Chapter Three

The relief Ana felt when she stepped out of the Uber was astronomical. The ride had been so weird because every time she looked up into the rear view mirror, it seemed like the driver’s eyes were on her, judging and calculating. She had never felt more creeped out in her entire life.

The area she was in was not very familiar, else Ana would have dropped down immediately. She absolutely hated it when people judged her, especially when she was sure this man was no virgin and probably went to the club to pick up people as well. She sighed and looked away, deciding not to give him any more of her time. 

Finally, she was in her neighborhood. As the man made to drop in front of her apartment complex, a piece of paper fell in front of her. Ana picked it curiously and decided to read it only when she got out of the car. On the small card was written, “call me!” with a number beneath. Oh. So he wasn’t judging her. He was checking her out.

Ana giggled a little and let the slip of paper fall. Maybe someone would pick it up and call the man. It would teach him a lesson anyways. It was so stupid how he had not exchanged a single word with her and thought it was okay for him to tell her to call him. Some people lacked so much tact it was even sickening. 

Ana already knew for sure that the last thing he was getting from her was a five star rating. After making her uncomfortable then having the guts to make a pass at her? That was very weird behavior. She shook her head and headed into the apartment complex, straight to the elevator. A woman got in after her, and it looks were effective, Ana would probably be burning in hell at the moment. Ana knew she looked funny wearing a dress that was clearly meant for ‘nightlife’ and holding her heels in her hands. But that was nobody’s business but hers.

She left out a sigh of relief when the elevator got to her floor. It was amazing to finally be home. She would take a long bath then make some breakfast, eat and sleep before even giving a thought to any of what had happened the previous night. Luckily enough, she didn’t have a terrible hangover, which was surprising with how much she had drunk the previous night.

Her thoughts came to a standstill though when she got to the door of her apartment. It was unlocked. Unless she was the dumbest person in the whole history of people, Ana was sure she had definitely locked her door before she left the previous night. She advanced cautiously into the apartment, peeking in. She was scared, so she didn’t want to go in completely.

Her phone was dead so there was no chance of calling Landon so he could come and she knew he would come right over. Ana thought of her paintings and bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry. She had been collecting paintings since she was 16 and she had a whole room full of them. So imagining someone getting a hold of them, when a lot of them had so much sentimental value, was heartbreaking.

“Hello?” Ana said as she got in slowly, her voice breaking against her will. She went to the living room and made some kind of weird kung-fu stance which according to her was going to scare whoever was in her apartment away.

As soon as she made the move and a weird noise to go along with it, Landon came out laughing. Ana’s hands dropped and she rolled her eyes. Of course it was this idiot. He was laughing so hard that Ana wanted to go towards him and hit him. She gave into her urges but it didn’t stop the idiot from laughing neither did it take away the murderous look on her face.

“You should have seen how ridiculous you looked,” Landon finally said when she was done laughing. “Did you think you were truly going to hurt someone with that stance?”

“Fuck off, Landon. It truly wasn’t funny. There was honestly no need for you to do that. I was so terrified.” She looked upset so Landon came towards her and hugged her against him.

“I’m sorry. Are you good now?” he asked, wrapping his arms around his friend.

“Fuck off. You had me thinking my babies were gone,” she said in a small voice, refusing to hug him back. Landon gave the best hugs of Ana was being honest, and not hugging him back felt like torture. She wasn’t really pissed, but she just wanted to milk it as usual. 

“Okayyyy,” Landon said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll get you that one you’ve been eyeing for a while.”

He knew immediately that that was what Ana had wanted when she hugged him back almost instantly with a big smile on her face. “Thank you so much,” she said, then she placed a kiss on his cheek and disentangled herself from his embrace.

“But not gonna lie, you scared me. I thought someone had broken into my apartment,” Ana added after she got out of the hug and slumped tiredly on her couch. 

"That's why you should get the latest security–" Ana interrupted Landon before he could finish his sentence.

"No thank you. As I've told you the five hundred and sixty five times you've told me this before," Ana said and Landon shot her a cross look.

"What are you doing here so early anyways?" she asked, diverting the conversation.

"You didn't see my missed calls?" Landon asked, leaving the chair he had been sitting on and slumping next to Ana on the couch.

He took her feet and lay then in his laps then started massaging them. It was a routine. Landon knew Ana's feet hurt when she wore heels for long. So he always massaged them when he was available.

"I did. But when I was in the Uber. I was going to call you when I reached home," Ana lied, throwing a hand over her eyes.

She had no intention of calling Landon. She had planned to come home, sleep, wake up, shower then eat and laze around all day.

"Liar," Landon said, tickling the soles of her feet. Ana wiggled her feet, laughing, then kicked at Landon, who finally stopped.

"Okay. I was going to call you. But when this hangover stopped killing me, and whenever I managed to charge my phone" she admitted.

"So..." Landon trailed out and Ana knew him enough to know whatever he was asking to know.

"So, don't you have work today?" She asked, misunderstanding him deliberately.

"I don't. And stop changing the topic young lady," he said, stopping his massage.

Ana kicked her legs needily and he continued it. Then she said, "I wanted to let loose a little bit."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Landon asked, a bit of hurt colouring his tone.

"Cause I knew you were going to go overprotective dad on me," Ana mumbled.

"I was going to go overprotective dad on you?"

"Okay, I'm sorry Landon. But sometimes you're extreme. I know you have my best interests at heart. And I know most of the time you're right. But please, just let me live a bit. Please?"

Landon looked at Ana for a bit of time, wondering how clueless she could be to his feelings. But he didn't say anything about that. Just motioned for her to come over to him.

"Never feel like you have to hide something from me because you feel I'd go extreme on you. I love you. And I want you to be happy," he said earnestly, looking at her wavering eyes.

"I love you too Landon. And I know that. I'm sorry I'm a bitch sometimes," Ana said then rested her head in his chest.

Landon kissed Ana's forehead then added teasingly, "You mean all the time though?"

"Shut up," Ana said and both laughed, basking in the warmth of their friendship.

***

Ana woke up a while later in her bed. There was a sticky note on the headboard. She was no longer in the tight dress she had been wearing, but now in a big t-shirt that once belonged to Landon. She had no qualms about Landon changing her because she knew he would never take advantage of her. And he was the closest thing to a brother she had ever had.

Ana took the note and read it out loud.

"There's breakfast in the microwave and coffee in the machine. See you tomorrow. I fucking love you Landon Geralds," Ana said then hurried to the bathroom.

She brushed her teeth and took a a quick shower, the hunger gnawing away at the walls of her stomach telling her to hurry the fuck up.

After getting done in the bathroom, Ana took her phone, which had been charging (thank you Landon!) to the breakfast bar. She took out the breakfast which was luckily still warm and poured herself a cup of coffee. As she was about to take the first sip of her coffee, her phone started ringing. Ana sighed. The ringtone already told her who it was. It was Anne Marie's Psycho. And it told her it was her mom. Veronica.

Ana left the phone to ring for a while then picked up. "Hey mama"

"Ana. Why didn't you answer on the first ring?" Ana rolled her eyes. Her mother loved it when she picked up her calls quickly. She was a busy woman as she always put it.

"I was in the bathroom mom," Ana lied a little. After all, she had been in the bathroom.

"Hope you washed your hands," Veronica said and Ana almost choked. Really? What was she? Seven?

"I did mama. Is there any problem?" Ana asked, then slapped herself mentally for saying that. Now she was going to receive a whole lecture.

"So I have to call you when there is a problem?"

"No mom. But you don't usually call me on Saturdays," Ana replied, grasping at straws.

Veronica harrumphed, then said, "I was calling you to inform you of the bake sale on Sunday next week. Don't be late. And bring one of your chocolate pies. You know the ladies at the church love it."

"Mom–"

"No buts. I'll call you later dear," was all Veronica said then she hung up.

The nerve of her! Ana thought. She looked down at the food in front her with a lost appetite. She wasn't interested in finishing it after that call. She finished the cup of coffee then put the pancakes back in the microwave.

Her mother was the bane of her existence. Ana knew without her she wouldn't exist, but sometimes, she almost wished the woman was absent from her life. Ana sighed and jumped on the couch, pouting sadly. It was always the church women did this, the church women did that with Veronica. Since Ana was ten. And it hadn't stopped since.

Ana wondered how the church women would react to know that daughter of the oh so pious Veronica had had protected and premarital sex the previous night. They were probably all going to have aneurysms, including Veronica. The thought brought a smile to Ana's face and her mood was okay once again. She walked to the kitchen then brought out the pancakes, happily and hungrily devouring them. Yes. Her mom could make her mood bad but food made it all better. And sex too. But that was not something she had at her disposition at the moment so she was going to have to settle.

After eating, Ana headed to her bed again. She was praying no one bothered her. No Veronica, no Tasha, no work related issues and no Landon even. All she wanted was to sleep and maybe dream about the sex god who had given her the dicking down of her life. Sounded like a plan.