The 10

16

Isabella picks up on the third rang. "Hey girl, I just got home. What's up?"

"Mr. Parker's dead."
"Do you think Christopher had something to do with it?"
Kate pauses, rolling the card, with the detective's number on it, between her fingers. "The prison guard called me, and we met at his car. He's on the case. He said they're looking into it."
"So, that's a yes." Isabella clarified.
"Basically, yeah."
"Are they still going to stay at your house until this blows over?"
"I don't know," Kate stands, holding the phone to her ear, placing the card on her desk. "Today was the first day I saw the guard since he accused me of helping Christopher escape."
"Have you seen him? Christopher, I mean."
Kate sighs, contemplating whether or not to tell her. "The other night."
"What happened?" Kate hears her friend quickly jump up.
"He snuck in somehow. Asked what I had told the guards, what they had told me."
"And?"
"And. . ." Kate paused, feeling overwhelmed. "He got on top of me, scared me. He was shouting at me, I thought he was going to break my phone."
Isabella cuts her friend off hastily. "What did he do, Kate?"
"He apologized."
Taken aback, Isabella stuttered. "He what?"
"He got off of me, went to the end of my bed and apologized. He said that he never meant to scare me and that he would never hurt me. He just wanted to surprise me and see me, I guess."
"Did you tell the guard about this?"
"No."
"Damnit, Kate, why not?"
"I'm not sure." Kate shrugged. "I'm really not. Believe me, I want him back in prison and everything, but he didn't hurt me."
"That's not an excuse Kate. If he's in your house, you need to call the police and get him to put back in jail."
"I know."
"If he does go back to prison, are you going to write to him?"
Kate paused, thinking it over. "I'm not sure."

During Kate and Isabella's conversation, Christopher listened closely. One day, while Kate was in school, he had snuck in and placed audio and visual cameras. He had gone into a local pawn shop, keeping his head low, and used his first paycheck to buy an iPad and the cameras. Watching Kate intently, he saw her constantly get up then sit down and back up again. He watched as she got off her phone and sighed, holding her head in her hands. Christopher was tempted to sneak in and comfort her but then he saw headlights behind him. Locking the iPad and ducking, he watched the car pass by and then pull into Kate's driveway.

Christopher was spewing with anger as he watched Luke get out of his car and knock on her door. He became even more agitated when Kate had opened the door and let him in with a wide grin on her face. Banging his hands against the steering wheel, he unlocked the iPad and watched closely, ready to go in whenever Kate needed him.

"Kate, we gotta talk." Luke pushed past her.
"About what?" Kate said, confused, closing her door.
"That text you sent."
"What text?"
"Don't play games with me, Kate. My phone's been off the last couple of days, because, you know. But I finally turned it on today and," He pauses, taking out his phone, scrolling through the messages and showing her the screen. "I got this text from you two days ago."
Kate reads the text. "I never sent this." She pauses and then realizes Christopher had been here a couple of days ago; he had had her phone. "Oh, my God." Luke raises a brow at her. "Someone sent you that text, but I swear it wasn't me."
"Then who." Luke was stern, not asking, but demanding.
"I can't tell you." Kate looks down, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Luke huffs and storms past her. "Yeah, well," he opens her front door. "When you can, you know how to reach me. But until then, don't talk to me." he slams her front door and Kate flinches.

    Kate slams her door and huffs. Christopher watches as Luke goes to his car, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. Christopher lowers himself when the car drives by. Watching Luke pause at the stop sign before turning, he opens his door and quietly crosses the street to Kate's house. Sneaking through the gate to the backyard, he sneaks towards the back door and finds it open. He twists the knob and pushes the door open. Using his hand to close the door slowly, he locks it and heads upstairs.
   He enters Kate's room and sees the bathroom door is closed. He can hear the shower running. Trying to distract himself from wanting to go in there, he goes towards her desk and eyes her homework. Furrowing his brows, becoming confused by the work, he silently gives thanks that he's no longer in school. His eyes move to the right and spot the small white card. Picking it up, he reads who the card belongs to and becomes enraged. He hears the shower cut off and puts the card in his pocket.
    Pulling the chair from her desk, he turns it to face her and waits for her to come out. She comes out in a pink towel, using another small white one to dry her hair. Preoccupied with drying her hair, she barely notices Christopher. She drops the white towel and turns to head into her closet. Jumping, she clutches the towel tighter to her body and stands there, shivering.
"What the hell?" she shouts, holding onto the towel tighter and tighter, her knuckles turning white.
"Calm down," Christopher says, his hands on his thighs. "I just came to see you. I saw Luke storm out of here."
"So?" Kate remarks, raising a brow, her hand resting on her hip.
Licking his lips, taking his eyes off of her, he speaks. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. That he didn't- that he didn't-"
"That he didn't what?" Kate becomes annoyed.
Finally looking up at her, his voice sincere, he says. "That he didn't hurt you."
    Kate's taken aback by his empathy. She's no longer annoyed with him sneaking into her house again. She stands there and stares at him, and he stares at her. Kate suddenly remembers the situation and shakes her head, returning to reality.
"Christopher," she sighs. "You can't keep doing this." she inches closer. "You'll get caught."
"I know." he puts his hands up, hoping she'll get the hint and hold them. She doesn't. "I've seen it happen. They bring you back and beat the shit out of you."
"So then why did you escape?"
"So I could see you. And I wouldn't have to follow that stupid rule about not touching you." he stands, shuffling closer to her. "You wanted to shake my hand the first day we met and our last day together, we both wanted to hug. And they wouldn't let us. It would've just been an innocent hug." he shrugs, sitting on the edge of her bed, maybe two inches from her.
Kate tucks her towel in and sits next to him. "If I had known you were going to do this, I would've stopped you."
"Why?"
"Because. You said you only had a few more months left. Why wouldn't you wait?"
"Because I couldn't. I watched as wives and girlfriends would visit for a while and then never again. I was worried that one day you would stop writing."
Kate looks down, thinking that he was probably right. One day she probably would stop writing him. "Still not an excuse to escape prison."
"Yeah, but admit it," he nudges her shoulder with his and smirks. "You're glad to see me."
Kate didn't realize how much she would enjoy the simple, innocent touch. Smiling, she shyly admits, "Yeah, I guess I am a little bit."
      They sit there and stare at each other. Christopher decides it's now or never and leans in. Casually, he places his hand on her thigh and kisses her. At first, Kate is frozen, unsure of what to do. Then she realizes how right it feels to be with Christopher. Wrapping her arms around his neck, the once slow kiss turns into desperate and needy. Pulling her closer, Christopher moves his hands down to the rim of the towel, tugging at it. Kate's small hands fold over his and places them on the small of her back. Lifting her up, he pushes her to the top of her bed and lays her down. Placing his hands by her hips on the bed, leaning his body in between her legs.
    Realizing they may not have much time, Christopher decides to hold off stripping her until the next time. Fumbling with his jeans, Kate lays there, watching him in anticipation. Finally free of the restriction of his pants, he groans. He says he doesn't have a condom and she laughs, saying that it's okay and she's on the pill. Leaning down and kissing her, he enters her as they both gasp into each other's mouths. Never breaking their kiss, Christopher thrusts his hips. Kate throws her arms above her head as Christopher begins to kiss down her neck. He breathes in her coconut conditioner and drags his tongue down her neck.
    He feels her shiver and smirks. Wanting so desperately to go further and further down her body, he feels himself on the edge of coming undone, and his thrusts become quicker and messier. Kate can hear his moans and groans in her ear as his head is buried in her neck. Tossing her head back on the pillow, her hips begin to match his hips movements as she cries out, coming undone herself.
    For a while, they just lay there, enjoying each other's company. Somehow, they had ended up with Christopher on his back and Kate's head on his chest. Their legs lay under the blanket, intertwined. Kate's hand is absentmindedly playing with his fingers. Christopher lays his head deeper into the pillow, smiling so wide his cheeks almost hurt. Kate looks up at him, and upon seeing his smile, she realizes she's smiling too. What had just happened with Christopher had felt right, meant to be, even. She wasn't much of a helpless romantic, but she knew she and Christopher had had undeniable chemistry since the start.
     Rolling over slightly, she grabbed her phone and checked the time, slightly after midnight. She would have to be at school in seven hours. Sighing, she placed her phone down and went back to her previous position. Moving her hair, so it lay down her back, she adjusted her head several times on Christopher's chest until she was comfortable again. Christopher's hand rubbed up and down her back. Feeling her smile on his skin, Christopher kissed the top of her head and continued to rub Kate's back until they both fell asleep in pure ecstasy.