His little complication 18+ ddlb

Chapter 16 final chapter

LUKE

“f**k, Gallows! I thought I'd have to suffer three more years seein' 'yer ugly mugger in this hellhole,” Officer Holtz said as he unlocked my cell.

“I was ready for the full ten,” I told him with a grin. “But they want me out at seven.”

“Yeah, yeah... that good behavior shit... I know,” he grumbled as he opened the door. “Like I've always told you since day one, Gallows, you ain't the usual type that this place was built for. I dunno the details of what you've done, but I'm sure you had good reason for doin' it.”

I straightened my orange overalls as I got up from my bunker. Ollie, the prisoner who I've shared the cell with for the past seven years, patted my arm. I gave him a tight embrace. I was lucky to have been paired with him. He looked tough at first but he had a good heart. We became friends, and that friendship saved me from a number of very dangerous predicaments during my stay here at South Middlesex Correctional Center.

“You do well out there, homie,” Ollie whispered in my ear as he returned my hug.

“I'll be seeing you soon, bud,” I replied.

“Heh. Not that soon, esse. I got six more Christmases left before I can get outta here,” he said. “Carjacking is more serious s**t than stealing from your boss, remember?”

“Just be good, like me, and the warden will grant you an early release,” I reminded him.

“Not everybody's a boy scout like you,” he retorted before releasing me from his grasp.

I proceeded to walk towards the door where Officer Holtz has been waiting.

Together, we walked past the aisle sandwiched by the cells in Block B on our way to the release section which many have dubbed as the Freedom Wing.

It should've been a short march. Block B wasn't far off from the Freedom Wing. Yet, I tried to savor every step I took, reminiscing about the events that led to this moment.

It's been seven years since I started to serve my sentence, but it's been eight years since I shared that one, solitary night of passion and love with Jack. I left him without saying a word, opting instead to face the consequences of my action by myself. I didn't want to involve him with the charges I knew I was going to face. If my accusers discovered that I spent the company's money to pay off his debt, they might've tagged him as an accomplice. Leaving without saying goodbye was part of my plan... and it was the best decision that could've been made at that time.

Sarah's father filed a case of embezzlement against me, and rightfully so. That's what I did. There's no point in sugarcoating it. I stole the 50K check that was meant for the company... knowingly, willingly, and without an ounce of guilt.

The case dragged on for a year, but the verdict was always a certainty.

Throughout that period, I remained recluse. I deleted all my social media accounts. I used a prepaid number that only had my lawyer in the contact list. I didn't go out of the apartment that I rented. I didn't want to see anybody. I didn't want to be seen by anybody.

Especially Jack.

When the judge handed the decision, I was immediately taken here, to South Middlesex, to serve my sentence. For a normal person, such would've been a hellish ordeal. But for me, it was a source of relief. I didn't have to hide no more. The walls of this place were enough to conceal me from the world. And I didn't have to worry about implicating Jack anymore. The verdict has been handed. He was safe.

My sentence was supposed to last for ten years.

The warden granted me an early release because of good behavior.

I didn't intend to exhibit good behavior. I just lied low to avoid getting into trouble. Ollie taught me that, and it helped me survive.

If I had a choice, however, I would've served my full sentence. There was nothing waiting for me outside.

“Got a welcoming committee out there, Galloway?” Officer Holtz asked when we reached the counter where a plastic bag was waiting. Inside were the personal effects I was allowed to bring with me when I began to do my time here. “Family, maybe?”

I shook my head.

“Friends then?” he continued to question.

“Nope,” I answered as I picked up my things.

“A significant other?”

Hearing that made my knees weak as I seemingly woke up to the sad reality that was waiting for me outside the walls of this prison.

It's been eight years since we were together...

Eight years of hearing nothing from me...

He has moved on for sure...

With so much anger in his heart, most certainly...

And he'll be out there, somewhere in the world where I would be roaming free.

That thought made my early release even more tortuous.

But he wouldn't be there.

He wouldn't.

For him, I'm but a distant memory by now... a sad chapter in his life, one that may still cause him pain... yet one that will invoke so much hatred with every reminiscing.

“Ready?” Officer Holtz asked as he led me towards a room situated right beside the rectangular frame that separated me from the world outside.

I nodded.

“Go change there, son,” he said, pointing at the relatively small chamber. “You got clothes – regular ones – inside that bag, right? Wear them. We don't wanna rouse some panic if people would see you in criminal orange now, do we?”

“Yes, Sir,” I acknowledged as I proceeded to the room. Inside the plastic bag were the same set of garments I wore during the last day of trial – a white, long-sleeved polo shirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of equally dark-colored loafers.

I went out of that dressing area garbed the same way I entered this penitentiary.

“Nice!” Officer Holtz remarked. “Well, you're ready now. Be a good lad, y'hear? I don't wanna see your face here again, understand?”

I smiled. “Thank you for everything, Sir,” I told him. “You've been very good to me. I appreciate everything that you've done and the lessons you've imparted.”

“I ain't big on drama, kid,” he dismissed my show of appreciation. “Just leave and don't ever come back.” He led me past the rectangular frame and towards the door that served as the exit of the Freedom Wing.

I was blinded by the warm rays of the sun as soon as I stepped out. We did get sunlight at the open field inside the pen, but it wasn't like this. It wasn't as scorching, as bright and as natural as it was right now. It took me a few seconds to regain the full usage of my sight.

“There 'ya go, freedom,” Officer Holtz remarked. “I bet it makes you happy, eh?”

It didn't. But I nodded out of politeness.

Officer Holtz squeezed my shoulder and gently pushed me towards the main road outside the Freedom Wing.

I began to walk away, though I didn't really know where I should go.

A few steps later and I noticed a motorcycle parked at the other side of the street. There, a man – menacingly huge and intimidating tall – was resting against the two-wheeled vehicle. He straightened himself up, frantically it seemed, as soon as he saw me.

And my heart raced when I realized who he was.

He was still as gorgeous as he has always been, though lines have formed on his forehead and on the edges of his eyes... signs of the years that passed... the years we've missed... the times that were stolen from us...

Oh s**t.

This couldn't be happening.

It's impossible!

The man dashed towards me, crossing the road without even looking left nor right. He ran with passionate intent, like he couldn't wait to hug me...

Or kiss me...

And I didn't know how I'd respond to that.

He was a few feet away when words finally escaped my mouth.

“J-Jack...” I stuttered. “Jack... how... why... I wasn't...”

He continued to dart towards where I was standing.

The embrace was forthcoming, and so was the kiss...

But I received none of those.

Instead, I saw him swing his massive fist at my direction. I was able to evade the blow, but I wasn't able to escape the shove he gave me... one that caused me to fall butt-first on the dusty soil.

“You motherfucking asshole!” he screamed at me. “Eight years... eight f*****g years... and not a single f*****g word?!” He grabbed my collar as his other hand threatened to strike me down with a savage punch. “What am I to you, you son of a b***h?! A f*****g nobody you can just dispose of at will?!”

“Listen, Jack,” I began to explain while being wary of the blow that he was about to land on my face. “I... I'm sorry, okay?”

“Oh... you're sorry now, huh motherfucker?!” he continued to yell, brimming with rage. “After eight years, you're telling me that you're f*****g sorry?!”

“I had to do it, okay?” I told him. “I had to stay away.”

“Why?!” he asked, pleadingly, as if he was so desperate for an answer.

“Because I knew I was going to jail,” I informed him, “and I didn't want to incriminate you.”

“You stupid, stupid jackass!” he bellowed as he grabbed my collar and drew my face in front of his. “So what if they'd involve me in that f*****g case?! I would've gone to jail with you, you i***t! I would've gone to jail! With you! I could've been with you for those eight years!”

“Jack, you're not being reasonable,” I told him. “I care about you too much to even consider that.”

“You left without saying anything! Nothing at all! I waited and waited and waited! I looked for you everywhere! But you were gone like you never even existed! Your number's dead! You're not in f*******:, Twitter, Insta-f*****g-gram, whatever! Your name didn't even appear on the damn internet, for f**k's sake! Until one day... it came up... on a news article about you being sentenced for embezzling company funds! And that's the first and last time I ever knew anything about how you were doing! Eight years, Luke! Eight f*****g years! Eight unbearable, agonizing years! I waited for you! I f*****g waited for you!” He was still fuming but his voice began to break. Sorrow was consuming him as he was reminded of the burden that he had to endure...

A burden that he carried because he loved me...

“You don't have to wait anymore,” I softly replied. “I'm here now.”

“Well, f**k you, man!” he barked.

“Yeah, I deserve your anger.”

“You deserve to be punched on the face.”

“I hope not. I've had more than a fair share of that in jail.”

His scowl suddenly gave way to a look of concern.

“Those fuckers laid their hands on you?” he asked, his wrath now directed towards the people who he thought have hurt me.

“Nothing I couldn't handle,” I tried to assuage his agitation.

He turned his gaze towards the correctional complex where I came from. “How do I get inside? How do I know who those dickwads are?”

I chuckled. “Let it go, Jack. I'm done with that place. I've served my time. I'm here now.”

“Yeah? For how long?” he wondered, his face collapsing into sadness. “Until you decide to leave again and cover your tracks so you can't be traced?”

“As I've said, I only did that to protect you. Now, it's done. That episode's come to a close. New day, new life... and I won't do that again. I'm here to stay, Jack,” I assured him. “That is... if you want me to stay.”

He gave the side of my face a gentle slap. “i***t! You think I would've waited for eight years if I didn't?”

I laughed.

Then I hugged him.

And he hugged me back.

“I missed you,” he told me.

“And I missed you,” I muttered, my face buried on his massive shoulder.

“What now?” he wanted to know.

“Well, I'm a free man,” I answered. “A free man with a bad record. I gotta go look for a job, but it won't be easy.”

“I know some peeps. I just have to make some calls. But there ain't any guarantees that there'd be any openings. It's worth the try, though.”

“It definitely is,” I agreed.

“In the meantime, I've got enough savings to support us for a few months,” he assured me.

“Jack... I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. I need to help out...”

“And you will... once you find a job.”

“And what should I do in between?”

“Well, I've got an idea.”

“What?”

“How does a full-time daddy sound?”

I smiled. “It sounds perfect,” I said. “Absolutely perfect.”