Page 19 of In Death, Love Survives

TEN

Nova

“Does he usually talk to you so…” Ryan trails off.

He’s looking out my office window, sitting across from me, lost in whatever thought he’s having.

“So what?” I ask, frustrated.

“Calmly.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s calm.”

Ryan looks over at me curiously.

“What would you call it then?”

“Open.”

“Open,” he says as he draws it out.

“Yes. He trusts me as his therapist. Or he’s starting to, at least.”

Ryan hums as he taps his fingers against his mouth and looks back out the window. Storms are about to roll through, and ordinarily, I would try to leave early to get back to my apartment before they do.

Only today, I’m still hoping to see Wolfe, and that means I’ll have to wait until the timing is right. I won’t be able to meet with him one-on-one again today, but I need to at least try to give him a reassuring glance so he knows I’m really fine.

Ryan is digging; that much is true. He knows something is afoot but isn’t sure what.

Yesterday, Ryan approached me when I came into work, asking about my sessions with Wolfe. He apparently had done some digging in my files and noticed most of our sessions weren’t recorded and that my notes in the file were scarce.

I explained that my approach with Wolfe was to take it easy since he was so new to opening up. Ryan was skeptical but accepted my answer.

He also asked when my next session with Wolfe would be, and I knew from the way he asked that he was going to be listening and watching despite it being against protocol.

That’s why I had to hold the session in the usual medical room and why I couldn’t actually talk to Wolfe outside of formalities. Of course, Wolfe caught on right away.

After that interaction with Ryan, I know more than ever that Roper State is corrupt, and I have to do anything I can to help Wolfe leave before it’s too late.

“How open?” he asks.

“Not overly. Just open to talking about positives.”

Ryan hums again and faces me.

“You’ll tell me if there is anything to note?”

“Of course. Just like I would with any other patient.”

Ryan stares at me, trying to decipher the lie. He won’t be able to. I’ve put Ryan on my list of people who I can no longer trust here.

“Good.”

He grins widely, only it makes me feel ill to witness.

“I do have something really exciting to talk to you about,” he says.

“What’s that?”

“In a few months, I’ll be transferring to Bower State.”

My eyes widen in astonishment.

“Wow. That is exciting.”

“Thank you. It’s to head their medical unit.”

“That’s a fantastic opportunity. Bower State has so many more resources than we do.”

Ryan’s smile grows, as if I’m unaware of what he’s getting at.

“I’m glad you think so. They have an immediate opening for a position in their psychiatry wing. I put your name in for it, and they want to offer it to you.”

“What?” I screech.

Ryan laughs darkly as he pulls at the white lab coat he still has on.

“I know, right? Exciting is putting it mildly.”

I sit up straight and put my hand out to stop him.

“Ryan. While I appreciate this opportunity, I don’t want to transfer to Bower State.”

Ryan’s smile fades, and something more sinister takes over.

“Why?” he asks angrily.

“My work is here. My home is here. I’m not ready to pack up and leave.”

Ryan’s expression turns to one of concern.

“Nova. You have to get out of here. Roper State isn’t right for you.”

“How do you know what’s right for me?” I ask as I stand.

He gets up, too, and steps out to the side of the desk.

“Please. Just think about it. Take the next few days?”

I let out a loud sigh as I pinch the bridge of my nose. After a moment, I try my best to smile at my old friend, who I just can’t figure out these days.

“I will, but my answer won’t change.”

“Tell me on Monday.”

“Okay.”

Ryan takes that as his cue and starts to leave my office. He pauses in the doorway and looks back at me almost defeatedly. I give him a small, strained smile, and he knocks on the door, then disappears.

Alone again, I’m more confused than ever by what his role is here and why he’s trying to get me to leave. I really don’t understand why he thought I would be following him to Bower State.

Nothing has been making sense lately.

As I sit back at my desk, I debate whether to wait around for a chance to see Wolfe or just call it a day and head home.

Home .

I’m not even sure that’s what I should be calling it as of late. With Wolfe in the picture, it’s brought forth a lot of issues that I’ve stifled for a long time.

Maybe I’m not even sure what home really is and haven’t in ages.

Deciding to pack up, I gather my few belongings and leave behind any work I would usually bring home.

One night at home, just trying to be, is probably a good thing for me to do. No distractions of Wolfe or work, just by myself.

Locking the door as I go, I walk out of the medical unit and toward the exit.

As I go by, I see that all the prisoners are still outside. Some are working out or playing basketball, and others are gathered together chatting. Without trying to be obvious, I scan them to see if Wolfe is there.

I don’t spot him, but I do see Toby, who I’ve seen with Wolfe from time to time. He’s looking at me strangely and doesn’t break eye contact the entire time.

Some shouting breaks our eye contact, and then I spot Wolfe. He’s talking in the distance to someone I don’t recognize offhand. Clearly not a patient of mine.

Wolfe stills with his back to me, almost as if he senses that I’m around, but he doesn’t turn to check. I hadn’t realized that I paused in the walkway, waiting for his reaction.

Nothing.

I continue walking out, feeling even more confused than I’ve been all day.

The next day, I feel refreshed as I come back into my office. I spent the night cleaning out my apartment. Even though it could be described as minimalist, I had so much storage that I was saving for some reason.

I purged it all and felt lighter.

Then I moved on to actually cooking a meal, something with more than two ingredients, and watching reality television. It was the most normal evening I’ve had in ages. I wasn’t thinking about Wolfe, work, or anything else, just like I intended.

Today, I’m ready to take on whatever comes my way.

“Yes, she’s in there, but…” I hear Jessica stutter.

Crawley bursts through my door without notice.

Maybe I didn’t need to take on seeing Crawley first thing this morning.

“Dr. Fletcher. Just the person I need to see,” Crawley declares.

Ryan is right on his tail as he nearly stumbles behind him, followed by June.

I stand immediately from the sudden intrusion of these three.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Crawley laughs as he shakes his head.

“What’s going on? Good question. Really good question now,” he answers as he starts to pace back and forth in front of my desk.

Ryan and June keep a healthy distance in the back.

“Dr. Owens here tells me you’ve been getting through to Wolfe Walker. Is that true?”

“I wouldn’t say getting through, but yes, he does speak to me in the sessions.”

Crawley pauses and puts his hands on his hips. His cowboy hat is tipping over the front of his face, but I can still see the anger seeping in.

“What do you talk about? There are barely any goddamn tapes to listen to.”

“We talk about the mundane.”

“The mundane?”

“Yes,” I say, standing my ground.

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe a word I’m saying. Glancing over at Ryan and June, I see them both looking nervous on my behalf. Only Ryan looks concerned for my well-being, and June looks as if I may spill something I know instead.

I don’t think I’m reading too much into it, but maybe she knows I was in Crawley’s office and can’t say anything. If she did, then he would find out she had just left and would also get into trouble. Potentially, have her job at risk with the way he tends to overreact.

“What do you consider the fucking mundane? And don’t get all smart with me.”

I step away from my desk, closer to Crawley. I won’t be backing down.

“I don’t appreciate this kind of language. And I certainly do not appreciate what you are insinuating. What happens to be the problem, and I may be able to tell you if he’s said anything about it?”

I jut out my hip and place my hand on it while keeping my expression as serious as possible.

I won’t let Crawley try to break me down in any capacity.

“Lookie here,” Crawley starts as he adjusts his belt at the waist.

I cock an eyebrow up.

“Walker is getting out. What do you have to say about that?”

Wolfe is getting out?

Even though my heart is now beating a million miles per minute, I can’t let that show. I won’t let it be known that this is the best news I’ve ever received.

“If that’s the case, then I’m sure the legal system was followed.”

“Why do you say it like that?” he asks.

“If Wolfe Walker is being freed, then I’m sure he’s innocent.”

Ryan snorts in the background as he starts to walk up toward where Crawley and I have been talking.

“What?” I ask Ryan.

“Nova. You can’t possibly believe that Wolfe isn’t a criminal,” he says.

“Then how is he going free?” I counter.

Ryan’s face falls as realization dawns on him. He knows.

“Nova,” he croaks.

“It’s Dr. Fletcher.”

Crawley chuckles as he shakes his head.

“Listen here. If I find out you had something to do with this…” He trails off.

As he heads to the door, June and I make eye contact, and she looks like a deer in headlights.

She can’t let him find out. At least this is one piece I know will be taken care of.

“I’ll be watching you, Dr. Fletcher,” Crawley says.

“Fine by me.”

Ryan looks grief-stricken next to him. I don’t say a word. What was he even doing here with Crawley? I don’t understand what he was hoping to gain from watching that happen. He didn’t defend me at any point.

Ryan follows Crawley out, and June trails behind. She pauses and looks back.

“Not a word,” she says, and then closes it shut.

My heart is racing as I’m left alone in my office.

Jessica barges in, looking panicked.

“What was that all about?”

“Wolfe Walker.”

“All that because of Walker?”

“Yes.”

“Wow,” she says.

“Can you move Mr. Walker’s appointment to be in my office today, please?”

“No problem. I’ll notify the officers now.”

“Thank you.”

Jessica hesitates to leave.

“I’m okay,” I say.

“Are you sure? That was… a lot.”

“I promise I’m fine.”

She bobs her head and gives me a weak smile as she closes the door shut.

Hours go by, and I hear the sound of Wolfe’s voice. He’s with Officer Walls, being told to go on in by Jessica. It’s not as late as it was the last time he visited my office, but I’m still grateful for the more private time together rather than being subjected to video cameras.

When the door opens, I spot Officer Walls first, followed by Wolfe.

“Good afternoon, Dr. Fletcher,” Wolfe says with a giant grin.

Walls shakes his head and closes the door behind him as he goes. Wolfe clicks it shut and waits until the coast is clear before he comes over to my desk. I stand up, ready to give him a hug, when he suddenly scoops me up in the air.

I hitch my skirt up and wrap my legs around his waist, holding on tight around his neck.

“What are you today?” I ask.

“A fucking ten, baby.”

Wolfe leans up and kisses me like it’s a new age. As if it’s a promise of what could be between us. I pull back, slightly out of breath, and beam.

Wolfe keeps me in his arms as he walks over to the door. With one hand holding me up, he uses the other to slowly lock it.

“I heard the news,” I say.

“You did?”

Wolfe sets me down on the ground but keeps hold of my hand.

“I did. I’m so happy for you.”

We break apart and sit down in my open guest chairs.

“I couldn’t believe it myself.”

“Tell me how it happened?”

Wolfe runs a hand through his hair.

“I got a call from my attorney. He scheduled an emergency hearing with the judge. Turns out, what you found helped. My attorney basically…”

“You can tell me anything.”

“He basically blackmailed the judge to get it moving forward. Apparently, he was in on it too. All the proof we had showed that I wasn’t actually guilty of the crime and that they were conspiring against me.

If we went to the press with it, everyone in this fucking town, maybe even state, would be in trouble. ”

“Wow,” I say, stunned.

“Yeah, it was wild. It goes beyond the judge too.”

“That’s really… a lot. I can’t believe it.”

“And thanks to you, he was able to track down more evidence rather quickly.”

I lean forward and squeeze one of Wolfe’s hands in mine. He smiles widely in return.

“This is it. What we’ve both wanted for you. To get home.”

“I’m still in shock,” he admits.

“When is your release date?”

“Three days.”

“Wow, that’s so soon. That’s amazing.”

“Yeah, the district attorney is signing off on it so I don’t have to do a retrial. Something like that. Thankfully, my attorney has it all figured out.”

“That’s really great, Wolfe. I’m happy for you.”

Wolfe gets serious and drops my hand. Perplexed, I stay seated as he gets up from his chair. He kneels in front of me and takes my hands in his. The warmth of his skin is intoxicating to feel. I want to bask in the sensation as long as I can.

I naturally smile as he stares up at me.

“Nova. You are an amazing woman. It’s fucking fate that brought me here. I would do this all over again if I had a choice because being here led me to you.”

I gasp at the confession.

“Wolfe…”

“I want you.”

“I want you too.”

Wolfe shakes his head, as if I’m not understanding what he means. I suppose I really don’t.

“Nova girl, I’ll be heading home in three days. I want you to come with me.”

“What?” I exclaim.

Wolfe chuckles as I’m caught off guard.

“Yeah, what did you think all of this was between us?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah, baby.”

“I really didn’t know what you would want from me.”

“I want you. Come with me.”

“But you live out in Saddle Creek.”

“I do.”

“That’s across the state. I mean, practically.”

Wolfe chuckles again as I’m processing what he’s really asking.

“It is.”

I sit still, stunned, as I try to think it all through.

“Baby, come with me. I know it’s a big ask. I know you have your career and life here, but I want you by my side.”

He pauses as he repositions himself.

“It’s a risk you would have to take. I’m not a good man, but I’ll be good every fucking day for you. I’ll always do you right, no matter what. My businesses and the club are separate.”

He gives me a lopsided grin as he stands, taking me upright with him.

“What do you say?”