daisy

Weeks passed by slowly and the days dragged on. Everyday was repetitive and not very productive but fortunately, Seth made everything much more bearable. It was like being stuck in an endless nightmare with the man of her dreams.

Since being there, she would smile more and more frequently all because of him and the way he would make her feel. He even made her laugh quite often, which was something she didn't expect from Seth as he was such a grumpy person. But in the few times her mood was down from overthinking or just missing the outside world, Seth would try his best to elicit a giggle out of her, whether telling a corny joke or poking her in the stomach. Apparently, that was her weak spot.

Nevertheless, he'd never fail and because of this, Daisy found herself liking him more with every second spent with him. And they spent a lot of seconds together.

Though a downside with being incredibly attached to him was that Seth would sometimes leave her to do things he knew she wouldn't approve of and it would be unbearable for her. She didn't know the details and honestly didn't really want to. Daisy had learned not to ask him about it anyway a few days ago.

Flashback

She cringed at her saliva soaked sleeve from chewing it with nerves. Waiting for Seth to return from wherever he was never got any easier. Each time she was wracked with nerves, wondering if he'd return with more than a couple bruises on his knuckles or if he'd return at all.

After an officer came to bring him away, he told her to stay in their cell and that he'd be back before she fell asleep. Daisy didn't doubt that as it was now impossible for her to sleep without his arms wrapped around her protectively.

Eventually, Seth came back with a stony expression on his face until it softened when he saw her watery eyes blinking up at him from her mountain of blankets.

"I'm here now, angel." He said, sitting on the bed and caressing her soft hair affectionately.

"Sethy." Her bottom lip wobbled while she climbed onto Seth's lap and snuggled into his neck.

"Baby, you're shaking." His hands rubbed her back to warm her up.

There were a few people shouting manically a couple of minutes ago but telling him would only anger him. Frank, especially, would wait until Seth was out of hearing range before taunting her with frightening words every single time.

She always felt vulnerable whenever he wasn't with her yet she didn't want him to feel guilty for spending time away from her. Daisy had gotten used to enough people telling her she was too clingy - she didn't want Seth to get annoyed with her too.

Instead she asked what he was doing and if he had gotten in trouble. It wouldn't surprise her but Daisy didn't know which prison officers were genuine from the ones that were manipulated by Seth. She suspected many of them were the latter.

"Just doing business, which reminds me." He lifted her up to place her next to him while he reached into his pockets and pulled out five packs of cigarettes and a small box of Smarties, which he gave to her saying, "here."

"How did you get these?" She asked worriedly, not taking the box from his hands and looking at them as if they were disease ridden.

Seth looked disappointed with her reaction but hid it by eating some of the chocolate himself and tossing the rest in front of her. "Just asked nicely." He said with heavy sarcasm and began changing into his night clothes after hiding the cigarettes on the top bunk.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and asked, "d-did you hurt them?"

"Stop asking questions," he snapped, making her flinch, turning his angry expression into one of guilt. "Angel- "

"You're a bully!" She shouted and threw the Smarties at his chest, each of them falling on the the ground. Daisy quickly laid on the bed with her back to him and the covers pulled up to her neck with her lip jutted out in a pout as her eyes began to water.

She heard a heavy sigh and a few scuffles before the bed dipped with a heavy weight on the bed. A rough finger pulled the blanket away from her face, grazing her wet cheeks. "Angel, I'm sorry. Please don't cry because of me." Seth's voice sounded pained as he wiped more tears from her face.

Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing but Daisy felt like she was finally comfortable with talking to someone and asking questions to initiate conversation. She always had a curious personality but it was greatly suppressed with her family's instructions to stay quiet and out of sight.

Although she knew Seth would never treat her like her family did, she couldn't help by cry at the memories his few words brought back.

"I just don't want you to be afraid of me if I tell you all the bad things I have done or still do." He admitted, sounding surprisingly vulnerable.

Feeling her anger at him decrease, she muttered, "I could never be scared of you. You're my Seth."

"That's right and your Seth is extremely sorry for shouting and making you cry." He apologised again and then cooed, "now let me see that pretty face."

She felt him felt him rubbing her cheek again and then tapped her nose, which made her smile and slowly turn around to see his handsome face.

"There she is. My pretty girl." He said, nuzzling his nose with hers.

Flashback ended

Thinking of Seth made her miss him more, despite having seen him earlier. He had told her he had to leave to be able to protect her but it didn't mean she was happy about it. She groaned. I just wish he didn't have to do such dangerous things so often!

Daisy slapped herself and rubbed her sore cheek, mumbling how she wished she wasn't so dependent on that man.

"Whatcha' reading, weirdo." Levi asked, jumping onto the couch next to her.

"A book." She muttered.

"How fun." He said unenthusiastically.

"Seth likes reading." Daisy whispered, feeling the need to defend her books.

Nate, also reading a book, chuckled under his breath beside her. "He likes listening to you read. There's a difference."

"I think anyone would like reading if they had you all cuddled and pressed up against them." Levi added with a smirk.

Unable to think of a good comeback, she just stuck her tongue out at them and put her focus back on her book while they laughed. The prison only had a small selection of books but surprisingly, many of them were romance or comedy and a few were philosophical. When she asked about it, she was told they weren't allowed to be exposed to anything violent. They didn't want to 'provoke' prisoners, which was very understandable.

Then panic washed over Daisy when a shadow settled over her, causing the book to shake in her hands. She cherished her personal space, with the exception of Seth, and grew anxious when someone stood close too her. Nate and Levi never dared to stay too close as per warning from her cellmate.

When the threatening presence of people looming over her didn't disappear, she lowered her book and peered up at the two prisoners. She recognised neither of them, one adorned in an orange jumpsuit and another in grey sweatpants and shirt. Both weren't too menacing looking, though considerably older than herself, so she relaxed slightly yet still on edge in case she needed to make a quick escape.

"You're Seth's girl, right?" One said with a small frown on his face.

"Say what you need and then leave," Nate growled out.

Their eyebrows raised, surprised at how quick the girl's protection made themselves known. "Just curious. I've been in the infirmary for a bit so I didn't believe the rumours this guy was telling me," he said while pointing to his friend.

Daisy didn't know how to respond. Was she Seth's girl? Did he even like her in a romantic way? She was almost certain he did but couldn't be sure. She didn't really want to get her hopes up when she was already falling so deep. She chewed on her lip and finally said, "I-I guess we're friends."

The men, including some other prisoners playing cards near them, laughed at the statement. "Friends with the devil? How's that possible?" A large man snickered, receiving friendly pats on the back from other men.

"Even after what he's done?" Another stranger raised his eyebrow in a way that looked like he was judging her.

She looked at them with a puzzled expression. Daisy couldn't believe how hypercritical they were being as many of them must've done much more terrible crimes than have a gang.

"Oh you don't know?" He said but suddenly let out a malicious laugh, making Daisy flinch in the process. "What am I saying? Of course you don't. You wouldn't want to be anywhere near that monster if you knew."

This time, Daisy glared at him for painting Seth in a bad light. He wasn't a bad person... at least not to her. "Seth's not a monster!" She shouted, surprising everyone but grew shy when she felt the weight of many eyes on her. "A-and I know about Seth's gang thing." She added quietly.

"I think you guys should leave now." Levi said sternly, already standing up in preparation to use force if needed, making Daisy nervous because she really didn't want to witness a fight again.

Lifting his hands up in a defensive position, the guy stepped back but then said, "I just thought the little girl would want to know that her boyfriend murdered his own family."

The blood drained from her Daisy's face. Her usual rosey cheeks lost all colour as the words sunk in. "W-what?"

"He murdered his family."

He murdered his family.

Seth murdered his family.

"Ok, you got what you wanted. Now leave before I make you." Nate said, challenging the men to stay.

"Y'ok cutie?" Levi asked tentatively. He crouched down to look her in the eyes with his worry evident. With Seth only being able to leave her alone if she had Levi and Nate protecting her, the two had grown quite attached to the little inmate and were exchanging looks after the information was unfortunately revealed.

Daisy nodded in a trance-like state, only breaking out of it when Levi touched her shoulder lightly, which caused her to flinch at the contact. "I-is it true?" She croaked out.

After a suspenseful pause, they eventually nodded and hung their heads in, what seemed like, shame for something they didn't even do. Saving her from having to say anything further about it, the bell rung. "I'm going to g-go." She whispered, faking a smile that convinced no one.

Immediately, they stepped forward and reached for her. "We'll walk you there." Levi stated.

Her eyes widened in fear. Although it wouldn't be the first time the boys had walked her to her cell, she was wary of them and wondered what else they were hiding. If her cellmate could keep a secret so horrid, she didn't even want to imagine what his friends were hiding.

"N-no please." She said, almost begging that they don't follow her. "I want to be alone right now."

Daisy didn't hear the reply because she ran out of the common room before anybody could. She needed to see Seth so he could explain to her that it was a complete misunderstanding. He would tell her they were just playing a trick and then hug her and apologise for saying such terrible, horrible things.

But then she stopped running and fell the the ground as her legs shook too much to function. She knew in her heart he wouldn't tell her it was a lie though. He'd tell her it was the truth. Would he kill her for finding out? If it was easy to kill his family, it wouldn't take any effort at all to murder her.

A sob escaped her mouth. Just that morning she woke up in Seth's arms feeling like the luckiest girl to have ever existed for knowing the caring and affectionate side of him. She was completely infatuated with him but now, how would she ever look at him in the same way again.

Daisy dreaded going to their cell and confronting him but knew she would have to eventually. She never wanted to see him again but at the same time, the very thought made her chest feel like someone was crushing her heart with their bare hand.

Wiping her eyes, she stood up, knowing the cell doors would close soon if she doesn't make it in time. But, Daisy only made it a few steps before she was slammed into a hard wall by a strong force. Clearly their aim was to hurt her because they laughed when she screamed in pain from her back colliding harshly with the brick.

She struggled against the arms of the unknown stranger yet to no avail. Her cries for help were blocked by his dirty hand but he let her salty tears run freely down her cheek.

"Stop struggling, b*tch." He growled with an eerie smile but all humour disappeared when she bit his hand with all the strength she had. "Argh." The large brute flung her on the ground and kicked her in the stomach.

Daisy wheezed but smiled in satisfaction when she saw the blood seeping out of the teeth marks on his hand. Trying to stand back up to fight against the oversized monster, she leaned against the wall with great difficulty, only to be thrown back on the concrete ground but this time, the man kneeled next to her.

An overwhelming stench of urine and smoke enveloped her with every second that passed. It stung her nostrils and burned in her throat so she was positive the smell would be forever imprinted in her brain.

Daisy thrashed and yelled loudly when his grimy hands touched her face in a nearly delicate manner. "D-don't touch me! Please don't touch me. Please." She begged with her eyes squeezed shut.

"If you're wondering, I'm getting revenge on your little boyfriend. He's the reason why I'm in prison and he's the reason I scrub sh*t out the toilet for 1p an hour." He snarled. Daisy cringed at each drop of spit that landed on her face while he spoke. "Frank said you were a looker." He looked her up and down suggestively, making a disgusted shiver run down her spine. "He wasn't wrong."

Without thinking, she spat on his face and braced herself for the anger that was sure to come. The back of her head smacked the floor after the man brought his hand to her cheek quickly and painfully, slapping her to the point that it made her feel dazed and the only thing she could feel was pain.

As Daisy felt herself lose consciousness and her eyelids weigh down, she knew she should've been saying prayers to God. Or maybe saying her final goodbyes to the parents she hated. But all she could think about was how much she wanted to see Seth one last time.

~~~

Thank you for reading!

Thoughts?

Do I need to put a warning at the beginning of the chapter or the book or something?

WORD COUNT: 2624

Much love <3

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