You Distract Me - S01 E68

Story 4 months ago

You Distract Me - S01 E68

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 68

Shayne

It had been over two years when I got my second chance that day.

Oran moved his piece and suddenly my king was captured. Checkmate.

"What just happened?" I said a little too loudly, grabbing the attention of a couple of guards.

"Shut up, will you? I don't fuck with solitary confinement anymore."

I smiled at the chocolate haired man, his grin reminding me of someone. "I really do miss our fights that first year, nothing more satisfying than watching you bleed for screwing me over two years ago."

"Dr. Huxley wouldn't want us reminiscing on the past in a negative light," Oran said sarcastically, resetting the chess board.

I stretched in the garden chair, the day bright and breezy. "It's a great day, but not so great that I'm willing to watch you beat my ass again. Matter of fact, we've got an appointment with the doc in a few minutes," I said, standing.

"C'mon, it'll be a quick death. You won't even see it coming," he protested, gesturing to the board.

"How reassuring." I slapped a couple of chess pieces to the ground. "Let's go. This is our last meeting. I'm excited to be finally over and done with it."

"Fine, you didn't have to disrespect the board though." He picked up the chess pieces and stood.

A frown made its way to my face. "Did I ever say how much I despise that we're the same height."

"Only a couple hundred times," he said with a smirk.

As we made our way to the Doc's office, only a few guards had their attention on us. Unlike the first year when Demir and I were the center of attention, these days they just passed fleeting glances.

Some messed up motherfucker in the system had a nasty sense of humor by placing us in the same correctional facility. Upon seeing each other in the same prison yard, we'd pounced on each other like a pair of alphas in a pack. It had landed us in solitary confinement. I'd gotten well acquainted with those desolate four walls for months on end, seeing as there was no end to our brawls.

Until we'd started co-counselling.

Oran knocked at the door, the golden-plated name on the door not as horrible as it had looked the first time. Dr. Rhonda Huxley.

"Come in." Soft and authoritative, Dr. Huxley's voice was always nice to hear.

When Oran opened the door, that familiar wave of jasmine hit me and made me feel right at home. Her office wasn't as bleak as the rest of the prison. Natural light bounced off the baby blue walls of the office.

"Well if it isn't Frodo and Sam." Dr. Huxley was a beauty to behold as she sat behind her blackwood desk. Hair as wild as fire lay like a mane around her, her intelligent amber eyes always smiling.

I turned to Oran. "You must me Sam, cause I ain't nobody's sidekick."

"Seeing as I'm the reason you're in this place, I'm pretty sure I'm the main character."

The guard followed in after us and closed the door, holding his weapon close to him as he stood there.

"Feels as though it was only yesterday when this office was filled with guards in our first meetings. I'm really glad you guys have come this far. Please take a seat."

"How you doing, doc?" I said.

"Not so good. I'm going to miss you guys." She let out an exaggerated sigh. "How are you, Oran? Have you been practicing what we talked about last week?"

"Nope he—"

"I speak for myself thank you," he said, interrupting me.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Clearly."

He turned back to Dr. Huxley. "I feel like I need more time. Letting go of my competitive side isn't as easy as you make it sound."

Dr. Huxley chuckled. "Oran, all I asked was for you let Shayne win just one game of chess, even just one."

"I've actually tried a few times, but she's just that much of a rubbish player. No offence." He didn't even bother sounding sincere.

Easy to make laugh, Rhonda let out another chuckle. "Well, whatever the case I hope you'll figure it out. Otherwise you two are the best of friends now and I really can't help but give myself a pat on the shoulder every once in a while."

Oran scoffed. "Don't be too proud, I still hate her guts. She was sleeping with my daughter. I still can't get it out of my mind. It reminds me of the time my cousin was going out with my bestfriend when we were kids."

"Awww, are you trying to say I'm like your best friend?" I placed my hand on his shoulder but he slapped it away.

"More like an ingrown hair I just can't seem to get rid of."

"Look at you two with your cute witty banter. I've officiated a few weddings, we can get this show on the road if you'd like."

"Fuck no," we said at the same time, the thought both urking and humoring me.

"You're practically the same person." Rhonda sat forward in her seat. "Anyway, let's get serious. Since this is our last meeting, why don't we tell each other our progress? Turn your seats towards each other."

Despite our usual objections towards this seating arrangement, we turned our seats to each other.

"Shayne, you can go first. Just tell Oran what you felt then versus how you feel now," Dr. Huxley said in an overly cheery tone.

I looked Oran right in his eyes. "I felt like drowning you in acid, and then feeding you to the alligators."

"Shayne..." Dr. Huxley warned.

"Sorry, Doc." I readjusted myself in my seat. "Well, I felt that you were the devil himself, fresh outta hell. But I never realized that you loved her just as much as I did. I didn't know that everything you did was done for her, for her welfare. I think you're actually not half bad. You're a pretty great father after all."

The heavily bearded man actually looked touched. "Shayne—"

"I'm not done."

"Oh, right."

Dr. Huxley slipped a discreet giggle.

"As I was saying. I also felt that she was safest with me. But I never realized that I was the reason she was never truly safe. It's because of you that she's now safe and thriving. So I thank-you from the bottom of my heart."

A strange look overtook his face, his lips pursed as if considering something.

"That's all I got," I said, shrugging.

Dr. Huxley smiled softly. "That was really beautiful, Shayne. Oran, it's your turn."

Oran looked at her for a moment and then turned back to me. "Freya left the country that day of the accident."

"I'm sorry?" His words took longer than it should have to register.

"I had paid her to watch over my daughter after you became romantically involved. In exchange for not taking your life, Freya agreed to be my eyes and ears only regarding Olivia's wellbeing, she informed nothing more than that. The day of the accident, in the hospital, she told me she couldn't face you anymore, so she had decided to leave."

Still unsure of what was going on, I said, "I don't understand. Why are you telling me this now?"

"I figured you deserved to know that before you walked out of here."

Stunned, I watched him gesture to Dr. Huxley. She took out a file from a drawer and handed it to me.

"In there is my get-out-of-jail-free card. I'm giving it to you."