CHAPTER TWENTY
❝ FAVORITE CRIME ❞
⊱ ⸺ { •♟• } ⸺ ⊰
𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟐ⁿᵈ, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎
THE DOORS OPENED. A beam of light from outside illuminated the entire gold-decorated room. The melody played on the piano echoed through the church to the meticulously crafted high vaulted ceilings. Light poured in through the stained glass windows, coloring the sweet atmosphere.
The scent of lavander was in the ar from the flowers scattered around the empty church. There were candles everywhere and the little flames swayed gently to the beat of his accelerated heartbeat.
He felt a sense of peace and excitement like never before. He felt like he was living a dream. The dream.
She glided down the aisle like an angel. A simple, long white dress glided across the floor, hugging the curves of her beautifully sculpted body. A man whose face was unknown, dressed in a black tuxedo, accompanied her to the altar.
As she approached, he saw something glittering on her, but he couldn't tell if it was the sparkling pearls on her dress or her sapphire blue eyes wet with tears.
It was Max. Her red hair was unmistakable, as was her soft skin. She wore a crown of flowers in her hair. He felt HIS cheeks flush as her blue eyes met his and a sweet, shy smile appeared on her sweet, red lips.
He couldn't see his own face, but he was probably grinning like a fool and shaking like a nervous fifteen-year-old on his first date.
He was in heaven and an angel was approaching him. He clearly saw her hands up close, with a beautiful diamond ring glittering on her finger. He reached out to grasp hers, feeling the soft, warm touch of her skin against his.
"Of all the crimes I committed, you are my favorite. All I have destroyed, all the trouble I have caused, was just to call you mine." He whispered in her ear, and she let out a shy laugh.
He prepared to kiss her lips, but before he could taste her smile...
...he woke up.
He became aware of his body, where he was, and opened his eyes.
He was facing a dirty, gray ceiling. It wasn't the ceiling, it was the top bunk. He was in that bed, lying on that uncomfortable mattress, covered with that thin, old blanket.
And Max wasn't there. The love of his life. The reason his heart was beating. He swallowed and felt the tears sting his eyes. His fiancée. She wasn't there.
The scars that covered his body meant nothing without Max.
Of all the crimes he had committed, she was undoubtedly his favorite. But loving her wasn't a crime. But of all the crimes he had committed, he was paying for them in the worst way.
His greatest pain is living far away from Max, not seeing her, not hearing her voice, not knowing what's in her chest, what she's feeling.
Silent, bitter tears streamed down his sides, wetting his hair and ears.
But finally, a sweet dream in the midst of so many nightmares that tormented him at night in which Max died.
Too bad this dream was only a dream. But he believed that one day it would come true.
And maybe that day would be today, or at least soon. I mean, he couldn't marry her from afar, but he could close the distance between them. He would find a solution.
They could take everything away from him, but not Max.
He pulled back the blanket, stood up and climbed onto the bunk. He sat sideways on the top bunk. Elijah slept like a baby. He knew he'd be upset if he woke him, but he needed to get it off his chest. He had to tell him about the dream, he had to tell him about his plan.
He wasn't used to letting off steam, least of all in prison, but he couldn't be clogged up with so many words and feelings for years. And he had to enjoy it while Eli was there. For half a year they had trusted each other. Trust with caution, of course. You're never disappointed when you expect disappointment, and you never know what the other person is thinking.
It wasn't normal to make friends in prison. It was obviously rare to find someone who was really sincere and willing. Someone who hadn't been corrupted by greed. Because inside it was all about interest.
But it was important not to be the enemy of the strongest. At the very least, you didn't want to get into trouble so that you didn't have to be protected by someone stronger and more influential, because if you did, you would owe favors, and that was not good.
But Elijah got into trouble easily. He's a born talker, just like he is. They were in the process of controlling his anger, but it was inevitable to feel the growing urge to hit some of the guys inside.
They had already been attacked, humiliated, spat upon, insulted. But it didn't matter, because soon their mood would improve.
Being invisible might help. Or protecting and defending someone in exchange for something, would work too. In other words, they were the ones asking for favors. That also worked with the guards.
Finally, he nudged the blond. He stirred and grunted, but woke up and stared at him with half closed eyes, frowning. He lay on his stomach next to him and whispered.
"Hey dude, I need to tell you something."
𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟒ᵗʰ, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟎
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Hunter slid a pawn across the wooden board.
Through the window she could see the icy blue of the sky through the thick clouds that heralded rain. Small trees were aggressively shaken by the strong wind.
Max mimicked the move, replacing the brunette's pawn with her own. Faced with such a move, Hunter took a long drag on her cigarette.
"Well, you learn quickly. The student surpasses the master." Max smiled when she saw that Hunter was getting caught in the game. She gave her a mischievous smile as she planned the rematch.
Hunter already knew about Max's past. They had spent a lot of time together over the months. They spent a lot of time outside and in the library, borrowing books and board games, like chess. They didn't sleep in the same cell yet, but that would happen soon. However, they each needed their privacy and their moment alone.
Mayfield wasn't sure if they had become friends, but they were certainly confidants. Max wasn't the only one who opened her heart. The brunette also felt the need to confide in the redhead, to reveal her past and to cry on her shoulder.
Hunter talked about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her father during her childhood and how she had run away from home at the age of 14 and never returned. It was Elijah who had taken her in. She had always gotten good grades in school without having to work very hard, but since she had run away from home, she had also run away from school, leaving everything behind.
Her dream was to become a lawyer and defend people like herself. And Max believed that one day she would succeed. That life would give her new opportunities to rebuild and change. And not fall back into the mistakes that got her there in the first place. And she wanted the same for herself.
But Hunter wasn't the only companion in her life.
Jane had visited her more or less every two months to talk and to secretly exchange letters between Lucas and Max. She also took the opportunity to deliver some letters from Hunter to Elijah and vice versa.
She was basically a carrier pigeon. And they couldn't have been more grateful. It really helped to make the distance more bearable. To keep in touch with each other. There was a risk that this wouldn't last forever, even though Jane had a romantic soul and was willing to do it.
Her mother's visit made Max sensitive, so the past was a topic that was dredged up and brought up during a game of chess. They were still healing the open wounds of the past.
"You did very well," the conversation continued in a relaxed manner. She had a tremendous calm about her. Probably because of the amount of tobacco she smoked every day.
Max stared at her in disbelief when she realized she was talking about something else.
"I killed someone, you know."
"You did what needed to be done." She raised his hands in the air as if swatting away flies. "Maybe it was too drastic, but if you didn't kill him, he'd kill you."
Max moved the black queen. Hunter glared at her. The conversation was distracting her from the game; if she didn't plan a strategic move, she would lose.
The redhead agreed quietly, thoughtfully. That was indeed a possibility, a possibility that partially soothed her kind heart.
"You mean you regret it?" Hunter asked, taking advantage of the redhead's lack of concentration to eat another piece.
Max stared at her. The question was like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, she recognized that everything that had happened since Roy's death had unfolded like a carpet of disappointments and problems, mistakes and bad choices. On the other hand, she had the opportunity to free herself completely and live with Lucas instead of surviving, even if only for a short time.
It was hard to say if it was worth it, but she could certainly extract some good memories with Lucas in the midst of all the confusion.
"So. If you could go back in time, would you have done anything differently?" Hunter insisted, reminding Max that she was expecting an answer.
"It depends. You might as well believe that everything happens for a reason. I've always felt guilty about what I did to Roy, and that's not going to change. But I think it's time to move on. To look to the future and not the past. The present is the only thing we can change. The past is only for us to learn from our mistakes and try to be better."
Hunter nodded and pouted.
"That's right, kiddo." She tapped her shoulder and Max laughed weakly, allowing herself to relax and release the weight that stiffened her muscles, feeling a hint of hope rise in her heart. She allowed herself to smile and breathe.
Even though the person she was reminded her of past moments in her life that she wished she could leave behind, stuck in the past, it was good to have someone sincere like Hunter. In fact, she was sincere, saying everything she thought, the good and the bad.
She didn't know that Elijah wanted to change his life like Hunter does, but she wished he did. She wished Lucas would, too. Loneliness could corrupt even the most hardened of hearts. And he had a heart of flesh. But he was mature, he would learn from his mistakes.
The intimate moment of conversation and play was interrupted by a guard approaching their dormitory.
"Maxine, you have a call. Someone on the other side wants to talk to you." She communicated with disinterest, leaning against the cell door. The girls turned to look at the woman.
Max wondered if it was her mom. She had come to visit a few days ago, again. The first time Susan came to visit was a few weeks after the trial. She remembered seeing her mother's pale, frightened face and crying in her arms for a minute that seemed like an hour.
The second time, there was little more than trivial questions and a mother's concern.
Had something been left unsaid? Or did Jane say she couldn't come? But there were still a few weeks to go until she was two months old...
She did as she was told, left the game and followed the guard, and a short time later Hunter followed her.
They reached the room with several telephones on the walls. Some were being used by other inmates, some were arguing and some were talking quietly. The woman led Max to a phone in the corner of the room.
Anxiously, she picked up the phone and put it close to her ear.
"Hello?" She felt her voice shake a little.
She heard a loud sigh on the other end of the line. A sigh of relief. A strangely familiar sigh. Her heart began to beat faster than it already was.
"Max? Is that you?" It was that familiar voice.
"Y-yes, it's me! Oh my- Lucas?" How... How did you manage to call here?" There was excitement in her voice and her face took on more color, more life. As if she'd been rejuvenated.
"Yes, it's me. Sorry it took so long. I convinced a nice guard to call the female prison for a few minutes because I missed my girlfriend and wanted to talk to her." Max laughed. Tears were already streaming down her face. "It wasn't easy, it took a while to gain the trust to do me that favor, but obviously it was worth it. But that doesn't matter now. So, how have you been?"
That question felt like a hug. She thanked the heavens for the existence of that human being. She nodded, still thinking of an answer.
"I'm not sure. I'm surviving, I guess. But I'm fine, the wounds on my stomach and leg are completely healed and I don't feel any pain anymore. But I feel much better now." She smiled weakly. In fact, hearing his voice worked better than any medicine. "And you, how are you? Is Eli very annoying?" She asked jokingly.
"I've been managing it. But I'm not used to living without you." Elijah, leaning against the wall next to him with his arms crossed, rolled his eyes and let out a mocking laugh. He had already noticed how dramatic and mushy Lucas was.
"And yes, Elijah is indeed very annoying. But I can put up with him." The laughter grew louder and Lucas received a small pat on the shoulder from his friend. Max smiled on the other end of the line as well, realizing the complicity that was developing between the two of them.
"Oh, Elijah's asking how Hunter's doing." Lucas said into the phone. The girl said she was fine, too. In the letters they had already described what they had been doing during these months, but it was no problem to say it again.
They took a few seconds so that Elijah and Hunter, who was already at Max's side, could talk for a while and listen to each other.
The guard signaled to Lucas to let him know that the call time was about to end. He would have to start saying goodbye or the call might end abruptly without him saying what he had to say.
"Hey, I'm sorry, but we're running out of time. I just wanted to tell you one more thing. Of all the crimes I've committed, you're my favorite. I love you."
Max began to feel a fervor on her face as she let out a shy laugh. "I love you too."
Reluctantly, he had to push the phone back into the wall, cutting an imaginary line that connected them. A deafening silence fell over them.
Even though it was over, those five minutes of conversation were the happiest moments of their lives in a long time. Without a doubt, the day of those four had improved after that conversation.
They didn't know when they would hear from eachother again, but at least they wanted to keep that magic and joy in their hearts. It was the best Christmas gift they could ever receive.
After the call ended, the girls walked around the central courtyard, still processing what had happened, their bodies still vibrating from the surprise.
Hunter spent all the time picking on her for being lame. But she always corrected her by saying that Lucas was the one like that. She refused to accept that she also liked these verbal displays of affection.
When they returned to the dorm at the end of the day, Max did what she had wanted to do for a few hours. She longed for some privacy to cry. She cried quietly in the fetal position. She layed on her side on the bed and bent her legs as if he were in pain. Lucas' voice still echoed in the back of her mind. Of all the crimes I've committed, you're my favorite.
As if the hangover of such a happy moment had arrived. Heartbroken at not being with the only person he truly loved. It's sad how sometimes we have to lose the person we love to appreciate their presence.
Tears of joy and sadness streamed down her face. A bittersweet moment. Hearing his voice again, hearing the excitement in his voice hit her like a bolt of lightning in her heart. She missed him. So much.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to imagine his face while she could still hear the vibration of his voice echoing in her brain. She could swear she saw him smile.
Then she picked up her notebook, her new diary, and wrote. She wrote down everything that was in her heart that she couldn't express verbally that day. It worked as a form of therapy, pouring out her biggest secrets, thoughts and feelings on that piece of paper.
But what made her feel better was the fact that those scribbles on that piece of paper would be read by someone she loved. A kind of soulmate. Even if she wanted to, it was impossible to tell him everything that happened during the rest of that year in just one phone call. She couldn't wait to read his mind through the letters and to hear his voice again.
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