There Will Be Freedom (not mine)

2. Mirage

JUSTIN POV

The hot sun beat down on me from above as I ran through the sand, barefoot and shirtless. My earbuds played loud, fierce, rock music in my ears and I was able to tune everything out. The picturesque landscape passed me by in a blur as my pace picked up with every step.

This was the time of day that I loved.

Even though it was only eight in the morning, the Brazilian sun was up and ready to greet the world. It was hot, but not unpleasant because the thick sea breeze was wafting around my head like a whirlwind. Even in February, the tropical atmosphere made the temperature a constant seventy.

I pushed myself harder during my run and just like every morning, my lungs burned painfully from the exertion of my body. It felt good, so I went faster. My legs gave out sometime after the fifth mile. It was surprising that I didn't already lap the island by now. It was only but so big.

I collapsed on the hot sand and controlled my breathing, blowing long streams of air into the cloudless sky.

I was going to turn thirty this year, and my body was definitely feeling it.

Thirty!

How did I get so old?

I had heart issues from my poor diet and the drugs, my anxiety issues from my OCD, lung issues from the smoking, and a whole slew of other things that I didn't really care about. One new addition to my ailments was a bad back, which I acquired from a motorcycle accidentabout a year ago. It wasn't too serious, but it caused me a lot of pain sometimes. The doctor said I wasn't bad off enough for surgery, so I just suffered through it on those rare days when my spine decided to be a bitch.

I guess a bad back was the least of my worries. Technically, I wasn't even alive.

As the rest of the world knew it, I was dead, but of course that was a complete fabrication. It had been three years that I had been living this lie and to be honest, it got better every day. A life without restrictions was one I never thought I would be accustomed to, but it suited me well.

I had to leave my entire life behind. I didn't care about the cars, or the money, or the houses, or anything else. When my father sent me away, what hurt the most was losing Maddie. She had become everything to me, and even though I didn't know it then, she was my livelihood. After I left, I had nothing to care for and nothing to care about. It was hell on earth

I guess it was ironic that I had to give my life away in order to get Maddie back, though. Looking back on it, I had never really treated Maddie nearly as well as I should have.

It hurt every day I had to spend without her. It made me feel so guilty that she lost everything and I was just basically hiding out. I was disgusted with myself. I was a free man, and she had to rot in jail for two years for my mistakes. I pleaded with Jeremy, begged him to let me turn myself in. When we realized that she was actually going to be staying in jail for a while, I couldn't take it. I literally went insane.

I left the bitterly cold mountains of Switzerland with every intention of getting her released. After Jeremy calmed me down, I was shipped here to the humid paradise of Brazil. This island wasn't on any map and specifically bought for its secrecy. It was my prison until Maddie got here.

After she arrived, well, that was... a rough year. The aftermath of her anger was something I had never experienced. She had so much to say and never stopped saying it. Not that I blamed her.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

I knew that better than any person on the planet. I didn't think Maddie would ever forgive me. How could she? I had left her, abandoned her, when she needed me the most. I was the lowest piece of shit imaginable. But Maddie had a good heart. I never thought she would even give me the time of day. Thankfully, I was wrong.