The Convict

Old flames

It went on for weeks, me going to the house daily to check on Dakota. No one the wiser. Even after all that Dakota has put me through it's like I still felt connected to her. Still felt like I belonged to her. I stopped going to therapy, the last thing I wanted was to tell someone all of this. I kept on my meds though. Hoping the pills would stop the festering feelings inside of me from taking over.

It's like even though I know Dakota is a horrible person who has done horrible things, most of those things to myself, there is still another part to her. The part I fight for, the part I care for. The part of her that used to volunteer to help the disabled. The part of her that cared for her sister. The part of her that had compassion toward me, even in both of our darkest hours. The part of her that wrote me letters in prison and would call me even if she had nothing to say, just so she could hear my voice.

Dakota is messed up, I won't deny that. But so am I. So is everyone. Everyone has a part to them that they don't show anyone. I know if I were in Dakota's shoes... if someone had killed someone I loved and cared for, I would have probably done what she did. I would have gotten my vengeance, I would have killed them too.

Dakota may be a monster, a beast even, but then I guess that makes me beauty because I still care for this beast. There is a fire in my heart that will always burn a little hotter for Dakota. She is an old flame I can't extinguish.

And like most old flames, all it takes is a spark to reignite the blaze.

Old flames

"If I would have known your death would have boosted my book sales I would have asked you to fake your death a long time ago," I smile at my new royalty check.

"Ha ha ha," Dakota rolls her eyes.

"Okay the delivery driver should be here any minute so go hide." I push her to the room.

"No one told me faking my death would involve manual labor," she says.

"Payback!" I call after her as she goes to hide in the room.

I giggle as she flips me off.

Since sales have been boosted, and since I need more reasons to keep coming to the house, I have decided to renovate the house. One room at a time. It gives me an excuse to be here all the time and gets BB off my back. Today the new kitchen appliances arrive.

I told Dakota she has to help me redo the kitchen. Payback for when she kidnapped me and made me redo her kitchen.

There is a knock at the door.

"Coming!" I call extra loudly so Dakota will hide.

I open the door and let the delivery drivers deliver the new fridge and stove. I sign their papers and quickly lock the door once they are gone.

"Clear!" I call.

Dakota limps out from the back hall.

Her legs are mostly healed now, but her right leg still has a limp and some pretty bad scarring. Her left leg has made a full recovery with minimal scarring. Her arm is completely healed, with no scarring. All her bruising is gone now too. She looks better than ever.

I told Dakota after she helped me today that I would help her give herself a haircut. She wanted to grow it out a little before touching it.

"Okay, Let's paint first then install the backsplash," I place the bucket of paint on the counter.

Everything is already prepped. Plastic laid down on the floor. Paper laid down on the counter. The cabinets have also been replaced already. The only thing left to do in the kitchen is paint and put in a backsplash.