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Chapter Twenty-One

Elias

I walked through the sterile halls of the prison, my steps echoing in the emptiness, each footfall heavier than the last. I hated this place. The cold walls, the bars, the silence that wrapped around everything like a shroud. But even more than that, I hated the reason I was here.

I wasn’t here for a confession or a prayer, though I had offered them to silence the moment I entered the building.

I was here to see Ronan.

The man I couldn’t forget, even when I tried.

The guard at the desk let me through without a word, as he always did, but today, there was something in his eyes. Maybe it was just me projecting, but it felt like he knew something I didn’t want anyone to know.

I approached the visitation room, my heart already pounding in my chest. I saw him sitting through the small window in the door, his back slightly hunched, his gaze fixed on the table before him. The moment I stepped inside, he looked up, his eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite place.

I sat across from him, and for a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence between us was heavy—more than just the distance of the walls. It was the space between the worlds we inhabited, the worlds that had once been closer but now felt oceans apart.

“You came back,” Ronan said, his voice rough, like he had to force the words out.

“I had to,” I replied, trying to smile, but the smile never quite made it to my eyes. “I…I wanted to see you. I told you I wouldn’t leave you. I meant it.”

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his hands clenched on the table. I could see the tension in him, in the way he carried himself now as if he was trying to hold something back. Something that, even from this distance, I could feel.

“Ronan,” I said softly, leaning in just a little. “I miss you.”

He looked away, his jaw tightening. There was a storm in his eyes, something I couldn’t quite reach.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered. “It’s not safe. For you, for me. People are starting to talk.”

I froze.

The words hit harder than I expected, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“People know,” he continued, his voice colder now. “The guards, the other inmates…they’re starting to figure it out. About us. About what we’ve shared.” He paused, his eyes finally meeting mine, but there was nothing gentle in his gaze now. Just…fear.

“If they find out what we mean to each other, it’s gonna be bad. You don’t understand. You don’t know what they’ll do. These people are all like Jack. I don’t trust them, Elias.”

My heart stuttered in my chest, and my pulse quickened, but I refused to let it show.

“Ronan, I don’t care what they think. You’re the one who matters to me. That’s all that matters.”

But he shook his head, his eyes hard now. “It’s not that simple. You don’t know what it’s like in here. What they do to people who—” He broke off, swallowing hard. “You can’t be here, Elias. You have to stay away. For your own safety.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him that I couldn’t stay away from him, that I couldn’t just pretend he wasn’t the most important part of my life, no matter the consequences. But the way he looked at me, the way his eyes were filled with such desperation, made my throat tighten. He was hurting. I could see it in every line of his face, in the way he held himself, trying to push me away even though it was breaking him inside.

I leaned back, struggling to find the words. I wanted to tell him that I’d stay, that I wasn’t going anywhere. But the truth was, I knew he was right. The world we lived in—his world, this prison—was dangerous. There was no place for us here, not like this. We were already walking on a razor’s edge.

“You’re asking me to let you go,” I said softly, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

So many times, I ran. So many times, I had ignored my feelings. But now, when I was ready to stand by him and tell him he wasn’t alone…he didn’t want me.

He didn’t answer at first. He just stared at me like he was trying to force me to understand. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter now, but still filled with pain. “I’m telling you to stay away because I love you, Elias. Because I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”

It felt like my heart stopped, just for a moment. He said it so quietly, so simply, but the weight of it crashed over me. I could feel the tears burning in the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t. Not here.

“I don’t want to leave you,” I whispered, the truth spilling out before I could stop it. “You mean everything to me, Ronan. I don’t care what they say, what they do…I just want to be with you. In the ways I can, I want to be yours.”

He closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face.

“You can’t…” he whispered. “You have to walk away. For both of us.”

And in that moment, I knew he was right. I knew the choice was already made. This was the fate of our love. The ending that was always meant to be here that neither of us could accept. Because he loved me too much to let me risk everything for him, it was a sacrifice I wasn’t ready to make, but in the end, it was the only choice I had left.

I couldn’t force him to see me.

I couldn’t free him with his mother still hanging onto the fragile threads of her slow recovery. I was useless. I gripped my rosary beads in my grip, trying to get strength from the smooth wood.

“I’ll go,” I said quietly, my voice hoarse. “But this isn’t over. I will get you out of this hell. You have to know that. I won’t accept this life for you. You aren’t a monster. You don’t deserve this.”

Ronan nodded, his eyes dark and distant, as if he were trying to lock away all the emotions he was feeling. “Goodbye, Mon Pur.”

I stood up, my legs shaking as I tried to force myself to leave. But before I walked away, I turned back for one last look, meeting his gray-eyed gaze one more time.

And for a fleeting second, I saw a flicker of hope in his eyes, a quiet plea for me to stay. But the moment passed, and the guard was ushering me away from him.

I walked out of the doors. But I knew, deep in my heart, that no matter what happened, no matter how far apart we were, I’d always be with him. I was going to find a way to free him. I would not let him rot away here.

* * *

The hospital room was quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the machines monitoring her every breath. The sterile, white walls felt suffocating as if they were closing in on me with each passing second. I stood at the foot of the bed, my hands clasped in front of me, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

Ronan’s mother, Miranda, lay motionless, her face pale and bruised from the attack, her body wrapped in bandages as if they were trying to hold her together after what Jack had done to her. The doctors had said she might not wake up, that her condition was too grave. But I hadn’t given up hope. Not yet. Every night I came here. Every night, I prayed. She was Ronan’s only hope.

I had to do something. I couldn’t stand by and watch as Ronan rotted in that prison, knowing that Jack had hurt the one person he loved most. That bastard needed to pay.

I’d tried everything to get through to Miranda—tried to speak with her when she was unconscious, read her scriptures every night when she was barely hanging on to life. But today, something was different. I felt a shift in the air, a quiet moment of stillness that seemed to pulse through the room.

I moved closer to her bedside, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Miranda,” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. “You have to fight for Ronan. He needs you. You need to tell them what happened.”

Her breathing remained shallow. “Please. He has spent his entire life keeping you safe. It’s your turn, Missis Saint Clare.”

Almost imperceptibly, her eyelids fluttered. I leaned in closer, hoping that it wasn’t just a trick of the light, that maybe, just maybe, she could hear me.

A soft gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes opened, hazy and unfocused at first. It was like she was emerging from some deep, painful sleep. When her gaze finally met mine, there was a flicker of recognition, though it was clouded by confusion and pain.

“Ronan…?” she croaked, her voice barely a whisper.

She blinked, her hand twitching slightly, trying to reach for mine. I grasped her fingers gently, urging her to hold on.

“Miranda, you’re awake,” I said, relief flooding through me, though I knew it wouldn’t last. “It’s Elias. We’re going to get you through this. I’m here, and I’m not leaving you.”

She seemed to struggle, her eyes moving slowly as if searching for something—or someone.

“Jack…Jack did this… Her voice came again, weaker but clearer. “He also knocks…down. But damn him…I don’t think I can…get back up this time…”

My heart nearly stopped.

“Jack?” I repeated, leaning in closer, my voice trembling, as I reached to press record on my phone. “Miranda, please…tell me you remember. Tell me you can tell the police what happened. We need your statement.”

Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, but there was a moment of clarity in her eyes. She turned her head toward me, her lips barely moving as she spoke again, this time with more conviction.

“Jack…” she repeated, her voice more firm now. “Jack…he hurt me…he hurt me and…stuck those damn drugs in me…I…I tried to stop him…I failed.”

I squeezed her hand, feeling the warmth of her touch even through the coldness of the hospital room. She was still with me. Still fighting.

“Miranda, you didn’t fail. We need to tell them,” I urged gently, “We need you to tell the police. You’re the only one who can clear Ronan. You have to help him. Jack lied, and your son is in prison for what was done to you.”

Her breath hitched, and she seemed to struggle with the weight of the words she was trying to say. Her eyelids fluttered again, and for a moment, I thought she might fall back into unconsciousness. But then, with a final, fragile effort, she gathered what little strength she had left.

“Jack…” she rasped, her voice shaky. “Jack…he was…the one who hurt me…the one who—” She gasped for air, her face twisting in pain. “Always the one…he…hurt…Ronan. My son…my boy…he always stepped in the way…foolish kid. I love him…I’m sorry I couldn’t be brave…I love…my son. I love my…Ronan…I’m…sorry.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I fought them back. This was it. This was the moment that could change everything. Miranda had identified Jack and confirmed that he was the one responsible for the attack that led to her being in this bed, the attack that had sent Ronan to prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

“Thank you, Miranda,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You are so brave. I am so proud of you.”

She gave a small, strained smile, her eyes fluttering again. She seemed to be fading, but I could see it in her face—the relief, the peace, knowing she had done what she could for her son. Her grip on my hand tightened just slightly, and then she exhaled one last, shuddering breath.

I watched as her eyes closed slowly, her body going limp once more.

“Miranda?” I whispered, panic rising in my chest. “No, stay with me…stay awake…please. For Ronan.”

But there was no answer, only the soft sound of the heart monitor, now flat and steady. Her breathing had stopped, and though her hand was still clutched in mine, I knew it was over.

How can I face Ronan now? The one person he loved so much is gone.

I had to hold onto what she said. I knew that her final confession was enough. Jack would be caught. The truth would come out. Ronan would be free. Miranda’s last gift was her son’s freedom.

I stood there for a long while, holding Miranda’s hand, the weight of what she had just done sinking in. She had given everything to make sure her son was protected. And now, it was up to me to make sure she had not died in vain. I sighed heavily, pressing the button to stop the recording on my phone.

I left the hospital room, my heart heavy with the loss but also with the fire of determination. I would see this through, no matter what.