The Convict

The Second Time

For the better part of a week, I kept going to the house to take care of Dakota, under the guise that I was cleaning out the house. Which I was, but not alone. The busy work helped keep me distracted and helped me hide the fact that I was a nervous wreck. I had hardly gotten two hours of sleep the whole week. Too afraid to turn on the TV and see Dakota's face on the screen over the words escaped convict.

I quickly dropped the lawsuit thing, the last thing I needed was people looking closer into her death and finding out the truth. BB was none the wiser as to what I was up to, no one was. They all just assumed I took on the house project to distract myself from Dakota's death.

I wish that had been the case.

Death is easy.

Life is hard.

The Second Time

"Take a break Mel, you're running yourself into the ground," Dakota said in concern as I slowly packed another box to donate.

I was falling asleep sitting up.

"Huh? No, I'm fine." I lie and go back to packing.

"Melony, you are not fine." Dakota comes over to me, sitting next to me on the ground.

She's been helping me pack boxes.

"I'm okay," I yawn.

"Mel, you've been on the same box for the past hour."

I look down at the box and blink in surprise. She's right. I didn't even notice.

"Come on, come lay down and take a nap." She helps me up off the floor.

"Dakota I'm fine," I whine.

"Come on, you've been taking care of me all week, my turn to take care of you." She leads me to the room.

I sigh but follow.

"Just a couple hours, come on," she helps me lay down.

I sink into the bed and close my eyes.

She takes my shoes off and pulls the blankets back before carefully getting in next to me. Her legs are still pretty bad, but they are healing. I move over to let her in, then pull the blanket close to us and try to sleep.

It's surprisingly easy laying here next to Dakota. I fall asleep in seconds flat. I feel her wrap her good arm around me but I'm too tired to fight it.

I should have set an alarm or something because I wake up to my phone ringing and it's dark outside.

"W-what?" I sit up, rubbing my face.

The phone rings.

Dakota is asleep next to me.

It's like she doesn't even hear the sound. She probably got used to sleeping with lots of noise in prison. I reach for the phone and see how late it is,

"Shit," I hiss before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Mel, where are you? Are you okay?" BB asks in concern.

"No, I'm sorry. I accidentally fell asleep at the house. You just woke me up," I yawn and stretch.

"Are you okay? You haven't been sleeping well."

"I'm fine, just tired. I'll get my shoes on and get home soon, promise."

"I'll wait for you." She says.

"K, love you, bye." I hang up.

When I turn to Dakota her eyes are open and she's staring at me.

"I got to go," I say.