested Hex. I put my head down when they walk past but I don't think they recognise the crazy girl from Club Rosa that tried to pull them off her Darling.
Constable Earl gets us to sign in at a second reception in the back. I don't bother reading any of the fine print but Charlie skims over it like the professional he is. It must be okay because he signs the paper anyway.
"Through this way" Constable Earl scans his keycard again and the door opens to show multiple interview rooms. There's a one way window on each interview room that only we can see inside.
I see Hex right away as he sits in a room by himself, slumped in the chair with his elbows resting on the table and his head held in it. The sight chokes me up.
Constable Earl opens the door to the interview room; Hex doesn't so much as twitch at the noise as his back faces us. He holds the door open for us to walk into the blinding white room.
"I'll be out here if you need me" Constable Earl says.
"Thank you" I say, not taking my eyes off of Hex, I don't miss the twitch of his body when he hears my voice.