Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76203 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
I didn’t sleep.
I stayed still as a board in my bunk, the thin blanket pulled up to my chin, and listened.
Beds squeaking as women shifted in their sleep, heavy breathing, snoring, mumbles as some women dreamed, whimpers as others cried, the toilets flushing in the cells, the jangle of the keys on the hips of the guards as they walked around.
Objectively, it was quiet.
To me, though, it felt like every small noise was amplified until I was pressing my pillow to my ears to try to drown it out.
I didn’t luck out to get my arraignment the next morning.
But Della did.
And Della never came back.
I felt like my insides trembled the rest of the day as I followed the routines Della had set out for me.
I kept an eye on the clock, rushing into the bathroom just as the other women started to line up.
I ate my bread and veggies, and let everyone else have what was left.
Then I sat or reclined in my bunk, listening, absorbing, getting more and more strung out with each passing moment.
Then, I had another night of no sleep. Or maybe I catnapped. But there was no way I was unconscious for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. Not enough to feel any less exhausted and detached.
But I was finally told I was being arraigned, and was brought to the courthouse where I met Simon, who barely spared me a glance, and the split second his gaze did fall on me, all I saw was distaste.
I knew I looked rough.
The mirrors weren’t exactly super reflective in the jail, but I could see how my hair had gone greasy, and the bags under my eyes had turned purple.
Alone, I unzipped the garment bag to reveal something way nicer than anything I could ever afford.
I was a somewhat simple girl. One who knew her budget was never going to allow for designer clothing, so I learned not to covet it.
But as my hand touched the buttery-soft material of the demure scoop-neck blouse in a light mauve color, I wondered if I was missing out. It would fit just right, without clinging. As would the plain beige slacks, underwear, bra, and ballet flats.
I was also given a hair tie, which I assumed meant that Simon wanted my hair back, so I set to doing that before slipping into the clothes.
I felt better almost instantly, more like myself, less like an inmate.
When I made my way out of the room, Simon snapped his fingers at the woman who was at his side in a black suit.
He waved at my face, and she quickly rushed forward with one of those tubes with a sponge at the end to apply cover up. She swiped it under each of my eyes, then blotted in the makeup carefully.
“Better,” Simon said, nodding. “Remember, you are to do one thing. Declare you are innocent. That’s it. The rest of the time, you sit or stand next to me looking wide-eyed with good posture and slightly parted lips that give the ‘I can’t believe this is happening to me’ look.”
“I can’t believe this is happening to me,” I agreed.
But he wasn’t paying me any mind then.
We were separated then, me with my guard, going in through a separate door, and Simon entering through the doors of the courtroom.
I tried not to shrink into myself as I saw the guard and the judge, looking incredibly intimidating. Because he was. He held my future in his hands.
I did my best to follow Simon’s instructions, keeping my back straight, my lips parted, and my eyes big. I didn’t even have to fake that part.
“How do you plead?” the judge barked, making me jerk slightly.
“Not guilty, your honor,” I said, worried my voice was too small and trembly to reach him, but he seemed to hear.
I was kind of numb after that until I heard the words I’d been praying for.
“Bail will be set,” the judge stated, “at fifty-thousand dollars,” he added.
“Oh, God,” I whimpered. “I’m never getting out of here,” I said, mostly to myself, but Simon turned to look at me, a curious pull to his brows.
“You’ll be out of here in under an hour,” he said.
Then, like magic, I was led to the clerk where Simon was talking to the man there like they were old friends. If I wasn’t mistaken, the clerk almost seemed a little starstruck.
But, no.
My sleep-deprived eyes must have been seeing things.
“I don’t understand,” I said, looking at Simon. “I don’t have the money,” I said.
“It’s done,” Simon said.
“But…”
“Everleigh, I’m a busy man. I don’t have time to walk you through this. You’re free. But you can’t go back to the gym. And you will show up for your court date if I don’t get the charges dropped before then.”
“Okay,” I agreed, feeling my lower lip wobble a bit. “Wait, but don’t you want your clothes back?” I asked, gesturing toward them as I took my bag of belongings back from the clerk.