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“I’ll do everything in my power to help Trent. In due time, we’ll have the perfect life again.”
“I hope so,” I said. “Because I really love you. It's been a long time since I've felt this way about you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven ~ Brayden
I woke up bright and early the next morning and started to put things in motion. When I told Mia I wanted to move forward with her I was serious. The work I intended to put into our relationship started right then and there, and there was no going back for me.
I made the call to Uncle Joe and had him set up his jet for a flight to Florida. Mia was still asleep, so I took the liberty of packing her a bag and having everything ready to go for our flight. When I woke her up and told her what our plans were for the day, she was ecstatic. Nervous, but ready to hit the road and go to the prison to see Trent.
“I must have done something special last night,” she teased. “You’re up early, have my bags packed, and we’re going to see Trent? Impressive.”
“I’m serious about us,” I said. “If getting over this hump means going the extra mile to clear the way, I’m going to do everything in my power to do that. Trust me, it’s been long enough without you, and I don’t want to waste another minute.”
I was nervous to see Trent after so many years. I drove myself crazy thinking about how I would react when I saw him, how he would react when he saw me. Mia too. I was afraid I'd get angry or overly emotional because he wouldn’t be leaving to come home with us, but I held it together as best I could on our flight. Mia played a huge role in keeping cool, calm, and collected as well.
“It’ll be hard seeing him,” she said. “But at least we’ll get to lay eyes on him and know that he’s alright.”
I hoped he was alright. No one had heard from him in years, so the truth was, we didn’t know. It was a mystery that Mia and I would get to see unfold right before our eyes. There wasn’t much that scared me in life but having to be reintroduced to my best friend terrified me.
“What do you think he’ll be like?” I asked. “I’ve watched a ton of prison movies and most of those guys lose their minds in there. They become a completely different person while being caged in. It's like they lose all of their emotion and forget who they were before going in.”
“I know,” she sighed. “I’ve written a few stories about women who fall in love with guys in prison, or ones who have been recently released and from that alone, I can tell you it’s never pretty. In the end, maybe. But during, it’s a nightmare. I can’t imagine what Trent’s been going through all this time.”
All I could hope for was that he had some kind of peace of mind. I wanted that for him more than anything. I knew he’d be happy to see a piece of his family again and it might give him the strength and he needed to carry on with his sentence, but for me, it plagued my happiness.
When our plane touched the landing strip, my anxiety skyrocketed. There was a driver already there waiting to take us to the prison and although I was excited for my chance to see Trent, I was sweating. Biting my nails had become a thing for me over the years whenever I was nervous, and as observant as Mia was of me, she noticed it right away and gave me better ways to cope.
It took an hour before we made it where we were going. The large gates that surrounded the prison as we entered made it all the more surreal. It was a strange place. Gray and gloomy, with fields that stretched for miles.
Thankfully, the official who gave Mia a hard time wasn’t the one at the check in window when we arrived, but even still, it was like walking through the depths of hell to see him. They acted as if he were some kind of animal who would try to escape the minute they let him into the hallway.
“This inmate is on restriction,” the man said. “It’s been that way since he got here.”
“And why is that?” Mia sassed.
I had to calm her down before she got all riled up and they threw us off the property. So, instead of going back and forth with the guy, I got on the phone with Uncle Joe and asked him to pull some strings for us.
“They’re saying Trent’s on restriction,” I informed. “He hasn’t said why or what kind of restriction. They aren’t giving us much information at all. I think it’s all some kind of sham to keep him from having visitors. Do you think he’s hurt and they’re trying to keep it quiet?”
“You can never be so sure with these people,” Uncle Joe sighed. “Give me a few. I'll make some calls and see what I can dig up. I know the warden from where he’s been moved. I'll give him a call directly and give you a call back in a minute.”
We waited for what felt like hours for Uncle Joe to call back. I didn’t pressure him though. I knew at some point he’d call back with a solution, and we’d get to see Trent one way or the other. Even if it meant we had to go back every day until someone gave us some real answers.
“This is bullshit,” Mia complained. “Everyone here has gotten to go back with no issues. I don’t understand why Trent’s the only one who can’t have visitors. Isn’t it the prisoners right to a visit?”
“We’ll figure it out, babe. Just calm down. Whatever we have to do to get back there, we’ll make it happen. Just be patient.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight ~ Mia
After hours of waiting, we were finally escorted back by the warden to see Trent. I could tell he wasn’t at all happy about having to allow us the visit. Whatever Uncle Joe said to him must have lit a fire under his ass, because he came down personally. I was curious to know what was said to him. Uncle Joe was a powerful man who had a lot of connections in higher places, so I was willing to bet the warden’s job was in jeopardy somehow.
When we arrived at the visiting area, I saw a slew of people talking, laughing, and crying with their loved ones. The energy in the hall was heavy, and dark. There were children running around, shouting and squealing. Every guard I laid eyes on had the meanest look on their faces, as if they were prisoners themselves. The sight was one of the saddest, most treacherous ones I'd ever laid eyes on.
“This is terrible,” I said. “I can’t imagine having to spend years of my life here.”
“Yeah,” Brayden sighed. “It sucks. I just hope Trent isn’t letting this place consume his soul.”
Just as the words fell from his lips, I saw Trent being shoved toward the glass in front of us. My eyes instantly filled with tears when I saw him. He looked older. Skinnier. Less alive than I had ever seen him. He looked exactly like what Brayden said; prison had consumed his soul.
