24. Twenty-Four
Twenty-Four
Vic
W hy do I always fuck shit up?
Fifteen Years Old The clink of bars sounds, and I open my eyes from the bottom bunk. A kid walks through with bedding and an extra pair of clothes. He looks around the same age as me. Haunted-ass eyes with the look of pain and vengeance. A heady combination, one that will ultimately lead to destruction.
Welcome to the fucking club, man.
The door closes behind him in a haunting noise that always makes me anxious and gives me claustrophobia. Trapped, locked in, caged.
“What’s up, man? I’m Vic,” I say with a head nod.
“Gage,” he says, looking around.
“You can take the top bunk.”
“Thanks.”
“You get more letters, man?” I ask Gage.
We’ve been cellmates for a couple of months now. Thankfully, we get along a lot better than the last fucker. I put him in the hospital for stealing my shit. I got time added and was in the hole for two weeks, but it was worth it.
Gage is cool, though. Quiet, clean, and someone I’ve learned I can trust. He’s honest, which is hard to find in people.
“One from my sister,” he says, holding up a letter and a photo.
I reach to take the photo with a wince. My side is still tender from the shiv that was embedded in my ribs when I tried to save Gage in the day room a week ago. He had five on him, and blood was fucking everywhere. I’ll always remember the sight of him rising from the ground, his body covered in crimson wounds, yet he held his head high even though I’m sure he was in a fuck ton of pain. He earned my respect and many others’ that day .
My attention is instantly seized by a girl in the photo. Her dark hair, captivating green eyes, sun-kissed complexion, and beaming smile make it impossible for me to look away.
Just the sight of her makes my pulse jump.
“That’s Alexa, my sister, Ro, and my douche of a brother, Marco.”
“That the Alexa you’ve been talking about?” I ask to take the focus off my looking at the brunette, who’s unfortunately his sister.
“Yep,” he says, taking the picture back and looking at it longingly. The poor fuck is hopeless when it comes to her.
“You think she’ll wait for you to get out?”
“She doesn’t have a choice. She’s mine,” he says with unwavering confidence.
He hops back on his bunk, probably to stare at her picture more.
I’ve never met a girl who has had a hold on me like his girl has on him.
My thoughts fly back to the photo of the goddess with green eyes. I wonder how her voice sounds, her laughter, her screams. How soft her skin is, and what her smile would feel like aimed at me. Only me. I shake my head to banish all the devious thoughts of his sister from my mind.
He’s my friend, and I feel like a dick for thinking of his sister that way.
You’re in here, and she’s out there, Vic .
She’s bright sunshine, and you’re pitch-black night.
You are the bitter cold, while she is the radiant heat.
Despite repeating it to myself for years, I’m unable to resist the temptation of stealing a quick glance at the photo Gage placed by his pillow on the wall, both day and night.
Despite repeating it to myself for years, I still continue to write to her. Falling deeper into the sunshine she is. Warm, comforting, and free.
Present Day
“Back the fuck up. What do you mean, motherfucker?” Gage yells through the other end of the line.
“I fucked up, man. I lied to her, and I need to figure out a way to fix it,” I mutter as I peer out my window into the pouring rain.
It feels as if a vice is squeezing my throat, making it hard to speak. Tears burn my eyes, something I haven’t felt since the day I was saved from my birth donor’s condemned apartment as a child.
“Where is she now?”
“I don’t know. She bolted. I need to go find her,” I say as I rush through my house, which feels barren without her.
She belongs here, by my side. I have to get her back.
“Absolutely the fuck not. I’ll figure it out. Just... just stay away from her,” he says, ending with a sigh.
“I can’t do that. I can’t let her go.”
I won’t recover if I lose her forever.
“You have to. There are more pieces at play than just you.”
“You’ll have to kill me before I let anyone take her from me,” I say, thinking about the arranged marriage he spoke of.
“I should kill you, anyway.”
“I love her,” I say as I rub the moisture from my eyes. This is the first time I’ve admitted it.
I love her so fucking much it hurts.
“Don’t bullshit me.”
“I’m not. Please, Gage,” I beg, something I’m not accustomed to doing.
“She’s not someone you throw out when you get tired of her, Vic.”
“She’s my forever.”
“You stupid motherfucker. If you hurt her, I’ll bury you, no matter how close we are.”
“Noted.”
“You still have shit to answer to.” I nod as if he can see.
I fucked things up with him, too. I have a lot of shit to fix.
“I know. I’ll do anything.”
“It’s gonna cost you.”
“I’ll pay with my life,” I say as I hold the phone tighter to my ear.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he says, and I can practically feel his Cheshire cat smile from the other end.