Caged Birds ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sam's P.O.V

"That's him" I announced, showing the girls pictures of baby Gabe.

That day was my last working at Bare Essentials. It didn't take long for me to realise that I can't be working during the night and sleeping all day when I have a baby to take care of. So I made the first mature decision in my entire existence - I quit my job at the strip club and Dylan hired me as the bar as a bartender.

"Aww he's so cute" Destiny cried.

"And who's the stud muffin holding the cute kid?" Doris asked eagerly.

"That's my friend Bobby" I smiled.

"He's the babysitter" Andrea added.

"Can he be my babysitter?" Doris giggled.

"He's a looker, Kitti Kat" Destiny told me.

I rolled my eyes and laughed just as Heath opened his office door, directing his eyes at me.

"Kit" he called, "can I see you?"

"Sure" I nodded, stuffing my phone into my coat's pocket while following him into his office. "What is it?"

Something was different about Heath that day. He was scared. I had never seen him genuinely afraid in all the years I had known him - seeing him that way, told me that whatever it was that was troubling him was serious.

"I...." He trailed off, "Bare essentials is going to be under new employment soon" he struggled to say.

"What? Why?" I blinked.

"I'm going away" he explained quickly, looking over to his suitcase that sat on his desk. "And I want you to come with me"

I blinked, "what?"

"I'm going as far away from this place as possible"

"Heath, if this is about me quitting"

"-The cops are after me" he cried, "I can't go to jail...my brother died in there"

"What! What have you done?" My eyes were wide as I took a step towards him.

"It doesn't matter" he turned his body away from me. "So what do you say?"

I remembered the last time that a man asked me to run away with him and just like the last time, I knew that I couldn't - at least not right now.

So, I kissed his lips than slowly pulled away.

"I'm sorry I can't" I whispered, my forehead pressed against his. "I've got a baby to take care of...his dad could be here any day now...maybe if you could wait just a little long I could-".

"No," he shook his head calmly. "I've got to leave tonight"

"So soon?"

Heath nodded.

"I'd like you to have this" Heath took off his gold chain and placed it around my neck. "I won't be needing it" he said as kissing my lips.

I closed my eyes, embracing his lips. Deep down, I think I knew that that would be the last time I would ever kiss them. After a few moments, he pulled away slowly, taking his suitcase and walking out of the club.

I didn't understand what was happening at the time, however, I was smart enough not to ask.

What I didn't know was that Heath made it as far as the border before he was arrested for possession of illegal drugs and grand larceny. If I had run away with him, I would have been arrested for accessory. Heath was in jail for a week when he died. Some say that was murder, others say that it was suicide. However, this wouldn't happen until six months later.