Page 6 of Two for Joy

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When he stepped back into his cell, the countdown in his head reset itself. Another seven days until he saw Chad again. Seven painfully slow days of laying on his bed, caught in the past.

It took over his mind. He thought of his family life, his upbringing, his parents. Random memories cropped up when he least expected them to, and he was left dwelling.

When the unavoidable present interrupted his thoughts, he hated it. The present was poison, filled with the unachievable desire to escape, but even worse than that was sleeping.

The nightmares.

Romeo stared around his cell, then ungracefully slumped on the bed. 211 days since the cuffs had first snapped on his wrists, and escape had been on his mind ever since, but it seemed impossible in the maximum-security prison.

Chapter Two

“It’s 2:00.”

Romeo looked at Paul through the bars, then sighed, getting out of bed. 2:00 on a Saturday meant it was his only other visitor, Holly Stevenson.

Wednesdays were Chad days, and Saturdays were for Stevenson.

“Hey Romeo…”

He paused as he went through the gate and looked at Will in the neighboring cell. Long hair up in a bun, big smile on his face. It was hard to imagine he’d killed anyone, slim, gaunt. He looked like a gust of wind would’ve been his undoing. He was in for stabbing two police officers to death, and was the only man in the prison Fred and Paul hated more than Romeo.

“You going to see that hotty?”

Paul waved his baton at Will. “Back off.”

“Was only asking…”

“Yep, I’m off to see hot Holly.”

Paul glared at him. “Watch your tone.”

“Can you tell her I’ll be thinking of her?” Will said, winking.

Romeo smiled. “No. Holly’s for me.”

“In your messed-up dreams.” Paul growled.

Will snickered. “I’ll catch up with you later, Romeo.”

“We’ll have a beer at the bar.”

“Some pork scratchings?”

“Yeah, why not? I’ll treat you.”

Fred pushed Romeo in the back, encouraging him to walk.

****

94 days since he’d first agreed to meet Holly Stevenson.

Holly Stevenson, who had picked up where Marc had left off, writing the next installment in Romeo’s dramatic tale.

Psychologist. Journalist, and single. She’d dropped enough hints for Romeo to know.

Blonde hair, low cut top, and fake lashes surrounding her blue eyes. When Holly first started visiting, she kept her blouse done up to the top, her make-up minimal, and her hair tied up, but after three months of weekly interviews, she’d relaxed her uptight appearance. Romeo didn’t know whether she was trying to seduce information from him, or whether his good looks and aloof personality had seduced her. Either way, she distracted him enough to make the visits worth it, and winding up Paul by flirting with her was the cherry on the top.

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