Caught in the Middle

Chapter 25

Literally, I was in a cell, which was a whole lot different from the ones that were shown on television. One, there was a small toilet in the corner for anyone who had to go. It meant exposure and humiliation. Two, there was a bench about my height, which was currently occupied by four intimidating women. They spread themselves comfortably on it while glaring at everyone who looked at them. Anyone who wanted to sit had to prove they were tough and I was anything but such so I opted to stay by the door, hoping that the officer would return with a goofy grin on his face and saying that he was joking.

But that hope was all in my head.

I realized how correct Dane was about everything. He repeatedly warned me that Nathan was up to no good but I chose to overlook my situation. I thought I could walk back into my life normally and pretend that nothing happened.

In the end, I lost that sense of normalcy.

Nothing could be the same.

And then Irene's words chose that moment to haunt me. "You keep shoving everyone aside. One day you're going to be by yourself and then you'll know how it feels to be truly alone but the worst part is that you put yourself there."

Her words rang true in my ears. I was truly alone. The only time I felt this lonely was when my parents died and I was left alone to fend for myself. I forced myself not to rely on others, thinking it was a weakness. I better appreciated things if I earned it with hard work.

However, all my hard work went down the drain because it was all being torn from me. It didn't matter that it took me all the years to work my jobs to pay for my little apartment and bills. At the end of the day, I had nothing left to return to.

I bowed my head against the bars while I closed my eyes. I tried my best to silence my sobs. The worst place to cry was in jail among others who thrived on pain. Just by glancing at the other women in the cell, I knew none of them were like me.

I bumped my head against one of the bars when a tear made its way down my cheek. I stilled for a moment, waiting for the tear trail not to be noticeable on my face before exhaling a breath. Footsteps approached me from behind and my body stiffened.

I felt a hot breath at the nape of neck and instantly, I shuffled away from a blond woman who wore too little clothing on her small frame. Her face was heavily done with dark make up and her ears had many piercings. She laughed at my uncomfortableness. The other women cackled with her. I could be brave but not being much of a social person caused me to retreat. I flattened myself against the wall, keeping close to the bars so that officers could see or hear what was going on.

But I had a feeling if I called out for help, they would leave me to face the problem.

Two other messily dressed women got up from the bench. One of them was heavily set and she looked to be a powerhouse. There was no way I wanted to be on her shit list.

The closer they moved to me, the smaller I made myself between the bars and the cement wall. They continued to laugh at me all while prolonging the fear that wanted to burst out me. The only problem was I had nowhere to run.

Damn, I was deep trouble!

My eyes darted to every part of the too small cell. My hands splayed flat against the cool surface on the wall.

They cackled more from my reaction toward them.

"Shit! Look at how crazy frighten the mouse looks!" The hefty woman said.

The blond one's smile turned into a grin. "It makes you to do stuff with her!"

This situation was too overwhelming for me. I found myself sinking to the dirty floor and mentally shutting them out. It was a reaction that I did when things were too overbearing for me to cooperate.