Almost Forgotten

Chapter 24: Last Goodbye

These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon.

All of my documents were all the way back in Virginia, so I had to sit still while my fingerprints were being checked out by the lazy man behind the counter.

He laughed through a mouth full of donuts when I said I was an FBI agent, still wasn't able to refuse my demand to check the system.

Now as I wait for the approval to arrive, my legs are tapping up and down on the floor as my hands stay buried in my hair.

He was meant to be free.

And I ruined it.

I feel my own hand choking me down, cutting my eyes out with the glass of a broken mirror in my bathroom which started all this paranoia.

I should have listened to him. Play nice, go by his rules and maybe he would have gotten the chance to see the end of this week.

But should he?

He is still Landon Thorne, the merciless criminal that brought all this upon himself. Why should he even get the chance to be free?

I was contemplating calling Jackson, not admitting what I heard, but trying to get at least something, anything, that tells me what I learned earlier is not true. Still, I contained myself from it as it's clear what calling him last time caused.

"Sir." I snap my head at the same guard from before, now half of donut wiped over his lip as he nods at me nervously. "Umm, so I checked and your fingerprints check out, so you are allowed-"

"I know how it works." I cut him off, sending him hard glare as I added. "Lead the way.

He has his mouth open when he nods and walks to the left hallways, as I follow him. When we stopped in front of the metal door, I turned to him and said, "One guard here, I have as much time as I want."

He is nodding repeatedly. "Yes, sir."

I don't reply, just turn towards the door as my hand grabs the handle. It stays there for a little too long, but I feel glued to the floor.

What do I even say?

Accuse him of lying? Be angry about it? I have no right to do that, especially when it comes to lying.

But this is different.

Much different.

The doors are being hardly pushed open as I enter it, not turning around as I close it when Landon lifts his head.

His hands are in weak metal cuffs, much similar to those I put him in, but as useless as any other as he could escape from them in less than a minute.

He is wearing his own clothes, considering this is a simple jail and not prison, the orange suit is not needed. His suit is missing a coat as the sleeves of white shirt are withdrawn to his elbows. A silver watch is missing from his left wrist, as well as the necklace he wore when all this went down.

His face is exhausted, but back on its feet when he sees my distressed face.

"Are you all right, Winter?"

He is asking with so much genuineness that I want to die on it. "Am I am right?" I repeat with a wet and shaky voice through a humorless laugh.

He leans back, trying to read the reason for the tears swelling under my eyelids. "What the hell were you thinking?"

He raises a brow. "About...?"

"About everything, Landon." I shout, and his eyes are stunned, but not a single change in his frame. He is still silently calm on the chair.