Hellbound

Chapter Fifteen

I needed some time out of the house that wasn't at Hellbound Penitentiary. Especially because West has been home all day because it's Saturday and the tension could still be felt between us. We're both doing our best to ignore it but the air still feels heavy.

I contacted Josie asking if she wanted to get a coffee and she agreed to my relief.

We sit on a bench in the park. It's a nice day today; the sun's shining and warm enough to wear shorts. Kids play on the playground over in the distance; their parents converse from near by.

"So what's been happening?" I ask as I take a sip of my coffee, wincing at the taste. Josie shields her eyes from the sun as she looks in my direction.

A heathly flush takes over her skin "it was Harvey and I's anniversary yesterday" she gushes. Harvey is Josie's Darling, from what I know they've been together for the last five years. I watch in awe at the fact he still makes her giddy after so long.

West and I had been together three years this year and it has never been like that, not even in the honeymood stage. My heart tinges with jealousy.

"You go out for dinner or something?" I question.

"Yeah, he took me to my favourite restaurant and got me flowers" she smiles. Both our attention is drawn towards a woman and a man as they start to argue over near the playground. It's obvious they're Platonics; Darlings would never act this way. Their two children watch from the playground looking back and forth before their father walks off, leaving their mother in tears. My heart aches for them.

"I made dinner for West last night" I say as we continue watching the argument. "Pulled out all the stops" she looks towards me, her brows pulling together.

"What was the occoasion?" she asks. I shrug.

"I just wanted to make some time for the two of us" I clear my throat "we've been kind of distant since I started at Hellbound" I explain, she nods.

"Did it make things better?" she inquirers.

"No" I shake my head "honestly it only made it worse" I sigh.

She reaches over and rubs the back of my shoulder as I sip my coffee to stop me from word vomiting about everything from West to Hex and everything inbetween.

"He's just not used to you working, he'll get over it" she reassures me. I nod; work is the least of our problems.

We sit in silence for a while. The breeze is nice on my skin; it picks up my hair and flies it around my head, blinding me for seconds at a time. The family from earlier had left the park a while ago, they weigh heavy on my mind as I see a glimpse into the future of my life with West.

"How do you like Hellbound?" she questions as she places her coffee cup on the ground by her feet.

I shrug "at first I didn't want to be there, but I don't know, it's kind of been growing on me lately" I confess. I know it's not Hellbound that's growing on me, it's Hex. Well, Josie also made my time there enjoyable.

"See it's not so bad" she laughs and knocks her shoulder into mine, making me slightly smile. "Anyway, I forgot to ask, how did it go with Rose the other day? Find anything in his cell?" at the mention of Hex my heart rate picks up.

"It went good, didn't find anything" I say. The cover of the magazine I had found flashes to the forefront of my mind. It's sick how much I want to talk to her about Hex, almost like a teenage girl with a crush.

"Can I..." she hesitates "can I ask a question?" she turns her body to face me front on.

My face pales. Does she know? Had she figured it out? "Yeah?"