Little Bird: Criminally Yours

Chapter 12

The old,worn-out, ripped jeans fit a little too snugly around my hips, and the black hoodie I’d been wearing that fateful day squeezed my biceps and chest, restricting my breath. But excitement coursed through my veins as I shoved my feet into my old, dusty sneakers, barely listening to Rick’s speech about what I should and shouldn’t do now that I was getting out.

I was so close to freedom, I could almost taste it. It was tantalizing. Addicting. It left my mouth tingling like the sensation I got when I ate something sweet after a long time.

I quickly signed the papers being pushed toward me by the elderly lady behind the desk, and her wrinkled lips tipped up into a small smile.

“I don’t want to see you back here, and for heaven’s sakes, get some new clothes.” The grin that tore at my face was refreshing after years of hardly having any reason to smile.

“Will do.” I glanced at her name tag. “It was nice to meet you, Fran.” I turned to Rick, waiting with bated breath for what I was supposed to do now.

What was next? Did we step through those metal doors? Would the air be cleaner out there?

Was Harley thinking about me?

“Where is your head, Diggs?” Rick slapped a hand to my shoulder, startling me.

“Anywhere but here.” He chuckled and nodded toward the doors.

Closing the small distance, my hand clasped the cold metal of the door handle, and I pulled it down, pushing the door open. Sunlight streamed into the room and washed over my face, blinding me in the best way possible.

One step onto the concrete, and then another, and another until the prison was behind me, and I was staring up into the big, blue sky, the sun beating down on my face, burning my skin.

“I’m free,” I whispered.

The humid Summer air did nothing to deter my happiness as it stuck to my exposed skin. Sweat beaded at my hairline, and my hoodie became unbearably hot, but I took everything in.

“How does it feel, Diggs?” Rick was behind me. I could feel his presence at my back, but I didn’t turn to look back at him, not wanting to see the hell I’d spent the last five years in.

“Better than I thought. It’s everything I dreamed it would be and more.”

“It’s only going to get better from here, son. I promise your future is looking bright.” He led me to a car that was waiting at the end of the street. We slid into the backseat, and the driver didn’t even glance my way. He only addressed Rick, confirming a pin and then the address.

He then turned up the volume of the rock station playing through the speakers and pulled onto the road.

An hour later, we rolled to a stop on a quiet street. A big, gray apartment building loomed over us as the driver stopped the car and shifted it into park. He exited the vehicle and opened the door for Rick, then waited for me to slide out after him.

I nodded in thanks, but he adverted his gaze and hopped back into the small car, speeding off without a word to me.

Guess I was going to have to get used to that kind of treatment.

“What did I miss?” I turned to Rick, whose bushy brows were furrowed.

“Some people lost social skills after the quarantine. Don’t mind him. Follow me and I’ll show you your new home.”

It was easy to forget a lot of people’s lives had changed out here while mine had remained the same inside. But I also thought Rick was only making excuses for the man, not wanting to hurt my feelings.

After everything I’d been through, that was a hard thing to do. My feelings were no longer easily hurt.

Looking up at the building, I took notice of the fresh coat of paint, recently trimmed bushes, and the sharp scent of freshly cut grass permeating the air. It smelled like heaven compared to the concrete and sweaty male bodies I’d been smelling for the past five years.

We walked through a glass door, where a doorman greeted us with a head nod and smile. “Welcome, Mr. Diggs,” the elderly gentleman greeted me, extending his hand.

I eyed him warily. Something wasn’t adding up, and he seemed to notice the hesitation in my eyes because his lips curled into a warm smile.

Raising my hand to shake his, I shot Rick a worried look. He shook his head, dismissing me and then leading me away from the doorman, who was already greeting the next person. Why had he greeted me so warmly?

I followed Rick toward a set of gold elevators. He pressed the up button and checked his watch while tapping his shiny shoes on the marble floor.

“This place is…” I scratched my head, trying to find the right word. “Is this normal?” I asked instead, just as the elevator doors opened with a shrill beep.

We stepped into the elevator, and Rick pressed the button for the fourth floor. Just like that, we were whisked away. He fixed his suit jacket, eyeing the numbers as they crept up, avoiding my question.

“Rick, I can’t afford this,” I pointed out when the doors flew open again, and we stepped out onto the lush carpet.

“It comes with your job,” he insisted, leading me to a dark gray door at the end of the hall, the number 404 printed in gold lettering on a plaque on the white wall. There was a keypad under the door handle, where Rick punched in four numbers and then twisted the handle, leading me inside my new home.

I was surprised to see it already decorated in grays and whites, much like the rest of the building. The appliances were state of the art, the furniture new, the floors clean, and the air crisp.

“What the hell is going on here?” I asked Rick, my eyes scanning over the open foyer that led into the kitchen. Along the one wall were three doors, all leading to carpeted bedrooms. Along the other wall were two doors, one hinting at a bathroom and the other a laundry room. “This isn’t normal, man,” I insisted, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto a small park.

“Easton, it’s part of your release. It comes with the job I secured. As long as you go to work every day and keep your record clean, it’s yours with no expenses.” I shook my head in disbelief.

Someone had to be playing a joke on me. I didn’t deserve this.

“I need to go over some paperwork with you, and then I have to meet another client.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out multiple documents, laying them out on the kitchen counter.

He pointed out the requirements of my release. The recommendation of giving back to the community. The contract for my new job.

I signed everything he laid before me, and soon, he was putting all the paperwork back in his briefcase and securing it. With a swift handshake, he was gone, leaving me in my shiny, new, expensive apartment that I felt out of place in.

Walking around the apartment, my fingers itched to write a letter. I missed Harley, my little bird. She’d become my best friend while I was in prison. Yet, I hadn’t found the nerve to tell her about the reason I was in there. A fear remained in my heart that she would leave when she found out, just like everyone else before her. No one had ever stuck around, even before I got caught up in all the wrong things.

I wasn’t ready to let my little bird go. Not when she gave me freedom in the first place.

The master bathroomwas already stocked with the necessities, just like the fridge and kitchen cabinets. This was more than just a job offer; this was more than an ex-inmate deserved. And I wasn’t sure why it was being offered to me.

I showered for the first time in five years as a free man. I let the hot water burn away my past sins and begged it to create a better man, one deserving of Harley.

I only had the clothes I’d worn home, a credit card in my old, battered wallet that had expired, and a few crumpled bills. It was enough to get me something decent to wear on Saturday night, but beyond that… I sighed.

After leaving the too-clean apartment, I entered the posh elevator and nearly crashed into an older lady, who clutched her skinny mutt to her chest and eyed me warily the entire four floors down.

I almost wanted to bare my teeth at her, become the animal she thought I was, but instead, I waited for her to exit the elevator and bid her farewells to the doorman. Then, she almost ran out of the lobby.

“She’s skittish, that one,” the doorman commented, holding the door open for me to exit.

“Apparently so. Are there any stores within walking distance?” He scratched his jaw, brows furrowing as he thought over my question.

“About two miles away, there’s a shopping plaza, but it’ll take you quite some time by foot. Can I order you an Uber, sir?” Sticking my hands in the pockets of my jeans, I shook my head.

“No, thanks. I like to walk. Gives me time to think. Will you be here later, Mister…”

“Sherman. Just Sherman, sir. Enjoy the walk. Luckily for you, no storms are predicted today. I will be here until dusk, and then John starts his shift. He’ll be here until dawn.” I nodded, taking in the information, and then murmured my own goodbye as he held the glass door open.

I followed his directions, the summer sun sweltering as it beat down on my back. Sweat rolled down my hairline, soaking the neckline of my shirt.

But like I admitted to Sherman, walking was peaceful with the song of birds singing in the distance, the rare brush of the sticky breeze, and a passing car whizzing by every few minutes.

My mind drifted to the same place it had been swimming for the last year—Harley.

What would she look like?

What color were her eyes?

Would she find me attractive?

Would she flee?

Would she be at the bar tomorrow night?

What would she think of me?

What was she going to wear under her dress?

Would she want to kiss me?

What would she taste like?

What would she feel like beneath my fingers?

“Watch it!” a woman’s voice shook me from my thoughts as she collided into me, bags dangling off her arms.

“Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t see you.” I raised my hands defensively.

“Well, open your damn eyes!” she huffed and turned, barely giving me a glance. Shaking my head, I looked up. Spotting a thrift store sign, I headed in.

Scanning the aisles, I found a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt. They were good enough for a bar on a Saturday night. Then, I picked up a few more items and checked out, handing over all the cash in my wallet.

Thankfully, I started my new job on Monday, but all I could think about was tomorrow night. I knew the moment my eyes landed on her, I would just know. I didn’t have to see a picture of Harley to know what she looked like.

I’d know my little bird in a crowd full of people.