Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
I sit on my bed as the nurse goes through the last of my medication discharge notes with me.
“And this one here is the one that helps you to sleep.” She scribbles onto the box, sleeping.
I nod. “Okay.”
“But remember, you can’t drive when you are taking these.”
“Okay.” I smile. “Thank you. You have been wonderful.” I smile.
“You going to be okay?” she asks.
I shrug. “Yeah, I’m tough.”
“No shit.” She smirks and leaves me to it. I walk over to the window and stare out over the city.
I don’t like Vegas. I don’t think I will ever come back here.
“Hello, love,” a familiar voice rings through the room.
I turn.
Annette Stace’s Mom.
Tears fill my eyes.
“Are you ready to go home?” she asks softly.
“What?” I whisper.
“I’ve come to get my daughter-in-law and take her home.”
I frown, confused.
“You can stay with me for a little while and I will take care of you. You can then move into Stace’s house in Manhattan”
I stand still.
“Where is he?” I whisper.
“He’s in prison in Columbia.”
My face screws up in pain. “Is he okay?” I whisper.
“He will be better when he knows you are being looked after.”
I smile through my tears. “Does he know you’re here?” I ask hopefully.
She wraps her arms around me. “He sent me to come for you.” She kisses my face.
She holds me in an embrace, and for some stupid reason, the skies open up and I cry stupid howling-to-the-moon tears.
“Come on.” She eventually smiles. “Let’s go home.”
I bounce down the street in Bogota in the ice-pink dress I had made. It’s a mirror image of the one Stace bought me for our first date. I wonder if he will remember. It has been two long years, but today he finally got out of prison. He was originally sentenced to five years, but we got it reduced to two on appeal. That was the best we could do with the cash that we had.
He wouldn’t let me pick him up this morning. He said he has a surprise for me.
I moved to Columbia as soon as I was well enough. I needed to be closer to him. I live in a beautiful house in the hills and life has been good.
I needed this time alone, to find myself.
To find out who I am supposed to be when I am not living in fear. I’ve finally forgiven myself for my mother’s death.
It wasn’t my fault. I know that now.
I’ve visited Stace in prison three times a week, every week. It was the maximum amount of visits he could have. The time has only brought us closer.
We are so in love.
He didn’t have the privilege of conjugal visits. The prison he was in was too overcrowded and didn’t have the facilities.
Every time I said goodbye and put my hand on the glass, and he did the same, we both died a little without each other’s touch.
Not even a kiss.
He’s done it, though. The conditions were atrocious and yet every time I visited, he was more concerned about me and how I was doing. At first, I was petrified that Vikinos would have men in the prison. But, thankfully, that hasn’t seemed to be a problem at all. It would have been a different story had he been put into an American one.
I’m not only in love with him.
I like him.
He’s a good man. My hardened criminal is a good man.
I’m buzzing, buzzing with excitement. Buzzing with anxiety.
What if things have changed between us, and the chemistry has gone?
It hasn’t. I know it hasn’t, but hell, two years is a long time to have a best friend and not be able to touch him.
I turn the corner onto the safety deposit box street. We arranged to meet here and get our diamonds out together. I didn’t want to come back here without him. These are his diamonds, too. I keep walking and I catch sight of him. He looks up, our eyes meet, and in that moment my heart completely stops.
He’s waiting out the front on the steps and he has a golden little puppy on a leash.
An over the top smile breaks free on my face, and I walk faster. I skip and then I start to run. He laughs and walks toward me, and I jump into his arms where he spins me around. Our lips connect and I laugh through my tears.
We kiss as his hands wrap tightly around me. Oh God, he feels so good.
We kiss again and again and I feel my arm being tugged by the little, sandy friend.
I bend and pat him on the head. “Hello.” I smile through tears. “What’s your name?”
The little Labrador pulls back on his lead to try and escape this new form of torture. He does this pathetic little woof and I laugh out loud.
“You got me a puppy?”