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I realized that every scar had led me to my forever.

I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. “You know you’re stuck with me now, right?”

A half-cocked grin spread on his face that made me melt. “Ain’t that the plan?”

I laughed softly, resting my hand on his chest, causing the gold ring to glint in the sunlight.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel haunted by my heartbreak. I just felt grateful. Because when I didn’t think it was possible, I’d found my happily ever after.

TWO WEEKS LATER…

38

SOLAE

Iwas sitting on my bunk, halfway through writing a letter to the kids, when I heard the jangle of keys and the sound of boots stop in front of my cubicle.

“Carter,” a voice roared.

I looked up to see a CO I’d seen around the facility but wasn’t familiar with. He was tall and broad with a hard face that was unreadable. His name tag read CO Denton.

“Yeah?” I said, standing up slowly.

“Pack up your property,” he said flatly. “Let’s go.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Wait—what?Why?”

Blowing a heavy breath, he quipped, “Just do what I said, inmate.”

That alone was enough to make me move. I’d been locked up long enough to know not to ask too many questions when the CO’s tone was like that.

I grabbed my property bag and started stuffing my things inside. In this short time, I had only accumulated letters,photos, commissary snacks, and the couple books I’d traded for. I could feel the other women in the dorm watching me.

“Yo, Solae,” one of them, Keysha, called from her bunk. “Where you goin’? You good?”

“I don’t know,” I answered.

Another girl, Rina, frowned. “You ain’t in no trouble, right?”

I shook my head. “Nah. Least I don’t think so.”

I zipped my bag and followed Denton out. My heart was pounding harder with every step. We passed through the dayroom, down the corridor, and toward administration. The farther we walked, the fewer inmates I saw.

I was leaving the housing unit entirely.

I got nervous and wondered if I was getting transferred. Thathadto be it. They were probably moving me to another facility.

I swallowed hard, trying not to panic. Transfers could mean anything. I could be in an entirely different state with different COs. And if I ended up somewhere far, my parents and Priest wouldn’t be able to visit as often as they do now. Worse, what if Priest didn’t know anybody at the new prison? What if I lost all the protection I had here?

“CO Denton,” I called carefully. “Where are we going?”

He didn’t even look at me. “Just walk and keep quiet.”

That shut me up quick. I kept my eyes on the floor and my footsteps following down the hall.

We reached a set of double doors, and he pushed them open. My nerves were damn near shot by the time we stepped into a smaller administrative wing. There were offices, computers, and staff I didn’t recognize, except one. Standing near the back was CO Ramirez, one of the guards who’d always been nice to me. He was on Priest’s payroll, too. He gave me a small smile when he saw me,which eased my worry just a little. Beside him was a man I’d only ever seen from a distance, a staff member named Harold, one of the higher-ups who worked with inmate records and releases.

“Carter’s here,” Denton announced, then nodded to Ramirez and left the room without another word.