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Chapter 10

Two days after our short-lived pillow talk I found myself mopping floors with the rest of the inmates in my service pool. I'd been transferred back to clean up duty yesterday morning after enjoying the easy kitchen work ever since my run-in with Beans and I found myself missing the ease of it all. Wiping floors and cleaning filthy toilets wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

The only upside to it all was the fact that Nathan and a few other members of my crew were in my service pool and my new friend Kyle was also mopping floors alongside me.

He grinned over at me when the head of our mops slammed into each other and I stifled a chuckle. We weren't allowed to communicate during clean up. When he winked at me and moved farther away to mop up some spilled drink I continued to watch him; wondering at my luck.

I'd spent the past two days getting to know him and as cliché as it sounded I honestly felt like I'd known him my whole life.

He wasn't a difficult guy to get along with; he got my corny jokes and while he was guilty of the crime that had gotten him thrown in with the rest of us, he didn't judge me for my alleged one. I felt as if he sincerely believed I was innocent and it was nice to finally have someone other than Jerry on my side.

I ran the mop over the uneven tiles again and again, flexing my fingers when they started to cramp. I never imagined prison would have gotten a bit easier for me to deal with, who would have thought I could make a friend and gain a lover in this hell hole.

"What're you smiling at? Get back to work." Kyle teased when the guard had his back turned.

"That mop isn't gonna push itself maggot." I teased right back in my best drill sergeant impression and he snickered right along with me.

"You're gonna come to the gym with me for REC later right?"

I glanced to my left to make sure the guard on duty was still occupied before I answered.

"Yeah... I'm getting sick of the library anyway." I never really understood why people chose to lie for the simplest of things until those words left my mouth. Everybody wanted to fit in sometimes right?

"How come you don't do REC with your crew anyway? I always see them in the gym but you're never there." He questioned while he continued to glide the mop across the tiles.

I shrugged. "There's no rule that says you hafto do REC with your crew is there?" sarcasm.

"Who knows, never been part of a crew before. I thought you guys did everything together."

"Yeah well... I can barely stand most of them so the less time I have to sit around and 'bond' the better." I said unkindly; stealing a glance at John as I said the words.

Kyle followed my gaze the tilted his head in askance, "What's the deal with him?"

"Who John?" I questioned "Nothing if you're the type of person who likes to argue with assholes on a daily basis." I really needed to expand my vocabulary, John deserved something worse than the dried up anus of a donkey to describe him.

"That bad huh?" he said thoughtfully and I tore my eyes away from John and settled them back on the task at hand.

"Worse. Don't even know how Nate can be friends with that sorry excuse for a-"

"Yeah I get it, you hate him." Kyle chuckled cutting me off mid insult.

I shook my head, wondering how grown ass men still managed to spill their shit on the floor every single day...you'd think they'd have learned basic table etiquette when they'd been on the outside. I pressed harder against the wooden rod, trying in vain to clean the sticky mess off the tile.

"So I was wondering..." kyle trailed off and I looked up at him when I caught the seriousness of his tone, raising an eyebrow as assurance that he could continue.

"Do you think you could maybe get me into your crew?" he asked surprising me.

After a brief pause I went on."Trust me you don't want in on my crew, all they do is sit around and throw insults and judge you for shit you didn't even do." I grumbled and he shrugged.

"It's gotta be better than being alone here...everybody thinks you're fair game when you're a solo inmate." He explained and I supposed he was right. I'd experienced the horrors of being solo when I'd first arrived after all.

"Why my crew though? they're so many others to choose from." I was genuinely curious.

"Have you seen the criteria to get in? I aint getting myself involved with those other freaks" he hissed and we both looked around to make sure no one had heard him. Things got ugly here for less things than calling someone a freak.

"I don't know if I can get you in but I guess I could ask Nate for you." I wasn't too confident about his chances due to Nate's distrust of him and I wondered I should just tell it to him straight.

"Time for you to get lost." A very familiar voice boomed from behind me and I watched as Kyle looked at Nate then at me before taking a few steps away from us. Speak of the devil.

"Got any good books from Jerry?" he questioned then, moving his mop to the pace of my own.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked. It was totally unlike him to act obtuse and I rolled my eyes at his failure at subterfuge.

"With Kyle."

"I needed to talk to you, he was in the way; there's not much to tell." He shrugged and I glanced over at Kyle who was even further away from us than before; making his way through his cleanup alone.

"You didn't have to be so mean about it." I retorted and if Nate was in the habit of rolling his eyes I got the feeling he would have. Instead he gave me that typical Nate look that meant I shouldn't be making foolish statements and I rolled my eyes in turn.

"You know there's no reason to be jealous right?" I questioned and even though he had yet to admit he was jealous of my relationship with Kyle I wasn't too simpleminded that I hadn't picked up on it and damn if it didn't fill me with those warm tingly feelings I probably shouldn't even be feeling.

"You shouldn't assume things." Was his only answer and I carefully noted that he didn't deny my words.

"I don't have to assume something I already know. Kyle is honestly just a friend, I'm not planning to run off into the sunset with him or anything."

"Hadn't crossed my mind but now that you mention it; I hope you remember our deal. The minute you decide to look elsewhere for gratification, what we have is over and you'll have to find yourself a new cellmate."

I gaped at him, "That wasn't the deal, you said-"

"That's the deal now." He cut me off and when he moved away from me to go find another section of the room to clean I housed the thought of just lifting my bucket and tossing it; dirty water and all, onto him.

Leave it to Nathan to make you feel soft and cuddly one minute and murderous the next. I loved the man but his mood swings were going to be the death of me; I could only hope he somehow developed some vestige of feelings toward me before that fateful day reared its ugly head.

.....................................

Much to Kyle's disappointment, I missed REC period that day due to an unscheduled visit from my attorney and after over half an hour with him I left the room feeling just about the same way I did going in; somewhat hopeful but largely glum.

"We're doing everything we can in persuading the court to grant leave for appeal but I won't sugar coat it Riley; your situation isn't the best right now. If only you hadn't attacked him in front of witnesses." He'd said; his face contemplative.

"Yeah well, there's not much I can do about that now is there?"

Weren't lawyers supposed to make you feel better about your case?

"Just be honest with me; is there any chance at all I might get out of here?" I couldn't look at him as I asked the words; fearful of what I might see on his face.

"There's definitely a chance you'll get out but I need you to write a letter to the judge; it might help your case." He said and my brows furrowed.

"The courts already received your testimony so you need to go for their hearts; tell them the type of person you are, your dreams, the way you feel about the murder. Anything you can think of to get them to at least consider hearing your case."

I took a breath and let it out and he gave me a plastic smile. "Get it to me before the week is out; I'll review it and sent it off."

He'd left shortly after that and I'd found myself munching on my dinner in silence while all around me the noise grew.

"You okay?" Nathan was the first to ask; his expression was serious as he looked at me and I wondered if it was really concern that I saw in his eyes.

"Stop babying him Nate; he's gonna be here a long time he's gonna have to learn to be tough." John interrupted and with the mood I was in already something told me that if I opened my mouth I'd probably end up with more bruises than I was comfortable with so in a flash I was out of my seat and making my way over to Kyle; where he sat alone.

"Hey dude." He greeted when I dropped unceremoniously into the chair across from him.

I sighed, dropping my forehead onto the table.

"I'm gonna assume you had a fight with John since he's looking at you like he's ready to drag you back over there and pound your ass." His comment came not long after.

"Didn't have a fight with anyone...just sick of them. Maybe we should start our own crew." I grumbled and he laughed.

"Ha! I wish." He started and I looked at him, "So did you get a chance to ask Nate if I can join?" he sounded hopeful and I was sorry I had to crush it.

"Nate's not gonna let you in dude. He's...he doesn't really trust people that easily." I told him and his face fell.

"But did you ask him? I'm sure he'll listen if it's you."

"I don't have to... He told me point blank that he doesn't trust you. If I ask him now he'll just say no. Plain and simple."

He didn't say anything for a while after that and I knew he was hurt buy my words. Nathan was a dick; they all were and it was days like today that I found myself contemplating just leaving the crew all together.

"Sorry bro." I said a short while later and I watched in surprise as he pushed up from the seat and went to dump his food tray. When he made his way back over to the table he didn't sit but instead stopped beside it to address me.

"I have a visitor so I gotta go, but just ask him anyway okay?"

I didn't have the heart to tell him no so I nodded and watched as he walked away. Right before he was to pass my crew's table however he shot John a look that I didn't quite understand and was out the door before I could decipher it.

No sooner had I replaced my head onto the desk than Nathan dropped into the seat beside me and I lifted my head to appraise him.

"You ready to tell me what's got you acting like this?" were his first words and I shook my head.

"Nothing."

I expected him to be annoyed but he remained pretty calm as he continued to watch me.

"Really it's not a big deal...just going through some stuff and I don't wanna talk about it." I even offered him a half smile in good grace and he nodded in what I assumed to be understanding.

"You shouldn't let John get to you; that's just the way he is; you're gonna hafto get used to it." He began his next topic of conversation and I turned infinitesimally to glare at John but he didn't look my way.

"He's an idiot. I hate him." I whined and Nate chuckled. I wasn't sure if it was at my words, expression or the situation on a whole, but I felt myself smiling back at him despite myself.

"He's not a bad guy when you get to know him." He tried to convince me.

"Is he one of those guys who shows his affection through insults?" I asked sarcastically and when he didn't answer but raised an eyebrow in question I shook my head.

"That's what I thought. He's an ass, he thinks I'm an ass and we both can't stand each other...you don't have to pick up for him."

He shrugged then and once again chanced the topic.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I have a court appeal in the morning so the prison is shipping me out in a few minutes." He said casually and I felt my lips stretch across my teeth of their own accord.

"That's awesome Nate! I can't believe you got an appeal, wow." I was genuinely happy for him but it would be hours yet before I realized that an appeal meant he could possibly be set free soon and what it could possibly mean for our 'relationship'.

"So when are you coming back? Do you think you have a strong case? Where are you gonna stay tonight?" I shot the questions without pause and he chuckled; his eyes gleaming with laughter.

"My lawyer seems to think so, they're holding me in a courthouse cell and I'll be back by tomorrow evening I think."

Before I could reply a guard I hadn't even seen walk up, tapped him on the shoulder and he stood.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said. I wasn't sure whether I should wish him all the best on his trip, tell him I was gonna miss him or give him a hug so I nodded instead and watched him leave the room with the guard as an escort.

It wasn't long after that that something occurred to me; I finally understood the look that Kyle had shot John as he left earlier. It was practically the same look I gave Nate on a daily.

I shook my head in disbelief and turned to look at the table the rest of the crew still sat around, letting the realization sink in.

Kyle had a thing for John.

.....................................

~Nathan's POV~

I pulled the book out from my oversized pants pocket and stared silently at the cover. I'd managed to get the copy delivered earlier today and I hoped he'd like it. When the guard cleared his throat to hurry me along I dropped the novel onto Riley's bunk and turned to go. I watched as he slapped the cuffs onto my wrists and I took a breath.

Ever since I'd landed the case I'd been hoping for it to just be over so I could get back to my life on the outside but now that I had the chance to escape the confines of the prison for just one night I felt hesitant.

It was strange, but I recognized the hesitation for what it was; it was only for a single night but I would miss him.

As I walked between the two guards who would escort me to the location where I'd finally get a chance to speak with my captain, I realized how much I really didn't want to leave him here. Not tonight and probably not even when I would permanently be retracted from the prison system a few months from now.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

...AND NOW I CAN FINALLY GO WATCH A MOVIE...ENJOY THE CHAPTER GUYS AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS; THEY ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL EXTRA SPECIAL ^_^

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.