Sunflower (Clyde Logan x Reader)

Chapter 24

Clyde POV:

Clyde was scared. Possibly the most scared he had been in a long time. Yes, the heist had thrown him into a panic and, of course, being abroad and leaving his family had been frightening, but this was a different type of fear. He feared for you, for himself, and for the fallout of his actions.

The worst part was that Clyde couldn't even go back to retrace his steps because he was required to stay in his cell after hours. This unfortunate fact only made him more uneasy as his brain conveniently decided to overthink and process all possible outcomes of his actions. What made it even more troubling yet is that his generous mind, trained by years of thinking about the Logan family curse, automatically skipped to worst case scenarios. How kind.

Clyde lay in bed, mind racing with thoughts as he ran his hand anxiously through his hair. Would your photograph lay untouched on the ground, unassuming enough that no one bothered to pick it up? Or had someone already found it - an inmate or a guard or other worker?

He wasn't sure which would be worse. Clyde hated the idea of another man seeing you like this. Best case scenario would be a female guard or worker - and even then you would most likely get into trouble. Your face wasn't exactly hidden.

Clyde felt ashamed and guilty. How could he have lost the single most precious item to him in less than a day ? What would you think of him? Clyde wasn't sure he was ready to face you being angry at him, or worse - disappointed.

He should have just kept the photograph hidden in his cell. But even then there were risks - guards doing routine walk throughs and clean outs, other inmates trying to steal from each other, a new person moving into his cell. Clyde felt a knot forming in his stomach, not knowing how he would break this news to you, not willing to face your reaction.

However, Clyde knew that part of being in a partnership, relationship (whatever this was - it certainly felt more serious than others he'd had in the past), meant being honest. Or rather as honest as Clyde could be without revealing his other big secret, the one he could never imagine giving up, the one he feared he might actually have to take to his grave if he could stomach it.

Though, that was a problem for another day. For now he had to find a way to tell you and not throw up on the spot - not an easy feat for a man as prone to anxiety as Clyde. Not to mention the Logan family curse. Come to think of it , Clyde thought bitterly, I should have really expected this - it's not like family curses take days off.

***

Your POV:

You waited not-so-patiently for Clyde's shift to start, glancing at any available clock in the library that you could as you worked. Thankfully you didn't have to wait for very long since Paul had stolen a large chunk of your morning and before you knew it you were seeing your big bear shuffle into the small library.

You searched his face, sure that he knew he'd lost the photograph, guilt and worry written all over his strong features. Poor bear. He'd feel better soon enough, you hoped.

As soon as the guards left, Clyde was ushering you into a corner, an apology already forming on his lips as his brows met in the middle, concern distorting his usual pout into something more severe. You cut him off, bringing a finger to his lips before he could throw himself into a nervous fit.

"Clyde, I know what you're going to say, and it's okay," you started, ignoring the fretful shake of his head and widening of his eyes. You pulled out the picture from your pocket, showing it to him. "Papa bear, trust me. It's going to be fine. Give me a chance to explain?"