I was dropped off at home. It was nearly daybreak and I was alone outside of my house.

I slowly walked up the steps and let myself inside, the sun barely peeking over the horizon as I shut the door again. I took a deep breath in through my nose and spent some time just staring at the house. Everyone was asleep.

I tip toed upstairs and checked inside everybody's rooms. Gina was missing, but Levi was sprawled out on top of his bed with clothes on. I went inside and touched his coffee cup which was still warm.
Gently shaking his arm, his eyes darted open.

"What? Hale?" He sleepily mumbled as he sat up.

I nodded and tried to wipe the tear stains from my cheeks. I took a seat on Levi's bed and shifted around a few times.

"Caspian stole a diamond to take me to the hotel. He got arrested a few hours ago and the police officer drove me home. They've been watching Caspian for a while, apparently."

Levi's face dropped and he pulled me in for a hug. "Aren't you glad that you're home? I have something that might cheer you up."

Levi scooted away from his bed and grabbed a Polaroid from his dresser, sitting back down next to me as he held it for me to take. "That's my daughter, Addilyn."

I studied the Polaroid of Levi and his daughter, his face smiling wide as he held the tiny infant in his arms. She looked awfully small. I turned the photo around and saw on the back:
Addilyn Veronica Malister
9/19/2015
3 lbs. 8 oz.

I looked up at Levi, scrunching my eyebrows together. "She's so small..."

Levi nodded. "She was premature. It will be a while until she comes home."

I hugged Levi again, more tears leaving my face even though I tried to stop them. I didn't even know what I was crying about anymore.

Later in the morning, I went to see Caspian at jail. Levi offered to come with me but I wanted to do this alone. Sleeping helped shake some of my emotions and made this trip a little bit easier. I reassured myself that everything would be okay.

I went inside through the visitor's entrance and confronted the lady behind the glass who seemed to be a grouchy-looking receptionist.

"Hi, I'm here to visit someone," my voice cracked as I nervously spoke. I never liked these kinds of settings.

"Name and relation to inmate please," the grouchy lady asked me with no emotion in her flat voice.

"Hale Granger... he is my boyfriend," I quietly responded.

"Okay. Who will you be visiting today?" She asked again, her eyes still on the computer screen in front of her. I noticed a line form behind me which caused me to feel even more pressured than before.

"Caspian Mitchels," I recited to her again as I checked to make sure the line behind me didn't get any longer.

"Caspian Mitchels? Not Olivia Mitchels, correct?" The lady looked up at me, her dark eyes almost glaring as she too noticed the growing line behind me.

"Olivia," I questioned, "Liv? Can I see them both?" I asked now, resting my head in my hands as I heard impatient shifting behind me.

"Yes. I'll set that up, go through the visitor door and you will be redirected to the designated area." The receptionist didn't even wait until I walked away to call the next person forward in line. I stumbled a bit but made my way through the big, orange visitor doors.

Inside that room, a row of stools were set up behind sheets of glass. I gulped and waited until the security officer approached me. I told him who I was visiting and he directed me to a stool where I nervously sat down, looking on the other side of the glass to nobody... yet.

After a few minutes, I saw Caspian and Liv walking together towards the glass. I smiled at the sight of them, Liv already beginning to cry as she saw my face. Caspian was too busy arguing with the officer who was escorting him, and it took Liv to redirect his attention towards me. His eyes softened when he saw me.

I picked up the phone and heard Liv's voice.

"Hale, I know I have a lot of explaining to do but I will make it quick besides this asshole besides me really misses you."

I nodded and stayed silent as she continued her story.

"I disappeared and starting vandizling things that weren't mine, smashing cars, whatever. I was angry and nothing good came of it, obviously," she wiped a tear from her eye before glancing back down, "I was lost but I guess I'm found now."

I tried to relate to her situation but I couldn't seem to. Her emotions were toppling over with every word she spoke and I knew that she never meant to do anything to land her in jail. I heard her voice speak up once more.

"I ran away. I'm sorry," she finally said while looking at me through the glass. Her eyes were darkened and her cheeks were tear stained.

"I just needed a break... from nothing I guess," she chuckled and handed the phone over to Caspian, using the bottoms of her palms to rub her teared eyes.

I sighed quietly into the phone and shifted my gaze over to Caspian. He was behind the glass and it has never been harder to stay away. I watched him run his tongue along the inside of his mouth before he spoke.

"I miss you," his voice cracked with the words. I smiled slightly and waited a few seconds to let his voice sink in.

"I miss you too," I replied while watching him through the glass. He was drawing circles on the table with his index finger while he talked. It bothered me that he wasn't looking me in the eyes but I kept talking anyway.

"I'm going to visit you again soon, okay? I don't want you to feel alone here," I told him as I tried to get his eyes on mine.

"I've got Liv. I appreciate your gesture, Hale, but you're never gonna be where I want you to be as long as I'm here," he slowly mumbled while his eyes traveled up to meet mine. His index finger stopped tracing.

"Where do you want me to be?" I asked curiously, my head cocking to the side just a bit.

Caspian's eyes traveled past me towards the left. I turned around and noticed a whole family of about 5 people walking inside. They smiled at me and I smiled back.

"I want you to be here with me," Capsian said with the same somber tone. I was still watching the family as he began to speak, but the sound of his voice brought me back to where I was supposed to be.

"I am here with you," I said again while tapping the glass with my finger a few times until both Liv and Caspian looked up with a smile.

"I don't say this enough, I never said it enough actually," Caspian laughed quietly as if he was a fool for not saying this more often, "I love you."

His voice didn't sound the same through the crappy jail phone and it made me feel a little sad. I suddenly wished he would have said it more outside of this place so I could have absorbed everything about him while he spoke.

"I love you too," I responded while Caspian finally made eye contact with me. I looked over at Liv now, "I love you also."

She could read my lips because she started crying again. Caspian looked like he was fighting tears, too, but he did it in a way where you weren't entirely positive.

"I'm gonna be right here for when you both get out," I said while letting my finger drag down the glass until it hit the table.

Sure, this wasn't how I wanted things to go with my friends who I considered family, but I didn't ask any questions today. So much has changed that I just wanted to go home.

I wanted to go home to my crazy family and it stung knowing Caspian and Liv wouldn't be around the corner.

I wanted to be alone for a while.

---

THIS IS IT! Wow, I am emotional ending this story. I started this almost a year ago and I can vividly remember writing it during the first day of classes last August, feverishly sitting on a bench and tapping away on this tiny screen before my 12:00 speech class. I can't believe it's finally over. Just like my last story, this is so bittersweet and I hope to write more with Hale, Caspian, Liv, Levi, and the whole gang again soon.

For now, I hope you enjoyed this story. I will begin editing whenever I have free time, so look out for an improved version right here in the future!

- dulling (7/18/2016)