A Touch Of Sin [BxB]

24.

Callum's POV:

Jake is quiet. Unusually quiet, as we jet up the highway. And for once, he is actually doing the speed limit.

I continue to cast a glance at him every few seconds, checking in to make sure he doesn't have a break down. Seeing his mother last night and now this? I would have thought it was too much.

The warm airs floods the car and I push my sunglasses up my nose and settle back into the seat, trying to relax. I'm not sure why I seem more tense than he does right now.

AJ Haze. A man I honestly hoped I wouldn't see again. If it wasn't for him, my father would be alive. If it weren't for many things AJ did, a lot would be different. I try not to think about that. Today isn't about me or the past or my feelings about this.

The drive from where we are to the prison is roughly about three hours. Five, from our home town. I haven't travelled this far south for a long time. Not since my dad died.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask, lowering the music.

"I'm not, really," he answers.

"How are you feeling about all of this?"

"Nothing."

Within moments, his jaw is clenched and his hands tightly wound around the steering wheel. I exhale. I'm certainly not unfamiliar with Jake's ability to close himself off. I don't push it. Instead, I inch the volume back up and continue to gaze out the window.

Given that I have the time, I let my mind reel back to the beginning. Jake returning to school and everything after that. Some parts still hurt to replay in my mind and other memories make me smile goofily. So much happened in a short amount of time.

My phone vibrating pulls me from my trance and I reluctantly let go of my thoughts and return to reality.

Rhett: I wish things were different.

I stare at the screen. I'm over being angry with Rhett. I'm tired of it. I wish things were different, too. I should never, ever let myself get close to someone else. My heart has belonged to Jake for a long time and I was a fool to think otherwise.

I don't respond because I can't. I'm not letting this thing go on anything longer.

The rest of the drive is filled with whatever music is playing at the time. Usually, Jake and I can have endless conversations of nothing, but today, there's silence on his end and with his stiff posture and white knuckles, I decide to leave him be. The drive seems to drag on forever but as we left early, it's only mid-morning when we arrive.

I peer around the carpark at the filled lot sadly. So many others are here having to spend this nice day inside the walls of a prison.

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask.

"Yep," he says curtly before walking ahead of me.

Sighing, I follow him to the door. I don't want to be here. I don't want to see AJ. I wish I could still pretend he doesn't exist, but I know the time for that is over.

I feel extremely unsettled as we go through the security measures. I never wanted to come to a prison and I never planned to. I don't let my thoughts stray and try to stay calm. Eventually, we are let through to a big room where a number of tables are spread throughout. We are guided to one near the vending machines.

The lighting is harsh, the room bare and it smells damp, as if fresh air has never gotten in here. The bench is hard and cold that I sit on and I tangle and twist my fingers together as we wait. Seconds later, AJ is escorted into the room.