CHAPTER 27

Lillie

I couldn't sleep a wink last night, tossing and turning, and only slept for the last hour. My neck muscle was stiff this morning. I tried to massage it as I checked my alarm clock. Shit! I was running ten minutes late for work.

With a groan, I woke up. Dimitri's letter replayed in my mind. And my feelings towards it were as messy as ever. I needed clarity before I headed to school today.

After I showered, I slipped on a red skirt with a black top and matching pantyhose. I grabbed an apple for breakfast, trying to make up some lost time, and sprinted for the door. I jogged to my car, drove to school, and made it in record time.

I would not allow my feelings to get in the way of my duty.

I decided to give Sassi a call while still in my car. For privacy reasons, like what I was about to say was security coded or something. Gosh, I can be dramatic. I grabbed my cell from my bag and called Sassi.

"Hello," a groggy voice answered.

"Hi Sassi?" I said.

"Shit Lil. do you know what time is it? I was having the most sexy dream ever." She said with annoyance.

Don't I know about cutting a sexy dream short. And the mystery man could have been Dimitri? I shuddered, momentarily pulling stiff. I snapped back to reality.

"I'm sorry to wake you up this early. But this is important. I couldn't wait to start work unless I get this off my chest." I said breathlessly.

"Oh? What is it?" I could hear Sassi's voice perking up.

"Okay. I received a letter from Dimitri last night. He apparently got approved for his parole... And he would like to meet me?" I said the last part slowly. There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"Did he say he wants to meet you after his release?" she asked cautiously.

"He wanted to meet me 'one day'. I don't know if that counts? So, I'm not that sure. Technically, I guess." I shook my head. I wasn't so sure anymore. Was he just trying to be nice?

"I think you need to de-register yourself from the Pen Pal Prisoner program, Lil. Just to be on the safe side, you know. So, this guy doesn't try anything funny. Oh... and don't write to him any longer. Okay." Sassi said.

"But he should know that once he's done serving time, we have no longer contact, right?" I said.

"Right! he knows the rules. You can't meet him. It doesn't work that way. And it's totally unsafe. De-register today, okay?" she said concerned.

"Okay, I'll de-register asap." I said and ended the call.

Sassi was right. I had to de-register myself, so Dimitri can take a hint that our communication has ended. I felt kind of sad. But it was the right thing to do. I don't want Dimitri to get any ideas.

I'll end it today.

***

School went by quickly. I was thankful for that. Once I returned home, I opened my laptop and sat at my desk. I took Sassi's advice and de-registered myself online from Pen Pal Prisoners.

Once completed, I felt a sudden loss. A pang of remorse shot through me as I closed my laptop. I mean, even though I have never met Dimitri in person. And I had no idea how he looks like or sounds like, we only written to each other. I'll miss his letters that I looked forward to each week. I felt sad.

A knot in my stomach formed. We spoke to each other about many things that happened in our lives. I felt I knew him in some way. He opened up so much to me, and I had a feeling he didn't do that often. It felt like I was losing a friend.

I took a deep sigh and tried to shrug it off. I didn't expect our relationship to end so soon. That was the first time I actually thought of our correspondence as a relationship. But a simply platonic one.

"Well, I guess that's the end of it," I sighed to myself.