Page 78 of Byte

“I’m sorry you have to do everything for me.”

“I’m not,” he said vehemently. At my look of confusion, he reached out and gently cupped my face. “I could’ve lost you that day. If that bullet would’ve hit you a few millimeters over,” hesaid and shook his head. “Taking care of you for a few weeks is a dream come true in comparison. I’m more than happy I have the opportunity to do it, so let me.”

“Okay,” I said softly and leaned into the hand cupping my cheek.

“The kitchen can wait. Let’s go to bed.”

By the time Byte finished helping me change clothes, wash my face, and brush my teeth, the pain medicine had kicked in, and it was all I could do to crawl into bed before closing my eyes.

“Love you,” I mumbled.

“Love you, too.”

I was flippingthrough a textbook and reading over my notes when my phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. Normally, I would have let the call go to voicemail, but I decided to answer in case it was something regarding my case against Lauren.

I fumbled with the phone for a few seconds before I managed to answer it, and was met with silence.

“Hello,” I repeated.

“This is Manchester Correctional Institution. Please hold for a collect call from an inmate,” an automated voice said.

I almost dropped the phone in my haste to end the call and resisted the urge to throw my phone across the room. I only knew one person in prison, and he had no business calling me. Why the hell would he be calling me? And how in the hell did he get my phone number?

I tried not to panic while I picked up my phone and called Byte, but I lost the battle when the same number appeared on the screen before I could navigate to Byte’s name. He called fivemore times before finally giving up. By that time, I was barely holding myself together. To top things off, Byte unexpectedly walked through the front door and scared the shit out of me. I screamed and immediately burst into tears.

“Gabby!” he shouted and dropped to his knees in front of me. “What’s wrong?”

“L-L-Lawrence,” I stammered and motioned toward my phone. “He’s been calling me.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know,” I sniffled and looked around for something to wipe my nose. “I didn’t answer.”

Byte produced a tissue and proceeded to dry my tears and wipe my nose. “Did he leave a message?”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t check. I was trying to call you, and he just kept calling,” I cried. “I haven’t spoken to him in over twenty years. What could he possibly want now?”

Byte pressed his lips into a thin line. “It has to be about Lauren. I seriously doubt his timing is coincidental.”

“I don’t want to talk to him,” I said.

“You don’t have to,” he assured me. “Do you want me to block the prison’s number?”

“Yes,” I answered immediately. I didn’t need to think about it. There was nothing he could say that I would want to hear.

“Let me get my laptop. I’ll be right back,” he said.

A few minutes later, he was sitting beside me on the couch typing away on his computer.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He grinned. “Solving your problems and answering your questions. Give me a few minutes.”

Those few minutes felt like hours. Since there wasn’t much I could do to distract myself while I waited, I basically sat there watching him type.

Finally, he looked up with a proud smile on his face. “First, I blocked the prison’s number from your cell phone. Next, I took a look at Lawrence’s visitation records. Lauren’s been visiting him about once a month for the last year.”

“What the fuck?” I breathed. “I’m not sure what to make of this.”

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