Page 19 of Out to Find Freedom

Although, maybe I could at least give him a part of it.Emmie.I quickly added so I didn’t look as if I already knew it:Yours?

Ryan: Warden.

He’d given me his last name, but I didn’t mind. He was still talking, so I would go with it.

Emmie: Thank you again, Warden.

Ryan: How old are you?

Damn, what would look okay in his eyes? I didn’t think he’d continue texting a nineteen-year-old. He seemed in his late thirties; at least, I thought he was.

Emmie:Why?

Ryan: Need to know I’m not texting some kid.

I wasn’t a child, even if he thought a teen was still classed as a kid. My dad had always told me I was old for my actual age, and I was sure over the last two years I’d aged even more.Thirty.It was the best age I could think of at that moment.

Ryan: Why’re you up late?

Emmie: Why are you?

Ryan: Couldn’t sleep.

I smiled.

Emmie:Me neither.

Ryan: Better try and get some. Night, Emmie.

My whole body warmed.

Emmie:Night, Warden.

I lay back, crushing the phone to my chest. This was dangerous. I shouldn’t have messaged him. He’d already been my object of attention and now he had me feeling… euphoric. An intense happiness. It scared me.

However, I had managed to stop watching him.

Only I had a feeling that would be blown out of the water. I wanted to see him, watch him. See his mouth move and imagine he’d sing just for me. Sighing, I sat up. I needed to hide the phone in case Gloria or Lenny came down while I slept and found it. I quickly hid it and did something silly. Humming the song, I danced over to the bed.

Laughing softly, I lay back down and flicked the jacket over me. I tucked another jacket under my head and closed my eyes. A smile picked up my lips in the dark because in my mind, I could still hear his voice singing that one song. A song I would listen to on repeat if it was Ryan singing it.

It was the best way to fall asleep.

Chapter Seven

Warden

Sitting at my desk at work, I glanced down to my phone once again. My mind was on the texts I’d gotten the night before. It was fucking strange. Someone in my damn new neighbourhood listened to me. I’d thought, since it was the middle of the damn night, no one else would have been awake, but I’d been wrong. Never had anyone heard me play and sing; it was something I kept to myself. I only did it when I couldn’t sleep, usually because a case wasn’t coming together.

The first text shocked the shit out of me. I would have stopped playing, but when I’d asked why she wanted me to sing another and she answered, it gripped at something inside of me.

She felt soothed by my voice.

It seemed she really needed it though. I got that from the few texts.

Emmie.

Cute name.

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