As the guards threw me back into my cell, I smiled a bit, watching them walk away with freaked out faces and anxiety-filled eyes.

Seeing their pupils retract with fear at the sight of me always brought a rush.

I picked at the locks with the pen, managing to get two of 6 undone before lights out.

I spent majority of the night attempting to break out of my jacket, then was the matter of actually escaping.

"BEN." I whispered.

"BEN!" I whispered a bit louder, staring at the ceiling with an annoyed look.

"Fucking god dammit. I know you feel me calling you." I rolled my eyes.

A phone appeared out of nowhere and in popped the most annoying yet helpful midget alive, well kinda.

"What. Why the fuck are you in prison? Where's the hot girl?" He spun around, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Got caught. (N/N) might be dead." I grabbed the phone he popped out of and dialed a number.

After a few rings, it beeped.

"This is (Y/N), leave your name and number, thanks." It beeped again.

"Dammit. Don't know why I even tried." I rubbed my temple and threw down the phone.

"Get me out. Guards are coming back." I quickly whispered, hearing their loud laughter nearing.

BEN rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm.

After a few seconds of loud buzzing, I opened my eyes to see us in the back of (Y/N)'s apartment building.

"Alright. What now?" BEN asked, crossing his arms.

"I have to find her, I guess. Dead or alive, better than not at all." I mumbled, trudging forward.

"Won't the pigs still be around here?" He questioned, laughing at his own joke of calling cops 'pigs'.

"Nah. It's been long enough where they consider this an open and shut case. I'm supposedly in prison, and she's supposedly dead." I made my way to the side entrance and started to jingle at the door handle.

"We'll have to take the stairs up to her apartment." I mumbled, kicking the door open.

"I can literally teleport." BEN facepalmed, staring at me.

I silently rolled my eyes and grabbed onto his arm.

———

We arrived in (Y/N)'s apartment, seeing that it was still exactly as we left it, besides a few chalk marks on the floor or counters from police investigation, but it looked like the cops had already gotten everything they needed out of here.

"Okay, what are we even here for Jeff?" He glanced at me while picking up a framed picture of (N/N) and the cat I saw my first night with her.

I grimace a bit, seeing my keys on the counter and remembering how even then, I looked to her to tell me I was okay.

I still rely on her for every little thing.

Hell, I don't even clean my knife without having to have her somewhere close.

When she gets up to get a glass of water, I follow.

Because in my mind she keeps me safe, and in my mind I have to keep her safe.

But I failed at that, and she got hurt because I was careless.

She got hurt because I didn't watch her back.

"Shit dude, are you okay?" BEN put a hand on my shoulder.

"What? I'm fine." I pushed his hand off of me and gave him a weird look.

"You looked fucking depressed staring at that key." He raised an eyebrow, a glob of fresh blood running down his cheek at the action.

"Yeah I'm good. You're seeing shit." I put the keys in my pockets and walked back to the bedroom, letting BEN go whenever.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw someone in the bed.

(Y/N) is apparently dead.

So who the fuck else would be in our apartment, asleep in our room?

Her mom?

No.

A homeless person?

Maybe, but the windows and doors were locked and unbothered.

I went back and grabbed a knife from the kitchen and slowly crept back into the room.

It was too dark in the room to see the person, so as I ripped the covers off them, I was utterly shocked.

"(N/N)?" I dropped the knife in my hand, stepping back.

She rubbed her face and squinted as she looked at me through the dark.

"Jeff?" She sat up, her eyes wide now.

I felt myself shake as I reached a hand out, touching her cheek lightly.

"You're alive." I whispered, running my thumb over her lips.

"Yeah." She cleared her throat and pulled my hand away from her face.

"It's been awhile." I let my hand drop to my side, realizing this probably was a shock for her as well.

"Yeah." She repeated, looking down at her hands.

She's wearing the ring.

That's a good sign, at least.

"Jeff. What the fuck are you doing here?" She suddenly said, her voice much clearer and a bit pissed off.

"I had BEN bust me out. I thought you were fuckin' dead, (N/N). They told me you died. Every time I asked. They said your funeral was in 2 days." Now I was the pissed one, she didn't sound or act happy whatsoever to see me.

"You need to go. You need to get the fuck out of this city and even the country. Get on the nearest plane or something and just leave. Don't come back." She stood up, pushing my chest with force.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Do you know how many times I've been caught and broken out?" I grabbed onto her left wrist, catching it as she went to push me again.

"Yes. Jeff. I do! But we didn't know each other before that. I WANTED you to get caught before. Every time you got put in a cell, you escaped before they could even let me speak with you. And now that I know you, I don't want you caught! I died twice on the way to the hospital, and the entire time I thought you'd be killed. I thought I would have to be alone in this. I wanted to fucking kill myself when they told me you would be sentenced to death. This isn't about me. I'm not even getting a sentencing! Because apparently you kidnapped me and forced me to help you. They literally threw me in a mental ward, prescribed me more pills, then threw me back into the world!" She yelled, not at me, at the world.

She was so exhausted.

I'm so sorry, (N/N).

I never meant for this to happen.

I stared into her eyes, watching as tears formed.

She furrowed her brows and looked up for a second before speaking again.

"I don't want this to be how the rest of my life is, Jeff. I can't do it. I can't." Her voice got quieter as she spoke, eventually turning into a whisper.

I swallowed, looking down at her with sadness.

"I know. Believe me, I don't want that for you. But can't I be selfish this once? C'mon, do you really want me to leave?" My voice cracked as I realized she was leaving me.

"No. Gods, no I don't want you to leave. I love you, Jeff. That's not what I'm trying to say." She looked down, grabbing onto my hands.

I looked at her like she was crazy.

"You... oh, (N/N)." I pulled her towards me, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'll help you. You'll be okay, love."