I stepped in and closed the door behind me, taking it all in. This was mine, this was really mine. I was finally away from the sadness that dad brought every day, I was finally free. I thought of Oliver again. I made a decision then, a risky decision but it was worth it.
I walked out my house and began the short walk to the prison, I pulled my lanyard out my bag and walked around the back of the main building, slipping through a side entrance and closing the door silently. I walked through to the main body of the building, I crept silently across the floor towards my own office. I fobbed myself into the unit and again shit the door quietly behind me. I was slow as I moved down the corridor, I looked at the time on my phone it was now just past seven in the evening.
Oliver had courtyard time at five, dinner at six and then he was taken for a shower at seven. I made it to my office and slipped in, not turning the lights on and locking it behind me. I didn't want to draw attention to my presence, I stood by the door, looking out the window where I could just about see his cell. I waited and waited to see him, it was now just past eight, I was about to give up and go home when I saw Henry walking Oliver to his cell.
I watched as Henry closed the door behind him and walked back this way, he suddenly looked through the window into the office, I stood back against the door. He then came to the door and tried to open it, realising that it was locked I saw him finally walk off out the unit.
I had no idea what he was doing trying to get into my office, I'm sure he would tell me at some point. I unlocked the door and left my bag behind the door as I stepped into the quiet corridor. I locked the door again behind me, double checking that it was locked before creeping towards Oliver's cell. The fob beeped and I winced as the sound echoed around the quiet unit.
Oliver jumped back as I entered the room, I smiled at him and closed the door as quiet as I could. He seemed to relax once he realised it was me, he walked over and wrapped me in a hug, resting his chin on top of my head. I wrapped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes and we stood there in our silent embrace.
He ran a hand down my hair and smoothed it down my back, I closed my eyes as we continued to hold each other. I heard him sigh "You look good with your hair down"
I smiled and looked up at him, his hair was still slightly damp and laid flat against his forehead, it was shorter than when I left him and he had shaved his facial hair. I reached up and ran my hand across his jaw, I could properly see his features again. His strong jaw line and perfectly formed lips, I smiled as I looked at him "You look good without that thing on your face"
He smiled and bent down to kiss my forehead, I held him tight not wanting to let him go as he spoke again "What are you doing here?"
"I missed you" I admitted "I quite enjoy your company"
He laughed softly as I said this "I missed you too"
I finally pulled away and sat down on his bed "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't want to upset you"
He waved his hand "I acted like a jerk"
He winced as he sat down, I frowned at him as he told me he'd just slept funny and had a stiff back. I told Oliver about the house and how Ashton had seemingly stalked me to try and win me back, he laughed as I told him that I well and truly rejected him.
We had to try and keep quiet, I told him that I wouldn't be in for a couple of days while I got the house sorted. I didn't want it to be that way, I wanted to be with him every minute of every day. I found it harder and harder to leave him as the days went by. We spoke for a few hours before midnight rolled round and I knew I needed to go, if we got caught it would be bad for the pair of us.
I kissed him goodnight as he laughed as I crept out his cell, I closed the door quietly and ran back to my office to grab my bag, I once again dialled a taxi number and began to walk out the building, I had to use the same side entrance as before. I stepped out into the cold December air, I looked up and saw the stars twinkling in the sky. For the first time since Mom died, I actually felt like I had a purpose. I felt like I was doing something right. The taxi pulled up and I jumped in before it sped off back to Dad's.
A week later, I was completely in my new little house. I was loving it, whilst the nights were lonely I knew that Oliver was only a few minutes' walk away and he was always waiting for me when I got in.
I shut the door behind me and hung my bag and coat up behind the door, I kicked my shoes off and flicked the light on. I walked over to the sofa on the right side wall. The TV hung on the wall opposite above a wooden tv unit. I had a rug with a glass coffee table on in the middle of the living room, I had made this place feel like home in a week. I was happy here, I was happy with the way my life was currently going. Henry had found himself a two-bedroom apartment in the town centre, I had purchased a little car with the rest of my savings as well the other day.
The only communication, Henry and I had with Dad was at work. Henry had remained on night staff, he seemed to enjoy it. He had been round a couple of times already, I think he was secretly stealing my home décor for his own place. I sat in silence watching the TV, I flicked the news channel on.
The presenter spoke to the camera and I recognised the prison behind it, I sat forward a little and listened intently
"Behind these walls are some of the cruellest people known to man, one man in particular is Oliver Harwood, the deranged young man who killed his own friend in what is believed to be a drug related murder. Oliver is said to have gone for a final chance to appeal his case, he has requested this his personal psychologist is put in the jury to make the final decision, the date is still yet to be confirmed"
"Oliver" I whispered to myself "what are you doing?!"
He hadn't mentioned anything to me, all he had said was that he never wants me away again. He hadn't even told me he was thinking about going for his final appeal. I shook my head and why would he request that I be there? Like any judge would take me seriously.
I shook my head as my phone rang and I saw Henry's name flash on the screen. I answered it to him shouting at me as to why I didn't tell him I was going to go for Oliver in the court.
"Henry!" I shouted at him "It's my job, I professionally and honestly believe that he is innocent. I've compiled a huge file on him, any phycologist, law, criminal or other could read that and see that he is an innocent man!"
I lied, if I told him that Oliver had done this without my consent he would well and truly loose it. I heard him sigh on the other end of the phone "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
I swallowed hard and tried to sound as confident as possible "Yes I'm sure, I wouldn't have agreed to it otherwise"
"Okay" He sighed "Why are you helping him? I mean why the sudden change in heart?"
I rubbed the side of my face, I couldn't exactly tell him what has been going on the past little while "It's my job, it's my job to wok him out"
He agreed and said goodnight to me before hanging up. I put my phone on the table in front of me and said back on the sofa. Truthfully I had no idea what I was doing or how I was going to help him, I already knew that no one in that court room was going to take what I had to say seriously.
I quickly made myself some pasta with a cheese sauce for dinner and sat back on the sofa to eat it whilst watching easy TV. Once I finished I looked at the time, it was past nine now, I stood up and grabbed my set of keys, pulling my shoes and coat on I left the house and walked towards the prison. My breath came out in clouds as I walked, it was a cold clear night.
I went through the main reception; George was on the main desk. He smiled and waved as I walked past, I made my way to my office. I flicked the light on and sat down at my desk, I had so much that needed doing before I went to court with Oliver.
I loaded up his file and began to read through it from start to finish. I frowned reading my notes, how cruel they seemed. Explaining that he was very cruel towards me, seemed to reject any kind of help that could've been offered to him. It was so different between us now, so very different. I had just finished reading the third page when there was a knock at the door, I watched as Henry stepped through and closed the door behind him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked me, confusion clear on his face
"Just making sure that I have everything written down that I need and haven't forgotten anything. Do you know if they have set a date?"
He shook his head "I think we find out tomorrow, the decision was put in about then days ago"
I nodded, of course I had to seem like I knew what was going on "Will you let me know?"
"You should get a letter in the mail" He shrugged "You need to get home and rest"
"I will do as soon as I've finished this" I pointed at the screen
Henry walked behind me "So everything on that file could free him?"
"That's the theory, it should prove his innocence as well as when I request that they do more extensive examinations" I smiled at him
"What do you mean?" He raised an eye brow
"Well" I sat back "They sentenced him due to his prints being the first set to come up, meaning he was the last person to hold it. He was round with the rock beside him, had he touched the rock? Can they pick up prints from it? And also" I went onto my emails and loaded up the first file I was sent of Oliver, the ones with pictures of the murder scene and victim attached. I loaded them up and felt my stomach churn, I found the picture of the marks on Owen's neck and pointed them "Could they and did they take prints here? Have they measured the size of the bruise to Oliver's thumbs?"
Henry rubbed his hand over his chin as he looked over the file "I don't think they needed to get far, once his prints were found on the weapon and the fact that he had ran away... That was it"
"Exactly! "I smiled at him "They failed him, and now he's sat in there innocent on death row"
Henry nodded, he seemed to understand as he looked over the laptop screen again. He said goodbye and wished me luck before leaving me on my own once again. I walked over to the window and watched as he left the unit before looking at the time, it was quarter to ten, I left my office and walked over to Oliver's cell.
I fobbed myself in and closed it behind me, Oliver was on bed, he jumped and looked over at the door before relaxing slightly. I put my hands on my hips and raised an eyebrow at him "I think you have some explaining to do"
He sat up and looked at me confused until I rolled my eyes "When were you going to tell me you went for a second appeal and requested that I be there?"
His eyes went wide "Have they accepted it?"
"Oliver?!" I said sternly "Why didn't you tell me?"
I watched as he sighed and looked down "I'm sorry, I didn't think it would be accepted"
I sat down on the bed, I heard a guard shout outside the cell before it went black. I jumped slightly and heard Oliver laugh "Lights out"
"I figured" I rolled my eyes at the dark. I had never been in the cell whilst it was dark. I liked it, it felt even quieter in here now.
I felt Oliver sit up and wrap his arms around me before pulling me down next to him on the bed. I laughed "What are you doing?"
"Cuddling you" He said matter of factly, before pulling the covers from under me and wrapping them back over the pair of us. I sighed and felt myself push my back further into his chest, I could feel it rising and falling with every breath that he took.
"I can't stay" I whispered to him "You have guards come to get you"
He rolled his eyes "At like four yeah, you have a phone can't you set an alarm?"
I felt in my jacket pocket and pulled my phoneout, it was just past ten. I sighed, I wanted to I really wanted to lay here with him all night. "I can't"
I heard him moan behind me, I turned round and faced him. He looked down at me, I felt the butterflies spring to life in my stomach as his eyes caught mine "You can have me until eleven"
Even in the dark I could see him roll his eyes "Fine"
I laughed and we both fell back into silence; I rest my forehead on the top of his chest. The only sound was our breathing, in the dark it was like we were normal, like we weren't sharing a single bed in a cell on the death row unit. I pictured us at mine, in my bedroom as a normal couple would.
But there was no normality here, we weren't a couple, we weren't at mine in my bedroom. The harshness of the reality was so very real; I could hear the quiet thud of his heartbeat as I turned my head. So alive, so much life left, beating away without knowing that it's beats would be cut short in a few months.
Months, I only had months. I wanted years, I wanted years with him. Why do I always seem to fall for the wrong sort.
"Chloe?" I head Oliver mumble
I looked up at him "Yeah"
He kissed the top of my head "What do you mean fall for the wrong sort?"
I sat up then, I didn't realise I was thinking out loud. I put my head in my hand, embarrassed that I had managed to let that slip without realising "I-I didn't think you heard me"
He sat up "You're a loud thinker"
"Oh" I sighed, wondering now how many times I had accidently said what my mind was thinking "I just..." I sighed giving up trying to think of an excuse "Every time I see you, every time we sit here, I wish so desperately that this was outside of here. I wish that we could be us without the... End"
He nodded "Maybe we can, when we go for the final appeal, maybe... Just maybe they will listen to you"
I laid back down, he laid next to me, taking my hand in his. I looked at him and kissed him, it was a long kiss but it was so gentle and affectionate. I pulled away and rest my hand on his cheek, my thumb tracing the outline of his lips "I really hope so"
He smiled and rest his forehead on mine "I'm so glad you stuck around"
"So am I" I whispered.