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I tore the box open, my shoulders sagging with relief at the pile of sanitary pads, hand sanitizer, and diaper disposal bags. There were also 2 pills in a tiny pot next to the bottle of water. A handwritten note lay on top of the pads, and folded next to them was a blank piece of paper and a pen.

With a shaky hand, I pulled out the note.

Angel,

Your period arrived in the night, so I’ve left you some supplies and a couple of Tylenol in case you get cramps.

I’ve been summoned to the mainland to visit my parents. I don’t want to go, but I have no choice. It means I won’t be able to visit you for a couple of days, and you have no idea how much I’m going to miss you.

Wallace will bring you food and water while I’m gone; if you need anything else, just jot it down on the paper and slip it through the hatch when he brings your meals. I’ve instructed him to ensure you have adequate supplies during your period and to make sure your cell is clean of any waste.

Please eat your food and look after yourself, angel. I’ll see you soon.

All my love

-Jx

Tears stung my eyes, not from the mortification at learning Wallace would be taking away my sanitary waste, but from my heart cracking down the middle. Jacob had gone to the mainland and left me all alone, and I had no idea how I was supposed to survive without him.

In the grand scheme of things, I suppose I was lucky. My periods had never been much of an inconvenience; they were always light and lasted only three days. That said, it wasn’t exactly fun managing it while I was locked in a cell.

Yes, Wallace stocked up on my sanitary supplies when I needed them, and I literally bathed myself in the sanitizer, but I was desperate to wash properly, and every time I handed the disposable bags to Wallace, my cheeks burned brighter than the sun.

But the time of the month wasn’t the reason I spent hour after hour curled into a ball on the bed, fighting back tears. I missed Jacob. I missed his sweet words when he would tell me through the door separating us that he felt things for me that he’d never felt before. I missed his alluring voice, sending me to sleep while he read chapter after chapter from my favorite books.

Time crept by painfully slow; every minute that passed felt like a lifetime without him, and I found myself begging Wallace to drug my meals so that I could sleep the time away until Jacob returned and repaired my broken heart.

Jacob’s note said he’d only be gone a few days, but when my period finished and I was certain at least another two days had passed, worry set in. What if something had happened to him? What if he was in an accident and no one could get word to Wallace? What if I never saw him again? The thoughts were endless, circling inside my head until I couldn’t take it anymore.

By the next day, I was climbing walls, screaming for Wallace, even though it was pointless. When he never came, I collapsed on the floor, bringing my knees to my chest, and buried my head between them as my tears flowed freely.

“Angel?”

My head whipped up, hope soaring like a balloon taking flight, and before I knew it, I was on my feet, racing the short distance to the door and pressing my hands against the cold metal. “Jacob!”

“Hi, angel. Fuck, you have no idea how much I’ve missed your voice.”

My tears continued to stream down my cheeks, only now they were tears of happiness. My palms caressed the door as if I were caressing Jacob’s face instead of the barrier keeping us apart. “You were gone for so long,” I sniffed, wiping my tears with the back of my hand, and wishing that I could see him. “I didn’t think you were coming back. I missed you so much.”

“I’m sorry, angel. I had to visit my parents, and it took longer than I expected. They…” he faltered as if he needed a second to compose himself. “They introduced me to a woman they want me to marry.”

His words were like a sledgehammer crashing against my fragile heart. “What?”

Jacob was going to marry someone else?

No, no, he couldn’t.

A soft thud echoed through the door, telling me Jacob had either rested his head or palm against it. “Yeah. They said it’s time I settled down and thought about starting a family. They thought Marie would be a perfect match for me.” An invisible knife plunged into my chest, taking my breath away as Jacob continued. “I told them I wouldn’t go through with it, though. I can’t marry someone else when…when my heart belongs to you.”

My lip wobbled, and I barely managed to choke out my reply as hope began building once more. “Me?”

“Yes, angel. You.” For several beats, neither of us spoke as a million thoughts rushed through my mind. “Fuck, Charlotte. I need to see you.”

I pushed myself against the door as if the weight of my body could knock it down. “I need to see you too, Jacob.”

A heavy sigh from his side reached me. “I want to let you out, angel. I really do. But I’m so fucking scared you’re going to run from me again. I can’t lose you; I don’t think I could go on living without you.”

“I won’t run, I promise. These last few days have been unbearable without you; I can’t lose you either. Please, Jacob, I’ll do anything just to see you again,” I pleaded, desperation dripping from my tone.