Page 35 of Birdy

Yesterday at lu—

Oh. She’s talking about Bala.

“There’s nothing to call out. LikeItold you: we looked at each other—so what?” I shrug it off like it’s nothing at all, but she’s not having it, lips pursing to relay as much.

“That’s not a regular look, and you know it. He wasstaringat you, B—hard.”

I wave her off. “He’s not the first, and he won’t be the last.”

Not a complete lie. Some of the COs that have come in and out of here are absolute pigs. Mack is one of them. I can’t tell you how many times thatcomepingahas told me he wants to fuck my tight little Latina pussy.

His words, not mine.

Her lips purse harder, dark curly head falling to one side. “You’re really gonna stand there and pretend like you wouldn’t fuck him if the opportunity presented itself?”

“I don’t need to pretend, Lena. The opportunity is not going to present itself and—

The telltale muted chime of the PA halts the words off the tip of my tongue, snapping my eyes up to the speaker. “Good morning, ladies,” CO Walker’s gentle, yet commanding voice rings out. “You know the routine. If you’re on work release or job assignments, line up at the east wall. The rest of you, find something to do until chow call, and let’s try not to have a repeat of last night while we’re at it.”

Three seconds later, that obnoxious-ass buzzer alerts us the doors are open, prompting Lena and me to quickly slip on our shoes and head out. We have to. We’re expected to be out there in under a minute. Anything more screams suspect to them and demands a CO's attention.

I’ve got one foot out the door when I feel the bun on my head collapse, the long tresses of my hair spilling around my face and down my back.

“Told you, I wasn’t letting you come out here like that,” Selena whispers in my ear. “Now run your fingers through it. He’s right there, and I’m willing to bet he’s about to look at you in three… Two…”

Sure enough, the second I rush to fix the mess she just unleashed, I see him near the box, those deep brown eyes of his slidingrighton my form.

My heart slams just once, but it rattles my entire chest no less, stealing my breath, flipping my stomach wildly.

The fuck is wrong with me? Since when am I into uniforms?

“Told you,” she snickers as we fall into line for work. “Girl, you better drag that man to the south-side bathroom and let him have his way. I mean, look at him. Hehasto be a great fuck.”

Yeah, he probably is.

He looks even better today. Not sure how when there’s nothing noticeably different. He’s wearing the exact same uniform, his dark, short hair styled the very same. Maybe it’s his posture? He seems more at ease and completely sure of himself, hands clasped before him casually as he drags his stare away from me to continue sweeping around the room.

I feel the loss immediately like someone’s thrown a bucket of water on the flame licking within the tight confines of my belly, but it’s also the first time since stepping out here that I’m able to fill my lungs with air. I’d literally stopped breathing at the force of his gaze, holding my breath—just waiting and watching.

“It should be illegal to be that good-looking,” Lena continues, eyeing him appreciatively.

Him? A bad boy? I nearly laugh out loud. He doesn’t exactly scream the boy next door, but he’s definitely no Áng—

Nope.

NOPE.

Not going there. Four years later, and that heartless, selfish bastard still has the power to cross my mind. I shut it down every time and remind myself that I’m in herebecauseof him, despite what he told me the day he came to visit. He doesn’t deserve a place in any of my thoughts. Shit, I know I don’t have one in his. I have no doubt he’s forgotten all about me by now.

“Don’t do that to him. Orange doesn’t look like his color,” I quip, banishing him from my thoughts whilestillstaring at Bala like some lovesick teenager just discovering the opposite sex.

Selena hums and gives me a little shake of her head. “The only color you need to worry about is all that delicious caramel he’s hiding beneath that uniform.”

Fuck.

My.

Life.

---