Olivia’s POV
"I know how it sounds..."
"Olivia, what the hell possessed you to kidnap your wickdd boss’s cat?"
I glanced nervously at Big Mike, who was trying to listen to my conversation. "I think I was possessed by a vengeful spirit. I just wanted revenge for the hell Maxwell has been putting me through."
"A vengeful spirit, Olivia. I know we wanted revenge, but not like this."
"It was a very persuasive spirit! And the cat was really friendly!"
Kira sighed heavily. "Okay, we need to get you out of there. How much is bail?"
"Fifty thousand dollars."
"FIFTY THOUSAND? For a cat?"
"Apparently it’s a very expensive cat. Like, luxury car expensive."
"Jesus, Olivia. We don’t have that kind of money. We can barely pay rent." I could hear her pacing. "Should we call someone? How about Gabriel? He has money right..."
"NO!" I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "I can’t call Gabriel! I’m still Oliver right now, remember!"
"Oh right," Kira said, sounding defeated. "I forgot about the whole identity crisis thing. Okay, let me think about this. I’ll ask around, see if anyone can help. There’s no way you’re sleeping in jail tonight. I’ll figure something out."
"Thank you," I whispered, feeling tears threaten again. "You’re the best friend..."Before I could finish, my phone started ringing again. Another call was coming in.
David? Why the hell was blowing up my phone again?
The officer made a move to collect the ringing phone, but I stopped him desperately. "Wait, please! This could be the person who can bail me out!"
He paused, looking annoyed but eventually gave in. "You’ve got thirty seconds left on your call time."
My heart pounded as I saw David’s name on the screen. David had money - old family money. He could bail me out. Besides, It was a small price for all the emotional trauma he’d put me through when we were still dating.
I took a shaky breath and adjusted my voice carefully, trying to hit a middle ground where I didn’t sound entirely like a boy or entirely like a girl. Pressing myself further into the corner of the cell, I used one hand to partially cover my mouth so Big Mike couldn’t hear anything.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound casual despite being in prison.
"Olivia! Oh my God, I was hoping you’d pick up!" David’s voice came through, sounding bright and excited. "I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday, then you said it was a wrong number. What happened, Olivia? Why did you lie to me?"
The nerve of this man.
My stomach twisted with anger, but I tried my best to cover it. This was my ticket to freedom right now, I couldn’t ruin it. "I’ve been... busy," I said carefully, keeping my voice low.
"I can barely hear you - are you somewhere hidden? Listen, I know things ended badly between us, but I’ve had time to think while I was in France, and I realized I made a huge mistake."
Of course you did, I thought bitterly.
"David..."
"No, please, let me finish. I was messed up okay? Scarred from my past failed relationships, and I unleashed that trauma on you by being extremely toxic, and possessive, and just plain bad for you. But being away from you made me realize that what we had was real. I want to make things right. I’m flying back tomorrow morning - can we meet up? I have so much I want to tell you."
I sighed. Here I was, literally behind bars, and David was calling to declare his undying love. If I weren’t so desperate, it would almost be funny.
I closed my eyes, hating myself for the lie I was about to tell. "I’d love to meet up with you, David. Really, I would. But there’s just one small problem."
"What kind of problem? Work? Your family? Kira..."
"I’m currently in jail."
Dead silence filled the other end. I could picture his expression - that slack-jawed look he got whenever something caught him completely off guard.
"What?" His voice cracked. "Olivia, what are you talking about? This isn’t funny."
"I’m not joking, David. I’m literally speaking to you from a jail cell." I glanced nervously at Big Mike, who had stopped pretending to read his magazine and was now openly eavesdropping.
"There are bars and everything."
"How did you - Jesus Christ, Olivia - are you okay? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?"
Despite everything he’d put me through, David’s genuine panic for my well-being almost made me feel guilty for trying to extort him. Almost.
"I’m fine, just stuck here until someone can post bail."
"What happened? What are the charges? Do you have a lawyer?"
"It’s... it’s a really long story," I said, shooting another nervous glance at my cellmate who was now sitting up on his bunk, watching me with uncomfortable intensity. "I promise I’ll explain everything when I get out. The thing is, I need bail money."
"Of course, yes, whatever you need. How much?"
I took a deep breath. "Fifty thousand dollars."
The silence stretched so long I thought the call had dropped.
"Fifty thousand?" His voice was filled with disbelief. "What the hell did you do, rob a bank?"
"Please, David. I know it’s a lot, but I promise I’ll pay you back. I just - I really need help right now."
Another pause, and I could practically hear him thinking. David had always been logical to a fault, probably calculating interest rates and payment plans even in his moment of romantic declaration.
"You’ll pay me back? Olivia, we’re talking about fifty thousand dollars. That’s not exactly coffee money."
My heart sank. "I understand if you can’t..."
"No, wait. I didn’t say I couldn’t. I just... this is a lot to process. One minute we’re talking about getting back together, the next you’re asking me to bail you out of jail for some mystery crime."
"I know how it sounds," I said desperately. "But I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice. You know I wouldn’t."
Big Mike suddenly stood up and stretched, his huge muscled body scaring the shit out of me. "That’s your boyfriend right?" He asked with a grin. "I knew you were gay the moment you stepped through those doors. Today is my lucky day." He laughed out loud. "Hurry up with that call, pretty boy. Daddy’s waiting."