5. Leo
CHAPTER 5
Leo
The dial tone buzzes loudly in my ear, and unlucky for me, I am stuck standing way too close to what has to be two of the largest inmates in this prison as we all take our phone calls.
One of the guys laughs loudly, his whole body shaking, causing him to bump into me. I have to huddle against the payphone to get some space from them.
My fingertip slowly punches in Myles's number; thankfully, I am the type of person who memorizes people’s phone numbers. After I hit the last digit, there is a pause before it begins to ring.
My stomach flips, and I feel like I am going to throw up.
On the whole ride back to the prison, I couldn’t think of a good way to tell Myles what had happened. There is no good way to tell your best friend that you ended up in prison because you helped the person you thought you were in love with escape.
“Hello?” His confused voice brings me to the present, making my heart beat faster.
“Hey, man…”
“Leo?” Confusion grows in his tone. “Why the hell are you calling me from a correction center?”
“I fucked up,” I tell him.
“Shit. Did they catch you guys having sex?”
I’m not surprised it is the first assumption that comes from him because being caught with Veronica was at the top of the list of things to worry about.
“No. We didn’t get caught having sex.” My voice remains low to ensure the two inmates on either side of me don’t hear. It isn’t like they would have heard with how loud they are talking.
“Okay? Then what happened that got you sent to prison?” The confusion that he voiced earlier has grown thicker.
“I told her yes.” They’re the only words that leave my mouth, and they come out shaky.
“You told her yes? Leo, what the hell are you—” Myles cuts himself off before the realization kicks in. “Goddamit, Leo! You fucking idiot! I told you to tell her no!”
“I know… fuck, I-I know! I did tell her no at first, and then after my mom’s funeral and dad’s speech, my emotions took over, and?—”
“And your dumb ass got caught running.” He sighs. “How much is your bail? I can be there in two hours to get you out.”
“There is no bail,” I say. “Myles, I’m in for five years.”
He goes silent, and for a moment, I think the call dropped, or maybe he hung up on me. I hear his heavy breathing on the line. Myles always has something to say, no matter the situation, so his silence right now is shocking.
My relationship with Myles is simple: we joke, we laugh, and we always have each other’s backs. He has never been one to judge me for the stupid decisions I have made in the past, but I’ve also never done anything this stupid. This extravagant of a fuck-up and the silence burning my ear on the other end of the phone… it scares me.
“Say something,” I beg softly, hoping that he will say something—anything—to reassure me that he doesn't think any less of me.
“For once in my life, I’m speechless.”
“Don’t tell Chloe or my dad. I’ll tell them. I just have to figure out how to do it.”
“Listen, keeping the secret that you were hooking up with your patient? Easy. This? Leo, you are in prison!” The confusion in his tone has been replaced with worry. “How the hell am I supposed to keep my mouth shut?”
I sigh and say, “Figure it out. Them hearing this news has to come from me.”
There is another beat of silence between us before he responds, “Fine. I’ll keep my mouth shut, but you have to tell them soon. If you stay radio silent after your mother’s funeral, they will start to get worried.”
“I’ll call them soon. Could you do me a favor? Will you see if this whole thing is like public knowledge?
“Yeah, give me a second.” Myles goes quiet, and I hear him tapping his phone screen. “Shit.”
“What?”
“There are articles about you,” he informs me.
“Shit.” I run my hand through my hair. “Do you think Chloe and Dad are going to see it?”
“Probably not. They’re grieving. Your dad has been throwing himself into work to keep his mind off things, and Chloe—” He takes a deep breath. “She is trying to stay strong for Carter, but once he is in bed, she drowns herself in a bottle of wine.”
“I’ll tell them before they can see the article,” I reassure him before the line cuts out, informing me the call time is almost over. In that short time, I attempt to provide him with good news, “On the bright side, I could get out early for good behavior.”
“That is good news. Stay calm in there, and don’t get into any fights.” He gives me words of encouragement. “Oh, and don’t turn into someone’s bitch.”
“Yeah, I’m trying not to.” And just from that simple comment, I know I still have my best friend on my side.
The line goes dead, preventing us from saying our goodbyes. The humming on the other end sounds in my ear, and I stare blankly at the engraved numbers on the keypad. Someone behind me in line yells angrily, telling me to get off the phone.
I put the phone back in the receiver and head back to my cell to figure out how to tell my family.