I had been staring at the ceiling for God knows how long. It wasn’t the first time I found myself in a jail cell, but this time felt different. I was here because I had fought for someone… I loved.
No.
What was I saying?
I didn’t love anyone. I had lost the ability to do that a long time ago. I had simply been itching for a fight, that’s all. Amanda’s husband was the perfect target.
I struggled with this inner conflict, trying to convince myself that I wasn’t falling for her, but deep down, I knew it was true. Amanda had changed me. Maybe it was the fact we had so much in common, with our hearts being so damaged, but whatever it was, one thing was certain. She was different. I didn’t want to hurt her like all the other girls. When David had said those things about her, it filled me with such rage that I just couldn’t control myself.
Was I growing soft?
Or was I finally getting over Melissa?
Before I could think about it any further, I heard footsteps approaching. To my surprise, they stopped in front of my cell. “You have a visitor.” The officer’s gruff voice broke the silence.
“Tell them to go away. I just want to be alone.” I mumbled, turning so I could face the wall. It was probably just Stacy or something, demanding answers after she saw my name in the local newspaper. I really didn’t have the patience to deal with it.
“Luke… it’s me.”
My eyes widened when I heard that angelic voice. I slowly rolled out of bed. To my surprise, Amanda was standing there, her hands on the bars of the cell. A sense of shame washed over me. She was inside this dank and dreary place because of me. A girl like her should never have to set foot in a jailhouse.
I rushed up to her, almost placing my hands on hers before I stopped myself. She probably hated me. In fact, she was probably here to call me a monster after what I had done to her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?” I asked in an icy voice, already building a wall between us. I had been hurt before and I vowed to never let it happen again.
“I just want to talk to you.”
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “What? Have you come to gloat? To tell me that this is exactly what I deserve for trying to hurt you?”
Amanda shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. Please. I just want to talk.” Her voice was soft and sincere. I searched her eyes for a sense of malice, but she genuinely seemed concerned about me.
“Fine.”
The guard nodded, opening the cell door. He then fastened a set of cuffs around my wrists before escorting me to a visiting room. As we walked alone, quite a few inmates made lewd comments at Amanda. I could feel my rage bubbling inside of me, but I didn’t think it was wise to act up right in front of an officer, so I walked in silence.
Once we were in the visiting room, we were given some privacy. “So what do you want anyway? If you’re here to tell me what a horrible person I am, you can just go home. I already know I’m a douchebag.”
She frowned. “That’s not why I’m here.”
I raised my eyebrow in question. “Then, why are you here?”
“I just posted your bail.”
“What?” I spat, my eyes widening to the size of the moon. “Why the hell would you do that? I nearly killed your ex-husband… aren’t you scared?”
She was quiet for a moment and I could tell that she was thinking it over. “I know it’s crazy. My brain keeps telling me to run away from you because you’re nothing but bad news, but deep down, I don’t know what it is…” She trailed off. “Look, no man has ever fought for my honor before.”
“Well, no man has ever realized how precious you are. You’re worth fighting for.” I said, itching to reach out and take her hands in mine, but I held back the urge, still unsure if she had forgiven me or not. “I know what I did to you was wrong, and that you’ll never forgive me for it, but what that guy said to you, I just couldn’t let him get away with it. He deserved to get his head bashed in. I can’t believe you were married to such an idiot.”
Amanda sighed. “I know… I have a bad habit of letting people walk all over me.”
“Well. Don’t. A beautiful, smart woman like yourself needs to be strong. There’s a lot of jerks like me out there, just waiting for the chance to hurt you.”
“Why do you do it?” Her words were quick and urgent as she leaned forward, getting closer to me. “Why did you try to hurt me? If you needed the money for something… you could’ve asked.”
I laughed. “Don’t kid yourself, darling. Would you really just hand out money to a guy you didn’t know that well?” I leaned back. “But, in all honesty, I didn’t particularly need the cash… I did it… well as revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“You aren’t the only one with a broken heart…”
“So, you go around scamming girls because someone broke your heart?” She asked, sounding a little skeptical.
“Call me bitter, but it is what it is.” I shrugged. “And I have a habit of taking things too far. But, after what she did to me, it felt good to be able to do it to someone else.”
Her expression softened as she reached over and grabbed my hands, squeezing them slightly. “I think I understand.”
“You do?”
She nodded. “When David cheated on me… I went into a deep depression. I didn’t want to do anything… but, I can understand how that depression could’ve manifested itself in anger, in which case, I probably would’ve turned out just like you. But, I’m willing to forget all that and start fresh if you are.” She looked deep into my eyes.
I was touched by her kindness. No one had been this forgiving toward me before. “You mean that?”
“Yes… and to be honest… I’ve missed you terribly.”
A wild grin appeared on my face. “I knew it.” I chuckled. “No one can resist my charm.”
She rolled her eyes. “There’s no need to be such an egomaniac.”
“Sorry, babe, it’s just who I am.” I flashed another smile. “So, did you really post bail…? It was set at five thousand dollars. That’s an awful lot of money.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t let you rot in here, could I? But… I do have one condition.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at her with suspicion. I should have known that there would be some sort of a catch. “If you want me to be your personal butler or something… I’m not wearing those ridiculous suits.”
She giggled. “Oh, don’t worry… I much prefer you in a tuxedo.”
“So, what’s the condition then?”
“I want you to make me some of that risotto you made on our first night together…”
“You got yourself a deal.”
***
“So, you’re such a big fan of my risotto that you would spend $5000 just to have it again?” I teased her, unpacking the ingredients we had bought at the grocery store. It felt good to be in her kitchen again. I glanced over at the table where her claw marks were still engraved in the wood. I smirked to myself, remembering that night. Amanda had been amazing.
No. Amazing didn’t even come close to describing it.
“Do you need any help?” She asked, coming up behind me. As she did, I could smell her intoxicating scent. It was a combination of vanilla and jasmine which suited her perfectly.
“No, no. You just sit back and relax. Let me take care of dinner. It’s the least I can do.” I bowed graciously in her direction and she giggled slightly.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Go watch TV or something.”
She looked hesitant to leave my side, but eventually, she disappeared.
Once she was gone, I started chopping up all the ingredients while the rice was simmering. I hummed to myself before I spotted an under-cabinet media system. I tinkered with it until the radio came on. Searching through the available stations, I finally settled on one I liked. The upbeat pop song added a new pep to my step as I walked over to the stove.
The rice was just about done. I added the chicken, spices, and butter, wanting the dish to be as flavorful as possible. Doing so, I suddenly realized that I was trying really hard to impress her. It wasn’t like me to try this hard, or well, at least not when I had already gotten what I wanted. I had slept with Amanda, I had stolen a small part of her fortune. Theoretically, I should be done with her and moving onto the next girl and yet, I didn’t want to.
It was as if she had melted away a part of the ice-shield I had around my heart and honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It made me vulnerable in a way. If I let her in now, it just meant she could hurt me later. But, at the same time, it felt nice to truly care about someone.
Luckily, the cooking occupied most of my focus so I couldn’t fret about such things for very long. Usually, if I did, I ended up making all the wrong decisions.
After a while, I was dishing the meal onto some of her best plates. During my previous visit, I had surveyed her cabinets for anything of value, but now, all I could think about was handling her things with care so I wouldn’t break them. She truly had gotten to me…
“Dinner’s ready!” I called out.
A few minutes later, Amanda arrived, a bright smile on her face. “Ooh, it smells delicious. Even better than the last time, I’d say.”
“Oh, come on now, are you trying to make me blush or something?” I chuckled at her, resting my hand on her ass as I guided her toward the table. Maybe, I was starting on the road to becoming a new man, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have fun.
She gasped at my touch, especially when I squeezed her cheek. “L-Luke…”
I leaned in close, my lips pressed against the side of her neck. “What is it, baby girl? Do you like that?” I murmured, my hands moving to her hips. “I know you said you missed me… but I missed that sexy little body of yours a whole lot more.”
My words made her cheeks redden. I had almost forgotten how cute and sexy her blush really was.
“You’re still the same old sweet talker, aren’t you?”
“Did you think a few days in jail would change that?” I asked, my hands sneaking under her shirt and running along her bare skin. I could feel her shiver against me and it made me grin. Despite everything that had happened between us, she still wanted me. Excellent.
“N-No… but…”
“But what?” I asked, turning her around and pushing her against the table until our bodies were locked together. “You can tell me.” I held her face in my hands as if I was about to kiss her. I leaned in closer.
She closed her eyes and I chuckled. Her cheeks turned even brighter.
“Well, we should eat or the food will get cold. I didn’t slave over a hot stove for nothing, you know!”
With her cheeks looking like they were on fire, she sat down.