Epiloque One Year Later
Summer and I have always been friends. I love the warmth of the sun kissing my skin. Although my skin is pale and I always burn easily, I don’t mind the pain. It was temporary pain anyway, and it would eventually turn into something like a tan.
Through fall and winter, I looked forward to the signs of Spring because I knew Summer would follow in its footsteps. Bringing the constant blaze of the sun, the fresh warm air, and the cool waters you can refresh yourself.
I missed swimming while I was locked up. Since my escape, I’ve been to many beaches. Even during the winter months, I’d travel somewhere warm to escape the bitter cold. I didn’t travel often, considering the predicament I’m in.
I’m sure they are still searching for me, which is why my coming back to Seattle could be risky, but it is a risk I’m willing to take. It will be worth it even if the visit is only for mere seconds. I slam the car door on my Honda Civic. It’s not the nicest car, but I needed something that wouldn’t draw attention.
My platforms click on the parking lot pavement as I make my way to the front door. It’s the only spot in this entire building that isn’t surrounded by tall, wired fences, and it’s the only entrance for civilians.
The air conditioning blasts in my direction as soon as I walk through the door, and goosebumps line my skin because of the temperature difference.
The lady at the receptionist”s desk glances up and offers a kind smile when she sees me.
“Hello there! How can I help you?”
“Hi! My name is Camille Saunders. I’m here for a visitation,” I answer.
“Of course. I’ll need the name of the person you are here to see.” I give her the name, and an eyebrow quirks upward when she checks the computer screen. “It doesn’t say he has a visitation scheduled.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” I place my hand over my chest, looking apologetic. “It was meant to be a surprise. I haven’t seen him in a long time, and I thought it would be sweet and romantic if I showed up unannounced.” My hand drops, and I glance around the lobby. “But I’m guessing that doesn’t work in a place like this. I’ll schedule a visit for another time! Again, I am so sorry.”
I spin on my heel, about to leave, until the woman speaks up. “It shouldn’t be a problem, Dear!”
A wicked grin forms on my face. Before I face her, I cover it up with a thankful smile. “Thank you so much!”
“Don’t you worry about it!” She waves it off. “I will alert a guard and have him brought down.”
I answer with a sweet smile. She picks up the phone, informing someone that I am here. A couple of minutes later, a male guard is entering the lobby. The door is propped open, and he gestures for me to follow him.
The floors are an off-white linoleum, dirty and filled with scuff marks from the hundreds of shoes that have walked on them. I keep my head up, focusing on where the man is leading me.
Through another door, the lights grow dimmer. A line of what appears as side-by-side desks, with a metal separator between them to provide privacy for visitors. He takes me to one and tells me it will only be a minute until the person I am here to see is brought down.
Taking my seat, I stare forward. The corner of my lip tugs upward as I focus on the glass divider in front of me. A door sounds from the other side, footsteps slowly trailing closer to where I’m seated. He comes into view, pausing at the sight of me.
We take each other in. His hair is longer, less maintained, and unprofessional than it used to be. A dark blue jumpsuit is hugging his body while metal cuffs bind his wrists. His jaw ticks, surely growing angry at the sight of me. The officer undoes one handcuff and allows him to sit down.
Glancing to my right, I notice the corded phone hanging on the receiver. Picking it up, I hold it to my ear, waiting for him to do the same. His eyes leave my face to stare at the black phone. Hesitantly, he lifts a hand, pulling back an inch before lifting the phone to his ear.
“You look different.” I’m not surprised those were the first words that he spoke to me. However, I figured it would have been “What are you doing here?” but we will get to that.
“Do you like it?” I twirl my finger through my now dirty blonde hair. It’s shoulder length now, no longer down to my mid-back, and is pin straight.
“No,” he answers coldly. “What happened to your curls?”
I sigh, releasing the strand of hair. “Treatments at a salon. Had to get rid of the curls somehow. Oh!” I lean forward and widen my eyes. “They are green now. Aren’t they pretty?”
“No,” he answers again.
“Shame. I wanted them to match yours.” My arm flattens against the wood slab, my voice dropping into a whisper. “These changes had to be made. I couldn’t very well roam around looking like I used to.”
“Nice to hear you’ve been pampering yourself this whole time,” he says with disdain.
“Is it pampering if it was something that needed to be done? I don’t think so. Pampering is when you want something. It’s not like I wanted to lose my curls, but I had to do what had to be done.”
“What are you doing here, Veronica?” My name sounds beautiful, and it slips from his lips even though it dripping with hate.
“That’s not my name anymore. It’s Camille, now,” I inform him. Leo raises an eyebrow at the new piece of information. “I missed you.”
He laughs bitterly. “You missed me? You could have had me, Veronica. This whole time, you could have been with me.”
“Yes, and I had time to think about it,” I say. “You would have slowed me down; that was the truth. I couldn’t be worried about either of us being caught. I had to think about myself.”
“The truth?” He scoffs, leaning back in his chair. “How about you give me another truth? Did you ever love me?”
My fingers tighten around the phone. “Leo... you don’t want me to answer that.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t, but I need you to know. I need to know if all the time we spent together was a lie. Or was it all honest, and you stabbed me because you were frightened of getting caught? That you betrayed me because you weren’t thinking straight.”
“I was thinking straight.” My voice was dry, but there was a hint of apology. I was sorry that I hurt him. “I wanted to love you, Leo. I did. It’s just not in me...”
“Stop talking,” he orders, his face dropping.
“I wasn’t lying when I told you I felt something for you because I did. I wanted it to be love so bad because I wanted to be capable of giving you that. But it wasn’t. It was attraction and lust.”
“Stop. Talking.”
“I am sorry, Leo. For manipulating you from the start.”
His eyes shot up to mine. “From the start?”
“Times almost up.” The guard announces from the corner.
“I’ll explain one day,” I tell him. “When you get released and if you find your way to me.”
“Oh, I’ll find you, Veronica.” He laughs wickedly. Leaning forward, dark eyes locking with mine, he whispers, “Once I’m free of this place, I’ll hunt you down and make you pay for what you did to me.”
I swallow hard because he says it with such sincerity. Not feeding into his words anymore, I hang the phone back up and scoot my chair. I stop looking at him after his threat, and only when I’m a few steps away do I glance back at him.
He is still sitting in the chair, the phone up to his ear, his eyes are full of ice, and his expression is full of revenge.