Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Swallowing hard, I punched in Mason’s number which was now committed to memory. It rang four times before he answered, each ring making my heart plummet a little further.
“Hello?” he answered, sounding out of breath as if he’d had to run to catch his phone.
“Mason, it’s me. I-I’m being released,” I said, still not quite believing the words. “Can you come and pick me up?”
“Oh thank fucking God.” He sighed down the line. “Oh my God are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay?”
“I’m okay,” I assured him, lying only slightly.
“I’m leaving right now, okay? I’ll be with you very soon.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, tears stinging the back of my eyes.
“Fuck I can’t wait to hold you.”
“Me too.”
“Okay, I’m already out the door. I’ll get Jake to bring me. Half an hour and you’ll be coming home. You’re coming home,” he tacked on the end, more to himself than me I suspected. “And I love you. I love you so fucking much.”
Those were the words that forced the threatening tears over the rim of my eyes. After everything he was still there. He still cared. Fuck I didn’t deserve that but he did, and it gave me the tiniest flicker of hope that everything was going to be okay.
“I l-love you too,” I sniveled, choking on the tears.
We ended the call and I wandered over to the reception chairs to sit down before I fell down. I faced away from any people in the room, staring out of the window so they couldn’t see the tears staining my cheeks. Outside was right there, right in front of my nose. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to go out of those doors by myself yet, so I didn’t. I’d been officially released though, so surely that meant I could? Should I ask someone? Should I just get up and try leaving? These were just some of the questions racing through my mind as I waited.
I sat there another ten minutes, and once the tears had stemmed I looked around at my surroundings. The woman on reception had her eyes on some paperwork on her desk, two guards were chatting by the doors that led to the governor’s office and a handful of people were waiting to visit their loved ones on the other side of the bars. Nobody was watching me, which made me think I really was free.
So, rising from my chair I took a tentative step towards the closed double doors. Scanning behind me, I still wasn’t the point of anyone’s interest so I took another step, then another, then one more until I was able to push the door with my hand. Of course, it wouldn’t open. I must’ve momentarily forgotten that I was in a damn prison. Turning around, I held my hand up to the receptionist like a school kid.
“Hey, can you…”
Nodding, she reached under the desk and pressed whichever button released the doors. I heard a click and then pushed again, immediately feeling the cool breeze on my face. Once I was fully outside I tipped my head back towards the sky and closed my eyes, sighing with a mixture of relief and anxiety about what was to follow. Carrying my clear plastic bag of belongings, I took myself over to a low brick wall that trimmed a vast lawn. Sitting down, I waited, my nerves intensifying with every second that passed.
A car I didn’t recognize slowed to a stop in one of the visitor parking bays and as soon as a I caught a flash of brown, highlighted hair that I knew belonged to Mason, my heart hammered so fiercely I feared it might rocket out of my chest. His eyes caught mine immediately and after pausing for just a fraction of a second, he ran over to me so fast his legs morphed into a blur.
“Oh my God,” he sobbed, pulling me into his arms. He held me so tightly I could barely breathe, yet still I didn’t pull away from him, instead snaking my arms around his waist. “Oh my God, you’re here. You’re really here. I’ve been so fucking scared.”
“Me too,” I wept. “I didn’t think I had a hope of getting out of there.”
“I told you we would,” he said, pulling back and assessing my face with piercing eyes. “Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel.” I went to release myself from his hold but he pulled me back into his chest again. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered into my neck. “I love you.”
“Come on, you guys,” I heard Jake holler. Opening my eyes I saw him standing by the car with his door open. Mason pulled away, smiling at me with eyes that held so much sadness, then we walked hand in hand towards Jake.
“How do you feel?” Mason asked me, tracing my jaw with his finger as we lay down in bed. When we got back to the hotel nobody pushed me to talk, nobody expected anything from me. Rather, Mason took me straight back to his room and after taking separate showers we crawled into bed – not sleeping, not touching, just lying side by side and staring at one another.