𝐁𝐁: 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐱 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

chapter fifteen

September 3rd, the day that marked the anniversary of her mother's passing. The pain of that loss still lingered within her, a wound that refused to heal.
Despite the passage of time, the longing to have her mother by her side grew stronger with each passing day. The mere thought of not having her around brought tears to her eyes, even after all these years.She found solace in sitting close to the icy wall, reminiscing about the moments when her mother would comfort her.

The small gestures of love and care that she would shower upon her when she was sick, like changing her clothes or making her soothing tea with extra honey, just the way she liked it.

She remembered how her mother would laugh at her silly antics as a teenager, even when she came home drunk. She would prepare a meal for her and then console her when she started crying, assuring her that everything would be alright. And whenever it snowed, her mother would wake her up, regardless of the time, and they would venture out into the winter wonderland, building snowmen and engaging in playful snowball fights.

Her mother was her rock, her pillar of support, and her absence left a void that no one could fill. She never had the chance to say goodbye, to find closure. The pain of that loss made her feel utterly alone, isolated from the world. It was a daunting task to face her grief head-on, especially in this hellish place where her thoughts and emotions were inescapable, unlike the temporary distractions provided by Alicia or her fleeting romances.

This was the time for her to confront her pain, to deal with it as she should have done long ago.

"I'm sorry I can't bring you flowers today, Mom,"
she whispered into the void, her hand pressed against her heart as she prayed for her words to reach her mother's spirit.

"I can't bear this burden alone," she admitted, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions. What had she done to deserve such a desolate existence?

Her life had taken a drastic turn, and change was a terrifying prospect for her.

Here, in this place, there was no one to share laughter with, to experiment with new recipes and laugh about the disastrous outcomes, or to genuinely inquire about her well-being.

The emptiness of her life was palpable, and it was a stark reminder of the love and warmth that she had lost.

This wasn't home.

And if Leon had a plan to get her out of there, whether it be legal or illegal, she wasn't going to turn it down.

Leon was her way out, more importantly, now offically one of her reasons as to why she's happy she's finally going to experience her freedom.
That is if he can get her out.

Leon turned around, his heart pounding in his chest, and let out a sigh of relief as he saw Luis standing there.

"Damn it, don't ever do that again," he said, trying to catch his breath.

Luis chuckled at Leon's reaction and replied,
"You should've seen the look on your face, it was priceless."

"Have you found anything yet?" Luis asked, his voice filled with concern. Leon shook his head in response, a sense of frustration washing over him.

"No, not a hidden place in sight," he replied, feeling defeated. But then, a thought crossed his mind.

Why not try looking through the shelves? It might be worth a shot.

They spent a considerable amount of time searching, their hope slowly fading away. "Keep looking, Luis," Leon urged, determination in his voice.

"I promised her that I'd get her out, and I won't break that promise. Not now, not ever." He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ease his frustration, while Luis looked on with a concerned expression.

Luis couldn't help but ask, curiosity getting the better of him. "I've got to know, what is it about her that has you so captivated?" Leon was taken aback by the question, unsure of how to respond.

In truth, he was still trying to figure it out himself. Was it the way she made him feel vulnerable? Or the way she looked at him with such intensity? She consumed his thoughts every second of the day, her smile etched into his mind and heart.

Sure, she had her flaws. She could be reckless, especially when it came to fights with other inmates. Sometimes, it seemed like she struggled to handle her emotions and lacked maturity.

Normally, Leon would find being around someone like that to be a hassle. But she never judged others, never judged him.

"She's... her," Leon managed to say, a small smile forming on his lips. Luis raised an eyebrow, remembering the last time he asked Leon a similar question. Back then, Leon had all the answers, but now he seemed lost in thought, less certain.

(Y/n) was different from Ada, who Leon had once considered perfect. But perfection wasn't what he needed. He needed someone who would allow him to be vulnerable, someone who wouldn't judge him for his past mistakes. Someone who understood his guarded nature.

And in (y/n), he had found just that.

"Leon!" Luis called out, interrupting Leon's thoughts.

"Huh?" Leon managed to respond.

"I've been calling your name for a while now. Where's your mind at?" Luis chuckled.

"Stop interfering in my love life, Luis," Leon replied nonchalantly, causing Luis to raise an eyebrow.

"You need to have some fun, man, seriously,"

Leon looked at Luis, taken aback by his comment.

"Sure, let me just go visit (y/n) and have sex with her through the prison bars. Great idea," he sarcastically retorted.

"You just gave yourself an idea," Luis replied, before stumbling over some paper documents and crashing into the wall, causing a painting to fall down.

"You're a genius!" Leon exclaimed, looking at the wall with a slight smile.

"I know, having sex through the pri-"
Leon cut Luis off by smacking him on the head.

"Not that, you idiot. There's a hole in the wall,"
Leon pointed to where the painting used to hang, revealing a small hole that provided a clear view of numerous old security tapes stacked together.

"Start searching, I want my woman safe out of that prison hole"

Luis scoffed, "yeah, the place you put her in"