CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
❝ BLOODLINE ❞
⊱ ⸺ { •♟• } ⸺ ⊰
𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟑ʳᵈ, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎
A SINGLE ROOM. A private one. Lucas let out a soft laugh that sounded like a sigh.
It sounded incredible. He could even guess who wanted to visit him. After all, there was no one else.
He took another deep breath. Unconsciously, he shook his right leg frantically to relief the stress that was overwhelming him. He was sitting in a small, dark room that contained only a round gray table and three chairs. A small window on the side wall showed the fragile branches of a small tree, gently swaying in the cool summer breeze. The sun shone brightly, warming the world outside. The world that would now be unknown and unreachable for a long, long time.
The world he once wanted to dominate belonged to others, not to him. Everyone but him. Looking out of the window caused a nostalgic feeling in his heart that almost prevented him from breathing normally.
Someone had visited him in prison and asked for a private room to talk more freely. Or someone had come to threaten or punish him.
And he thought she had come to do both. Even though he was scared, he wanted to see her again. To thank her for what she had done last week. And also to understand why she did it.
He didn't have to wait long. He was absentmindedly biting his fingernail when the sound of the doorknob being turned abruptly pulled him out of his nervous reverie.
His gaze shifted to the door where she appeared.
Erica.
Of course it had to be her. Lucas dared a shy smile, his heart pounding, but his smile faded at the sight of her calm, expressionless face.
Her long, loose, curly hair swayed as she approached.
"Erica... good to see you." Lucas broke the silence, but his voice didn't sound as excited as he wanted it to. "Sit down, please." He motioned to the chair in front of him. The movement of his hands shook the handcuffs, their rattle echoing through the room.
"No need, thank you. It'll be quick." Erica replied in her sweet but firm voice. She leaned against the table and crossed her arms over her chest, looking into Lucas' eyes with indifference.
Concern showed on Lucas' face through the small wrinkles on his forehead.
After a brief, hopeful silence, Erica said what she had been dying to say.
"You know, Lucas, I really don't think you have any idea what you're doing with your life." Such an introduction made the boy lower his head, mentally preparing himself for the biggest lecture of his life. "And you're going to listen to me because you desperately need someone to tell you."
She pulled her hair back in annoyance, revealing the gold rings in her ears.
"Lucas, it was one thing for you to steal half a dozen things with your 'friends' when you were a teenager. Even though it was still wrong and stupid, I forgave you because you were a child. And because I thought you'd changed and learned your lesson. But apparently not. I guess I was wrong."
She argued with him as if he were the kid who screwed up and she was his older sister. Still standing, she leaned forward and put her hands on the table. Her voice rose.
"What were you thinking? You found a job even with a criminal record and you threw it all away! And for what? For what? You tell me! You promised me you'd changed! Why did you lie to me?"
It was Lucas' turn to raise his face and voice in defense.
"I didn't want to hurt you any more than I had in the past! Knowing that you were okay was incredible news for me. It took an enormous weight off my shoulders. I couldn't let you down again. Especially now that you were building your independent life. You were doing well, you seemed happy. And... and I thought I was doing it my way. Sorting out my shit in my own way, and I didn't want to drag you into it. I didn't even want you to be ashamed of me anymore." His voice trailed off at the end of the sentence. Lucas looked at her like a wounded puppy and held his palms up defensively. But Erica was undeterred.
"You know, I'm glad you're in prison. Because you deserve to be here. You're dangerous to society, and I think you'll learn to regret your own mistakes here. To change for the better. Because if you didn't value freedom when you had it, maybe you'll value it more now that you don't have it." Erica spat out all those words firmly and harshly, raising her index finger in the air as she spoke.
"Then why did you say all that in court?" He looked at his sister sadly. "You lied and said things you didn't believe in, why? Why did you help me if I didn't deserve it?"
"Because you're my brother, and no matter what, I'll defend you to the end." The girl replied without thinking. A wave of guilt washed over Lucas.
"Even... if I don't deserve it?" Along with guilt, he felt shame.
"Even if you don't deserve it. So take this second chance that comes with a price. The fact that you're alive is a miracle, a real second chance. Don't screw it up again."
"And I won't." Lucas drew a guilty smile and nodded slightly in agreement. "Thank you for defending me. I'll be forever in your debt."
"All right, and don't overdo it." She lowered her voice and raise her hand.
"When will you visit me again?" He was in this situation again, in prison. But this time it was different. Company would be good.
Erica, already on her way to the door, stopped and looked over her shoulder at Lucas.
"I don't know, maybe next year. Take care."
"Take care. I love you!" He tried to say, but she had already closed the door. But at least she had heard him.
The word year entering his ears was like a punch in the gut. But he was overjoyed to know that Erica was willing to defend him. That is, at least, how he interpreted it. She had forgiven him for his past mistakes, and she might this time.
She was stubborn and obstinate. She always wanted to come out on top in an argument. They'd been like that since they were little. She had someone to get out of it. After all, they shared the same DNA that lived in their cells.
But he knew that Erica was right in everything she said. And that he should take her advice and change once and for all. And he longed to be able to prove it to her one day.
𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝟓ᵗʰ, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎
The blue sky was the perfect setting for another day behind bars. Surrounded by high concrete walls. At least she wasn't going to die of vitamin D deficiency. She was sitting outside on the mini amphitheater bench in front of the basketball court where half a dozen inmates were playing vigorously and hard. She could hear the loud, aggressive roars of the players, but tried to focus on the distant chirping of the goldfinches.
She tried not to make too much eye contact with anyone, in order to go unnoticed. The last thing she wanted was to be misunderstood and get into trouble for it.
She was wearing the infamous orange uniform like all the others, but because it was so hot, she had removed her uniform T-shirt and kept only her white undershirt.
She was distractedly reading a book she had requested from the small library. Sure, she wanted to read all those books, she had to keep herself entertained. But she felt that every romance she read was nothing like the one she had with Lucas. Instead of being jealous of the main characters as she had been a few years ago, she now remembered Lucas. And she was jealous of her past self, because she didn't have that anymore.
She felt that the pain would pass and that she would eventually get used to it. But for now, escaping into her memories of Lucas wasn't the best option. So she had to try to think about Lucas as little as possible, so as not to feel even more trapped and hurt.
A guard approached her.
But Max looked away. She hadn't done anything wrong, there was no reason for them to take her away, but it was Max the guard wanted to talk to. She approached her, handcuffs ready.
"Mayfield, you have a visitor." The redhead slowly looked up at the guard, still processing what she had just heard. Obviously it wouldn't be Lucas - the only person she wanted to see. But there might be other people who wanted to see her.
She looked up glumly, already preparing herself for the worst. Would it be her mother? Oh shit. What would she think if she saw her there? Why had she never thought of that before? Surely her mother knew she was there. She couldn't imagine the disgust she must feel.
But when she finally reached the visiting room, she looked around and didn't find her. She found someone else.
She felt pale and her muscles stiffened completely.
She was already breaking into a cold sweat as she struggled to move forward after being gently pushed by the guard. Only she didn't want to.
The cold blue eyes stared at her haughtily, filled with hatred and eager to spread terror. That familiar look and his punchable face almost made her vomit.
A cynical smile appeared on his face as she approached with difficulty, completely terrified.
"Billy." She began, trying not to show that she was uncomfortable with his presence, as she always had been.
"I always knew you would cause your mother a lot of trouble, but I never thought it would be this much." He began in that melodious tone of voice, as if he were very wise and had the right to give his opinion on everything and everyone.
Max didn't even answer him. She sat down and crossed her legs with as much disinterest as possible. She knew it annoyed him.
He imitated her and slowly sat down. He slowly leaned over the table. He looked like a real predator.
"So you killed your husband."
Max clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes. She really had to pull herself together because she could see that he had come to humiliate her and demand satisfaction from her as if he were perfect. He had no moral standing to talk about her.
"If you're here to judge me, you can turn around and leave." She tried to speak as calmly as possible, but she couldn't keep the contempt from showing in her voice.
He let out a barely audible laugh.
"You're here, imprisoned, and you're still so proud? You're not going anywhere. And now you really aren't." He sighed for a long time. He ran his hand through his long curls and stuck a toothpick into his mouth, as he used to do.
"What do you want, huh? I don't owe you any explanations."
He snapped and slammed one of his hands down on the table. "From the moment you did that senseless shit and killed your poor husband and ran off like a tramp with some thief and started acting like a bandit, you owe me explanations, you ingratefull little shit."
His tone began to rise, deeper and harder than before.
Anger was boiling in her veins. Scalding blood colored her angry face.
"First of all, Roy wasn't as innocent as you think. You didn't even know him like I did." She leaned forward and began to argue with him in the same way. "And although it's none of your business, Lucas isn't some random thief. He has all the qualities you don't have."
"Yes, in fact I don't have hands as nimble as his." He replied ironically and cynically, preparing to light a cigarette, but was interrupted by one of the guards. He gave a low grunt but obeyed. "Anyway, I just don't know where I failed to make you like this, a ruthless girl, a criminal. I'm ashamed to say that I even know you." And he turned his face away like a saint.
Max clenched her fists and let out a muffled laugh through her teeth. What irritated her most was the fact that he thinks he has the right to talk like that about Lucas, he clearly doesn't know him. No one knows Lucas like she does.
"You really suck. You failed at everything you were supposed to fail at. Besides, you've never had any influence on me. You're not even my brother who ever had the right to raise me. You're not a role model. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm a woman, not the child you knew. I can take care of myself."
"It's a shame you feel that way. Your mother is very disappointed in you. When the bad news reached her ears, she almost fainted from grief."
She wanted to believe that he was deceiving her, making her weak. But surely her mother would be hurt. She had always raised her not to be like this, not to fall into this abyss. She swallowed to keep the tears from appearing.
"Don't be a liar, you never cared about my mother. You never cared about her!" The tone of the conversation rose and fell, and the guards were alert, ready to intervene.
"Believe in what you want. You're worth nothing anymore. If you were the bad sheep of the family before, now you've sullied the good name of the family forever. We have tolerated your rebellion too much. Now you're going to pay for what you've done. If the Thorntons had their way, you'd stay here forever. When you get out of here, if you ever do, don't even come to the house. Your mother doesn't want to see you. You ingrate."
He stood up, straightened his tight jeans, and threw the toothpick on the table.
He was leaving. She could have let him go. But all the hypocrisy sickened her.
In a flash, she stood up and brought her fist down on Billy's face at high speed. He barely moved, but a guard rushed over to her and attention was focused on her for a moment. The handcuffs didn't stop her from attacking him.
Blood ran down his nose from the blow. He ran his fingers over his nose and licked the rest of the blood that was already wetting his mouth. He showed his reddened teeth and twisted his lips into a mad smile.
A guard approached her and pulled her arms back, pinning them tightly behind her back. Max tried to free her arms but gave up. It was better not to resist and she didn't want people to think she was dangerous and problematic any more than they already did. She didn't want to go to solitary because of this punk.
She didn't mind hurting him at all, but the pain she felt in her hand reminded her that her attitude said a lot about her. She felt like Billy. Or worse than him. Maybe they're not so different after all. It's like the same blood runs through their veins, even though they're not even brothers.
He brought his face close to hers and raised his forefinger between their faces.
"You will regret this."
He growled close to her ear before abruptly walking away and leaving the room, disappearing down the hall.
Her eyes followed him and in the hallway she found another familiar face. One that was also watching her.
This time she was sure.
It was Jane.
© cxstlebyxrs