Dented Ch. 02

"I am sorry you had to go through that," Jess said, trying to comfort her as best she could. "And I'm sorry that they thought we were perfect or something. We're not."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry." Maggie's tears were flowing freely now. "I'm so. so. so. very. sorry." she was sobbing now. There was a box of tissues that she pulled from, dabbing her eyes. "I know what I did was wrong. It was stupid and immature. And mean. I can't take back what I did, but I am sorry for it. I just hope that one day, you can forgive me."

Before we could say anything else, the guard came over and announced that our time was nearly out. As we stood up, Maggie looked at us hopefully.

"If it's not too much to ask?" she asked tentatively.

"What's that?"

"Could you come back again someday? Maybe?"

"Of course we can," Jess reassured her.

****

"Fuck," Jess said when we got back in the car.

"Yeah."

"Damnit, I wasn't planning on feeling sorry for her!" Jess exclaimed.

"What did you think was going to happen?"

"I dunno. She'd yell at us. Cuss us. Spit a few times. There'd be a scene where a guard has to drag her away, her legs flailing in the air. Then we could leave, knowing she was deranged or something and we'd never have to deal with her again." Jess looked over at me. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either."

"Did you hear how she referred to her parents?"

"Mother and Father. Not Mom and Dad. Or anything remotely affectionate."

"What a fucked up way too grow up!" Jess exclaimed. "No wonder their kids were like that. Imagine being raised by judgemental robots!"

"All because of that stupid TV show." I rolled my head back against the headrest and stared through the sunroof of the car.

"And no one has come to visit her," Jess said quietly, almost to herself.

"I know. You'd think some friends would've by now or something."

"Yeah, but do you think she had many friends? I mean, if her life was that strict and regimented, how many close friends could she have had?"

"You really want to come back?" I asked.

"No. But I said we would. And I think we need to."

"Mom and Dad are gonna LOVE this."

*****

"What in the nine hells were you two thinking?!" Dad exclaimed. Mom just sat there, stunned.

When Mom and Dad returned home, we sat them down and let them know what we'd done in regard to contacting Maggie.

"We needed to see her. Talk to her ourselves. Get some kind of closure." I stated.

"And did you?"

"Kinda. I'm hoping the next time we-"

"NEXT TIME?!" Dad bellowed. "Like hell there'll be a next time!"

"Dad," Jess said calmly. "Please let us explain."

For the next thirty minutes, we retold the encounter with Maggie. How her parents had pushed them, the drugs, everything.

"Look," Dad began, falling back into the sofa. "I'm not saying that girl hasn't been dealt a bad hand. But you two don't owe her anything."

"You're right Dad, we don't," Jess said.

"But if all it takes is a few hours of our time every now and then, if that helps her, isn't that worth something?" I finished.

"Aren't you the one always saying we need to do more for others?" Jess reminded him.

"That if we see someone who needs help we should help?" I added.

"She needs help," Jess said.

"And I think we're the only ones who can help"

"Because she doesn't have anyone else."

"No one who cares."

"And it's not like-"

"Okay! Enough!" Dad interrupted. "God . . . Twins."

Jess and I gave each other a knowing look. Our "twinness" often allowed us to finish each other sentences and present a united argument from two fronts. We loved our parents, but they never stood a chance.

"Fine," Dad said looking over at Mom who nodded. "If you two want to do this, just be ready to cut and run if you need to." He stood up and Jess jumped to give him a hug. "It's okay to want to help. Just don't get hurt in the process."

*****

That night, after Mom and Dad went to bed, Jess came in through the bathroom and crawled into my bed. She curled against me, kissing me before settling against me with a contented sigh.

"You okay?" I asked

"I am now." she kissed my shoulder. "Just thinking it's a shame that Maggie and her brother weren't closer in age."

"Hmm? Why's that?"

"Maybe neither of them would have turned out like this if they could've just made love like we have."

I laughed, "A better world through incest?"

"The family that cums together stays together," she said with mock seriousness.

"Oh God, that was bad. How long have you been holding that one in?"

"Long enough," she said sliding on top of me.

Reaching down, she pulled my shorts down freeing my barely hard cock. In her hands however, that was quickly changing. Jess pulled her nightgown up, revealing she had decided to forego any panties for tonight.

Neither of us had any real foreplay, but she didn't try to force me inside her either. She leaned down and kissed me deeply, her tongue sliding around mine and she slowly pushed me deeper. Every few moments, she'd pull back, letting my tip pull some of her juice out before pushing down and sliding me in a little further. In a few minutes I was completely inside her.

We made love slowly. When she came, her orgasms were slow building and rocked her gently. We rolled over on our sides, and Jess spun around so her back was on my chest. She spread her legs and rotated her hips, allowing me to slip back inside her.

I kissed her neck and shoulders as I made love to her. She took my hand and held it against her breast. I gave it soft squeezes and pulls while I thrust into her. Even when I came it wasn't a frantic motion. I did speed up a little until I buried myself as far inside her trembling body as I could.

"Stay inside me for a while longer," she asked softly.

"I can try. I don't have much control over that right now," I chucked.

"I know. But I love the feeling of you inside me."

"I love it too, beautiful."

Jess just lay there and after a few moments, I heard the slow breathing of sleep. I felt myself drift off to sleep as well and was only barely aware of my softened cock slipping out of her.

If this was how each of our visits were going to end, I'd be happy making that drive every day.

*****

THREE YEARS LATER

I pulled into the driveway exhausted. I remembered in college how much I wished that I could be done with it and just start working. Now I was wishing I could go back to the carefree days of college and not have to really work.

Jess and I had both graduated with a 5-Year MBA in Business, and immediately after graduation, we started at the family company. Without giving too much detail, our company is a wealth management firm. Basically, we help the rich become even richer. We can handle everything from taxes, estate preparation, investments, etc. It may not seem like a lot, but we maintain the futures for that top one percent that everyone loves to hate now-a-days.

We were basically paid interns at the moment, shadowing various C-Levels at they did their daily jobs. Right now, Jess was with the CIO and I was with the COO. The CIO was a family friend who was nearing retirement. Jess had a knack for computer systems and this was a better fit for her. Mom was the COO, and I truly believe that she would have quit the moment I walked through the doors if she could have. It's not that she didn't love the job, but she wanted to do new things.

As a graduation present to us, Mom and Dad moved out. They sold the house to the two of us and bought themselves a condo in the center of the downtown entertainment district. This way, they said, they could enjoy the freedom of being empty-nesters yet not have to worry about the upkeep on a big house. It made sense for them and it was a boon for us, especially given that it would be nearly impossible to find a nice house with twin master bedrooms that were across from each other. Plus, as Mom said, it would give me more freedom and maybe I would feel more comfortable bringing a girl home. She even took to introducing me to some of the single ladies around the office. I played the part, but never committed to anything.

Jess sat in the passenger seat, half asleep herself. We both shuffled out of the car and into the house. It was odd having the place to ourselves, and even three months in I still almost shouted that we were home. In true zombie fashion, Jess shambled towards the stairs only half aware of her surroundings. I watched as she shed her clothes, dropping them behind her like fashionable breadcrumbs. By the time she was half-way up the stairs, she was completely naked and headed to the bedroom. I watched, enjoying the show until she turned into our bedroom.

It was Friday night, but we were both too tired to go out or do anything except collapse onto the bed. We'd had dinner at the office, and now we were both ready for sleep. I followed Jess up the stairs, picking up her clothes as I went. Didn't hurt to be tidy.

Jess was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. I waited for her to finish before going in and completing my own evening preparations. By the time I finished, she was under the covers and half asleep. I joined her, and she quickly curled up against me.

"Normally I'd want you to do me." she yawned, "But tonight I don't think I'm up for it."

"'Do you'?" I chucked, "How romantic, my dear."

"Bite me," she said sleepily. "Later."

"I love you," I said

"Love you too, big brother."

Jess rolled over, taking my arm with her like a security blanket. She nestled it against one of her breasts before falling asleep. I gave her a gentle squeeze before falling asleep myself.

*****

"Come on!" Jess urged as I got in the car. "We're going to be late."

"Relax. It's not like she's going anywhere."

"Oh haha. Very funny."

I started the car and began the bi-weekly trek to Logan Correctional. By this time, the drive had become so rote that we hardly even knew any time had passed when we pulled into the parking lot. The guards had become familiar with us and politely greeted us as we walked in. The pat-downs were now more for show than anything else since they knew us well enough to know we wouldn't try anything. Plus, the guards really appreciated the fact that Maggie had become a model inmate since we started visiting.

We had become good friends with Maggie over the past several years. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a long process. She'd opened up to us at first, but trust was another matter. That took several months of just being there for her. We even gave her our numbers so she could call us (collect of course) when she could. Occasionally, we would deposit some money into her account, but she never asked us to. If she was trying to take advantage of us, she hid it well.

Mom and Dad were at first incredulous that we were continuing our contact with Maggie. After a while, they just kept their complaints to themselves. I guess they hoped we'd get bored or she'd turn on us. However, quite the opposite, we became fast friends.

When Maggie came in she ran up to us and gave us both a quick hug. That was all she'd dare do with the guards looking on. We hugged back, each one with a single arm around her. She had long ago cut off the blue and back bits of her hair and had returned to her natural blonde. It hung straight, almost down to her neck. Her blue eyes had no trace of malice or hatred anymore.

For the next couple of hours, we caught up and just talked. Maggie mainly listened as very little changed in her day to day routine. When she laughed, it was an infectious light laugh and I found myself enjoying it more each time I heard it.

Eventually, it was time to leave. With our familiarity, the guards were a little more lenient when it came to contact. She gave Jess a quick hug goodbye, then turned to me and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back, promising to see her again in a couple of weeks. She waved to us through the windows as she was led away and back inside.

"Oh, she's got it bad for you," Jess teased once we were back in the car.

"What?" I asked, honestly confused at her statement.

"Maggie. She's got a mad crush on you." she continued her teasing.

"Oh, whatever."

"You seriously don't see it?" Jess asked dubiously.

"No, because there's nothing to see."

"God, men are so thick headed sometimes." she laughed. "Seriously, Jace, she was one distracted-guard away from jumping you."

"Well, too bad I'm already with my dream girl." I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Jess smiled back at me, but I couldn't tell if she was happy I said that or if she was giving me a sympathy smile.

*****

A few weeks later I received a call on my cell phone. It was from Maggie. She rarely called in the middle of the day since she knew Jess and I were at work.

"Maggie?" I asked once we were connected. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said hesitantly. "I guess."

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. Had she gotten into some trouble?

"I have a meeting next week with my lawyer."

"Okay...?" I waited for her to continue.

"Well, I'm not sure what he's going to say. I haven't really spoken to him since the beginning."

"He didn't say what he's going to talk to you about?"

"No, just that it was important and he'd be coming by next week. It's too early for my parole." she paused for a moment. "I know it's a lot to ask, but can you two be here with me when I talk to him?"

"Uh, yeah, I think we can. When is it?"

"Thursday at one o'clock."

"Yeah, my calendar is free the rest of that day. Not sure about Jess', but I'm sure we can clear whatever we need to."

"Oh thank you!" she breathed a sigh of relief.

"No problem. See you in a few days."

Mom and Dad weren't really thrilled that we were doing this, but one of the perks in working for a nepotistic company is that it's really hard to get fired, especially when you're being groomed to take over.

Jess and I made the late morning drive and arrived shortly before her lawyer. We were escorted to the attorney room and a guard watched over us until her lawyer arrived.

"It's okay," Maggie said when her lawyer looked at us questioningly. "I asked them to join me."

"Very well," he said. He was different than the original public defender she'd had a few years ago. I was tempted to ask what happened to him but thought it best to let him get to the point.

"So, Miss Cavanaugh, it appears that you have been a model inmate these past few years. A couple of incidents at the beginning, but that's expected with first timers."

"Yeah," she said, looking down at the table. "I was in a bad place then."

"Obviously you've gotten to a better place since because what you've done since then has earned you a bit of goodwill with the state."

"Early parole?" she asked, perking up.

"Not quite. You still have a debt to pay in that regard, but the state is offering you to serve out the remainder of your sentence off-site with electronic detention."

"House arrest?" I asked.

"Yes. For non-violent offenders with good records, the state is offering this program. They say it's to help garner good-will but in reality, it's cheaper and helps with prison overcrowding."

This was definitely good news! I looked over at Jess, but she didn't seem to share my jubilation. She sat there, chewing on her thumbnail, lost in thought.

"So, what needs to happen?" Maggie asked.

"There's a lot that needs to happen, but mainly you'll need a place to stay and a place to work. We can contact your parents and-"

"Yep. Crap." Jess whispered and I immediately caught on.

"Never mind," Maggie said dejectedly.

"I don't understand," he asked confused.

"My parents won't help," she said softly.

Maggie would need someplace to go since she never was out on her own, and it was doubtful that her parents would help her. Given how they treated her growing up, I highly doubted they would want someone who required monitoring in their house.

"Are you sure?" the lawyer asked. "If they knew then maybe-"

"They wrote me off and left me here. I tried to call them a few months ago." This was news to Jess and me; we both looked at her surprised. She nodded when she saw us looking.

"Yeah. Number was disconnected. Emails bounced back. Letters came back as occupant moved no forwarding address. Even their cell phones were changed." She looked up at us, tears brimming in her eyes. "They left me."

"I see," the lawyer said, gathering the papers. "I'm sorry to hear that. Without a stable home to go to, they won't grant this."

"I know," she said, covering her eyes.

"Our house!" Jess exclaimed suddenly.

"What?" the rest of us asked.

"Our house," Jess said, nodding. "She can come to our house."

"That's highly unorthodox," he said. "You are technically the reason she's in here."

"I know," Jess said, looking at Maggie and smiling. She reached over and took Maggie's hand her hers. "And we're going to be the ones to get her out."

*****

To say that Mom and Dad were against this would be a gross understatement. Dad was livid.

"Are you out of your Goddamned minds?!" he shouted

"Dad, please calm down," Jess said.

"We've given this a lot of thought," I said

"We can help her."

"She needs someone."

"Her parents are gone."

"Her family abandoned her."

"She's not the same person she was all those years ago," Jess said.

"She's better. She's good."

"She's our friend."

"And she needs our help."

Dad shook his head. "Damn twins," he muttered.

"Listen, kids." Mom said. "You two are old enough to make your own decisions. And the house is yours now so in reality, there's nothing we can do to stop it." She took a breath. "We just want you two to be safe. That's all we've ever wanted. Safe and happy, and I . . . We worry that she jeopardizes both."

"I know Mom," Jess said, getting up and sitting next to her. "If she was the same person she was years ago, I'd agree with you. But she's not. She's one of those people who has really been helped by her time there. She's changed. She's better than she was, and I think we can help be better still."

"Just... Be careful." Dad cautioned. "Keep your eyes open. At the first sign of danger, put her back. And for God's sake, please keep your doors locked at night. Both of you."

*****

The technicians had been in the house the day before setting up the primary unit and defining the boundaries she would be limited to. That, coupled with the GPS unit in the ankle monitor, would pretty much track her down to the nearest foot. They also did a thorough search of the house, looking for anything illegal. We smirked when they searched our rooms, knowing that the only thing illegal they'd find would be if they came back at night.

The van pulled up at the house at 1:45 pm, pretty much exactly when they said they would be there. An armed guard led Maggie out of the van and up to the door. She wore sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt. She looked apprehensively at the house but warmed slightly when we opened the door to greet them. We welcomed them into the house where the guard linked the ankle monitor with the main unit then secured it to her leg. He then gave us each a keyfob device.

"Keep this on you at all times," he said sternly

"What is it?"

"Emergency alarm," he explained. "If she does something illegal or threatening or anything that would violate her parole, press this button for five seconds and it will alert us immediately."

The officer went over the particulars of what she was allowed to do and what she couldn't do in great detail. Finally, he turned to Maggie.

"For what it's worth, good luck. You're a good kid. Don't fuck it up." he shook her hand then left. The door closed behind him, and the three of us stood together in silence. Maggie broke the silence, running up to us and wrapping her arms around us both.