Inseparable

by Missy Johnson

  “Sorry,” Dane mumbled sheepishly, he actually did look sorry. What I couldn’t figure out was why the hell he was here? He’d made it clear this morning that he needed time to process things. I’d been expecting that to take more than five hours.

  “You scared the hell out of me,” I panted, resting back on the headrest. He winced, still looking apologetic.

  “I…Sorry Lil. About last night,” He looked up and down the street, “Can I jump in?” I nodded as he ducked around to the passenger side, climbing into the car next to me. “Hi,” He murmured.

  “Hi,” I replied, avoiding his eyes. If I looked in his eyes, I’d be gone, lost in him. I needed to hear what he had to tell me before putting myself out there like that. If this was about to end, I didn’t want to cry in front of him.

  “Lil. I’m sorry. What you told me, it was such a shock. To be honest, I’m still not sure what to think about the whole thing. After ten years, it’s hard for me to even consider that as a possibility…” His voice trailed off. I nodded. I got it, I really did.

  Even I knew it sounded crazy, and if it were someone trying to spin me the same story, I’d most likely tell them to fuck off.

  “Dane, I-”

  “Let me finish, Lil. Please,” He added, reaching for my hand. I closed my eyes and looked away, the feel of his touch almost unbearable, yet at the same time all I wanted, “While I don’t know what to think, I do think you are completely genuine in your intentions.”

  Huh?

  I shot him a look, not sure if that was supposed to be an insult or a compliment. Hey, I don’t believe you, but it’s okay because I think you’re crazy, not malicious.

  He made a face. “Maybe that didn’t come out right…”

  I laughed, still not exactly sure where he stood, “It's okay, Dane. Sometimes I think I’m crazy too. I wouldn’t expect you to believe me without proof,” I waved my hand around the car, “Which is why I’m out here.”

  “Where are you going? What do you mean, proof?” He asked, confused.

  “I’m going to the Landonberry State Prison,” I said in a small voice, expecting- no wait, knowing he was about to yell at me.

  “Lil, are you insane?!” Dane hollered. I lifted my hands to my ears. He reached out, yanking my hands down and holding onto them, “No, you’re going to listen to me. What the hell do you think you’re going to get out of going there, apart from a whole lot of abuse and sexual remarks? Do you really think you’re going to get anything actually remotely useful?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to try something,” I retorted angrily, struggling my arms free, “So can you please get out of the car so I can be going?” I said, slipping the car into gear and starting it. Dane gave me a hard look, before locking his seatbelt in.

  “What are you doing?” I yelled, leaning over, trying to fight his hands away from the protective cover they were forming over the seatbelt, “Get out!”

  “No! The hell if you think I’m going to let you go into a maximum security prison by yourself,” He growled, his dark hair falling over his eyes, eyes that flashed so many emotions right now. It was hard to stay mad at someone so sexy.

  “Fine,” I pushed my put down hard on the accelerator, the tires spinning into traction. Dane glanced at me in surprise, gripping on to the side door as he slid partially out of his seat.

  “Do you even know how to drive?” He muttered under his breath as he locked in his seatbelt. I threw him a dirty look, and turned the radio on. This was going to be a long trip.

  We didn’t speak for an hour into the drive. Finally, I had to stop at a gas station before we ran out of gas. Not even I was that stubborn. As the attendant filled the tank, I reached into the back, looking for my purse. Dane reached for my hand.

  “Let me pay,” He said, placing my hand back into my lap. I thought about arguing just for the sake of it, but nodded. Dammit, he should pay.

  “Okay,” I relented, resting my arm on the door, and my head against my hand.

  “Will you let me drive for a while?” He added.

  I nodded, waiting until he’d gotten out and climbing over to the passenger seat. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. Deep down, I was glad he’d offered to drive, because asking him to would have been painful. Dane got back into the car, handing me an array of food and drink items.

  “I didn’t know what you liked,” He mumbled in explanation.

  “So you brought everything?” I said dryly. He grinned. It was the first time I’d seen him smile since yesterday.

  He started the car, and got us back on the road. I handed him a drink, and a Snickers bar.

  “Thanks sexy,” My heart swelled at the sound of his pet name for me. He took the drink, gulping it down in one hit. I noticed he looked tired too. If I hadn’t slept well, I could only imagine how bad he had slept.

  I positioned myself up against the door frame in an attempt to get comfortable enough to have a power nap. As I closed my eyes, I felt Dane’s hand run up my leg, and rest on my thigh. There was something comforting about when he touched me. Eyes still closed, I placed my hand over his.

  “Lil,” Dane’s voice filtered through my head. I moaned something incomprehensible, not ready to wake up. “Lil,” He nudged me softly, then harder when I didn’t respond.

  “What,” I grumbled, rubbing the point of my arm where he’d poked me, “That hurt.”

  “We’re here.”

  That got my attention. I opened my eyes and looked around. If you took away the huge fort like structure right ahead of us, the area we were in was actually pretty nice. The prison sat on a huge hill surrounded by trees, overlooking the rest of the city. I stared at the extremely high gates that were manned by several heavily armed guards. I swallowed, not sure how this was going to go down, exactly.

  I’d never been in a prison to know what to expect. Was there like a reception I should walk up to and ask for Cole Chambers? The thought of facing a criminal scared the hell out of me, and I was sure that showed. I took a deep breath.

  “Well, here goes, I guess,” I muttered. Out of the car, I followed Dane to the entrance. After going through several security screens, including an eyeball scan (what the hell?), we were led into the main visiting area of the prison. It was completely different to what I was expecting. It looked almost normal, with wives chatting to their husbands, and kids scribbling in coloring books. It reminded me of a library.

  “Who are you here to see?” I turned my attention back to the guard who had brought us in. She waited impatiently for my answer; her dark eyes looked worn, as if she was nearing the end of a long shift.

  “Cole Chambers,” I said nervously. Her raised eyebrow at the sound of his name didn’t do much to ease my nerves. Maybe he just never got visitors. Sure, that was it.

  “Sit over there,” She pointed to a table in the corner. I glanced at Dane, who shrugged. We walked over to the table and sat down.

  “So what exactly is your plan here?” Dane mumbled, leaning close to my ear. I looked at him, not sure if he was being funny or not. His looked serious. Who said I had a plan? I had no idea what my plan was. My plan had been to drive down here and see Cole. From there, I was winging it.

  “Right,” He laughed, finally getting it as I kicked him under the table. The last thing I needed was his attitude right now.

  Dane nudged me; I looked up and saw the guard walking Cole in. I recognized him from his pictures in the newspaper archives. In the 30 years since his sentence, things hadn’t changed much. According to the papers, he had gotten a fifteen year sentence for a series of aggravated burglaries, which resulted in the rape and murders of four people. How burglary turned into rape and murder, I had no idea.

  He eyed Dane and me suspiciously as he approached our table. Sitting down opposite us, his eyes ran over me, slowly and deliberately. I forced myself not to shudder, this guy made me feel sick.

  “How can I help you darlin’,” He sneered, licking his cracked, discolored
lips. His unshaven face looked in dire need of a good wash, and the stench of old cigarettes and foul body odor drifted across the table.

  “I need information on a former cell mate of yours,” I said, as soon as the guard was out of ear shot. Cole laughed a wheezy breathless laugh.

  “And what are you gonna give me, sweetheart, cause I can tell ya you only got one thing I want and I ain’t tellin’ ya shit without getting what I want,” He leered at me. I jumped as his leg touched mine under the table. Dane shot forward.

  “Don’t you fucking touch her,” He threatened, the vein in his neck visible as the blood pulsated through it, his hands clenched into tight fists beside his body.

  “What are you gonna do, kid?” Cole challenged, laughing, his rotted teeth making me cringe. I looked away, repulsed.

  “You know who sent me Cole. Belle. Remember her? Because she sure remembers you,” I spoke loudly, mustering all the confidence I could into my voice. If there was one thing I knew, that was if he thought I was bluffing in any way, then he’d close up.

  No matter how shit scared I was right now, I had to fake strong. Dane’s hand ran over my leg, silently willing me on.

  “What the fuck are you on about? You don’t know what you’re talking about,” He grumbled. Only I could see the fear in his eyes. I’d triggered something. Exactly what, I wasn’t sure, but it was there. He was frazzled.

  “You know exactly what the fuck I’m talking about, you useless sack of shit,” I growled, leaning across the table, my eyes locked with his.

  “What do you want?” The fear had been replaced with terror. This guy was scared. Holy shit this guy was terrified. I took my chance.

  “You shared a cell with Earl before his death back in 2004. Now, I know he didn’t kill Steffy, and I want to know is what did he told you?” I kept my voice even, not once breaking eye contact.

  “That old sack of shit? He spoke shit all day. He’d be bragging about rapin’ and murderin’ the girl one minute, then tellin’ me how he sold her for a bunch of cash the next. Full of shit, he was,” Cole crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, as his eyes clouded with memories. I felt Dane stiffen next to me. I had to admit, if it were me in his position, I didn’t think I could be as controlled.

  “Sold her to who?” I asked, pressing my hand down on top of Dane’s, hoping he could feel my support. This had to be so hard for him.

  Cole shrugged, “No idea. But whoever brought that little package was one lucky son of a bitch,” He laughed a belly filled laugh. Dane kicked his chair back next to me, leaning across the table menacingly.

  “You want me to knock the fucking shit out of you, you useless son of a bitch,” He hissed. Panic rose inside me as I realized how close he was to punching this guy.

  “Dane, no. Go. Leave,” I ordered, trying to hold him back. I pushed him away from the table. “Go!” I ordered. Dane stared at Cole angrily, his fists balled up at his sides.

  “Fuck,” He cursed, reaching over to me and grabbing my hand. He marched me across the floor of the visitors’ room, as I struggled to keep up.

  “Dane, hey!” I cried, trying to loosen his tight grip on my wrist, “You’re hurting me!” He let go, slamming his fist against the wall, cursing. I had never seen him so angry.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “So,” Dane turned to me, “If we leave now, it will be after midnight by the time we get back. Or we can stay here overnight.”

  I shrugged, not really caring one way or the other.

  “Personally, I’m beat. So we might stay here if that’s okay?” He asked.

  I nodded. I grabbed my phone and texted Kella. Not that she would even notice, she’d been spending so much time with Fraser lately. Dane drove back through the city, eventually stopping at a small motel with a vacancy sign out the front.

  “Are you okay with sharing a room? I will sleep on the floor or something,” He added quickly. I nodded. Even at a time like this, I still managed to be excited at the idea of sleeping in the same room as him.

  Waiting in the car as he went into the office, I decided to call mom.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey mom, it’s me,” I smiled

  “Hey Lil! How are you?” Mom sounded so happy to hear my voice. I could hear Anna calling out hello in the background. I giggled.

  “Hi Anna,” I said, “How’s things, mom? I miss you guys so much,” I added, my voice cracking.

  “No crying, Lily. We are fine. How’s school? And Kella?”

  “Good and good. Kella’s seeing someone. He’s really nice.”

  “Really?” Mom sounded puzzled, “I thought she was a lesbian.”

  I giggled. Mom always found Kella’s love life so fascinating. The first time she’d met Mel she’d actually told them they were the first lesbian couple she’d ever met. I’d been embarrassed, naturally, but Mel and Kella had laughed their asses off. By the time they’d left, mom knew more about the ins and outs of lesbian sex than I ever wanted to imagine my mother knowing.

  “Um, no, she’s kind of always gone both ways,” I laughed. I could see Dane making his way back to me, “I’ve gotta go, mom, I just wanted to tell you I love you and miss you.”

  “We miss you too, honey.”

  Dane raised his eyebrows at me inquisitively, “Who was that?” He asked.

  “My mom. I hadn’t called her in over a week,” I smiled, “Did you get the room?” He held up a pair of keys.

  “A double bed and a single,” He smiled. I nodded, not ignorant to the disappointment I was feeling about there being two beds. There was no mistaking where I’d been hoping this night would go. “He gave me the number for a pizza delivery place too.”

  I nodded, the mention of food making my stomach grumble like it hadn’t been fed in weeks. I blushed as Dane eyed me, amused.

  “Hungry, are we?” He grinned.

  Stupid loud gurgling stomach. I ignored his smirk and strode ahead to our room. Number 22. My birthday. It was once my lucky number. Until Abby died on the 22nd as well. I suppose I could take comfort in the fact that at least she didn’t die on my actual birthday.

  As Dane fiddled with the key in the door, I took the moment to sneak a look at him. A shadow of stubble was beginning to show across his chin, a consequence of the stress of the last few days. I felt the same tingles I’d felt that first day; in fact, I felt them every time I was near him. He opened the door, stepping back to let me enter first. I walked in, with Dane’s hand resting on the nape of my back.

  Oh god that feels good. How the hell was I supposed to sleep in the same room as this guy and not jump him?

  The room was nice, in a cheap, small town motel kind of way. The faded checkered bedspreads that covered both beds didn’t match, but they looked clean and crisp. The room had a musty smell to it, like it had been vacant for a while. I found that strangely reassuring, knowing nobody had been murdered or raped in here, at least not recently.

  I sat down on a rather creaky chair near the desk. I grabbed the TV remote, turning it on. The picture wasn’t clear, but it was watchable. I doubted they had cable here. I was right.

  “Is this okay?” Dane asked me, glancing around the room. My eyes fell on the beds again, which were so close together they may as well have been one. Why did that make my heart race?

  “Yes, fine,” I said, managing a small smile. I spied the small bathroom off to the side, “I might have a shower.”

  “Sure. I’ll order dinner,” Dane turned away quickly, “Pepperoni alright?”

  “Sounds nice,” I called out, grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom. Well, actually squeezing into the bathroom would be a more appropriate term. It was tiny, with a toilet in one corner, and the shower tucked in behind the door.

  I stripped out of my clothes, gingerly stepping into the shower. I angled the nozzle away from me, letting the water run through for a couple of minutes before aiming it at my body. I closed my eyes, trying to pretend I was somewhere nicer.

/>   Dane called out dinner was here, I quickly dried myself before putting on the same clothes. I hadn’t anticipated being away overnight. I was glad I was prepared enough with my small bottle of mouthwash I carried around, along with a stick of deodorant. At least I would smell nice.

  “Feel better?” Dane sat on the edge of the single bed, a pizza box at his side, and a bottle of coke by his feet. He’d taken his shoes and socks off. I nodded, joining him on the bed.

  “Smells nice,” I commented. Though I was so hungry, I think anything would have smelt nice. I reached for the biggest slice then reconsidered, not wanting to look greedy. Dane shook his head, laughing.

  “You are a very strange girl, Lil,” He reached for the big piece and handed it to me, “I like a girl who knows how to eat.” He smiled broadly as my cheeks colored.

  I downed the first slice, reaching for my second well before Dane had finished his first. This wasn’t the time to be all sweet and girly. I was freaking starving.

  “So, how are you?” I asked, covering my mouth so as not to show him the mushed up contents. He shrugged in reply. He was holding it together well, much better than I thought he would. I spied a small splotch of pizza sauce on the top corner of his lip.

  “What you said to him…about the girl? Bella?” Dane hesitated, playing with the slice of pizza in his hand, “What was all that about, Lil? He looked terrified.”

  I swallowed what was left of my third slice. “Honestly, I don’t know,” I admitted, “Abby told me to say that. I’ve no idea who Bella is. I assumed it was his daughter, but I don’t know what happened to her.” Dane nodded, still fiddling with his food. The spot of sauce, still on his lip, was getting on my nerves. I reached over and gently wiped it off. He looked up, surprised, his eyes searching mine.

  “You, uh…” My voice trailed off as my vocabulary deserted me.

  He pushed the box aside and moved closer to me, so close I could feel the warmth radiating off his chest. He lifted his hand until it rested around the curve of my neck. His face moved closer to mine. Our lips were almost touching, as he placed his other hand on the other side of my face. As he drew me to his lips, my body jumped, rigid in anticipation, as though it knew exactly what was about to happen.