Lana's eyes were wide open as she stared at the ceiling of her room. She couldn't sleep. She turned to her side and glanced at her watch.
2:00 a.m
But she couldn't bring herself to calm down and sleep.
And she knew that she found the reason quite annoying.
Her father Arthur had called Damien to the gang house last evening, for a meeting.
And Lana had heard his voice boom through the mansion as he screamed at Damien.
He had been blaming Damien for being a highly irresponsible gang leader and for completely abandoning his own responsibility when he should be the one taking initiative.
"NOT VISITING ONCE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING YOUNG MAN?!" He had screamed.
"SHIFT TO THE GANG HOUSE! TODAY ITSELF?!"
So here he was.
Lana had seen servants moving in trunks in to the room at the end of her corridor.
And she had screamed internally.
Why dad? Why now?
But it was clear to her why. He was seeing and it was pretty evident too, that Lana was stressed working alone. There was too much to do. And very little time to do all of it.
There was business to be administered. People to be looked after. And Maia to find.
But even though she was straining herself, Lana was better working alone than working with Damien. Not after that cafeteria incident just two days ago.
Her mouth felt dry. She turned towards her side table to reach out for the water bottle only to find it empty.
Great! Just great!
She had been in a hurry to be inside her room to avoid the unwanted addition to the house, so she had forgotten to fill her water bottle tonight.
She got up, not able to contain her thirst, and moved out of her room and towards the kitchen.
Recahing downstairs she found the light of the kitchen switched, casting a glow on the floor of the threshold of the kitchen. Lana entered the kitchen to find Henry.
He has been distant since that very day that he had kissed her infront of everyone. And though Lana knew that it was a mistake and that Henry was far from sorry, she didn't like it this way. Even though she didn't feel the same towards him, she wasn't keen on losing a good friend.
"Hey Henry!" She said moving in. Henry jumped a little , not noticing when she had entered.
"Hey Lana." He said softly.
Lana watched as Henry's hands moved on the counter, making something.
"What are you making at this ungodly hour of the day?" She asked him, moving closer to where he stood.
Henry turned to show her a sandwich. Scratching the back of his neck he explained, " I didn't have dinner and stomach just won't stop growling. So I came down to make a sandwich." His cheeks tinged pink.
Lana chuckled and moved closer to pull his cheeks.
She felt him stiffen, his eyes go slightly wide. So she instantly pulled back.
They stood in silence and then Henry spoke up again, "Couldn't sleep?" He asked. He knew her too well by now to know that she wasn't really sleeping now.
"Yeah. I don't think I can now." She said, looking him in the eye. She could see conflict in them. Like he was thinking if he should come forward and embrace her or move further away from her.
But he chose the latter.
"I guess I'll go now. Night." He said and in a second was out of the kitchen.
"Night." Lana whispered to herself.
She sighed. Of course. She didn't want to hurt him. And she knew exactly how it felt to not be loved back. If Lana staying away from Henry saved Henry heartbreak, then that was good.
She looked around a bit and then moved to the fridge to take out a water bottle. She started humming a song as she looked inside the fridge for a water bottle. Hurriedly gulping down water, she put the bottle back in, shut the door of the fridge and turned around to move out.
She walked down the corridors and reached her room.
She was just about to open the door of her room and enter, when it opened.
In a flash someone pulled her inside and shut the door again. Lana's front was pressed against the door while her back faced the invader.
"So you don't get affected?" He asked teasingly, his hands holding hers' behind her back.
Lana's breath hitched. She could feel her heart beat increasing. Her heart thumped hard against her ribcage, trying to escape the barrier. Her uneased breathing did nothing to calm her down.
Damien pressed further and a jabbing pain shot up Lana's hand. But that didn't matter. She wasn't able to take in his closeness. She could feel his bare chest against her back and the sensation was doing wonders to the pit of her stomach. It was turning into an all out Zoo.
"No. Not one bit." She said, her voice ever so confident. Of course she was good at faking confidence now. She has practiced this quality everyday since she came into this life of gangs.
Damien turned her over sharply in a quick movement, leaving atleast two hands distance between them.
And Lana took him in, in all his half-naked glory.
He was shirtless with his tracks hanging dangerously low at his hips. She hadn't seen him like this since a very long time. But she saw how much years of workout and strain had affected him. Changed him.
Her eyes trailed down from his messed up hair, down his chiseled face, the growing stubble accentuating his deep blue eyes, to his sculpted chest and then to-
She looked up sharply.
God's!
She had been blatantly staring and of course he had noticed.
Damien looked at her with predatory eyes. Light sky blue eyes darkening to match the colour of the night sky.
He took a step towards her slowly.
"So tell me," He walked to her. "When I come closer to you like this," He came in more, "do you not feel it?"
Lana's heart was in a frenzy.
"The lust. The desire. The need." He whispered. Lana gulped.
"When I hold your hand up like this," He caged her hands above her head, "Do you not like it?"
Lana couldn't breathe.
"When I brush back your hair like this," He put a strand of Lana's hair behind her ear, "Do you not crave the touch?"
Lana felt weak in her knees.
"When I look down at your lips, ever so slowly and stare at them," He paused, moving closer if it was even possible. "Do you not think what it would feel like?"
Lana was a breathless, senseless , writhing mess by the end of it.
At that moment, Damien let Lana's hands fall, and instantly wrapped his around her waist.
Lana brought her hands around his neck, and looked at his face, wanting it closer than it already was.
She gasped, out of breath. "Damien...."
And just then they were ready to let it happen, something that they had been avoiding since a long time.
Their lips came closer. They breathed in the same air. Their worlds mingled. They looked into each others eyes.
And there was a knock on the door.
Lana moved as the door shook behind her gently. She shook her head, clearing the daze that she was in. Damien moved away mumbling profanities at the intruder.
Lana turned around and opened the door.
At the door stood Henry. He looked at her and smiled. He couldn't look past her. He couldn't see Damien.
"I was wondering if you-" But before Lana could hear the end of that, she felt Damien push past her and walk off.