“I’m sorry, you’re just so beautiful.” I stuttered.
“Rebecca.” Lana lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly. “You don’t realise how beautiful you are.” She placed her fingertip under my chin “I am in awe of you every time I see you, your beauty your strength.” She kissed me pressing gently so that I lay on my back. I felt her leg sweep over me, her thighs bare against the denim of my jeans, then her hands were lifting off my shirt, she tossed it to the floor sitting over me her fingertips resting on the outline of the remaining bruises that coated my torso. Tears clouded her eyes as she stroked the yellowing blotches.
“It would have been almost six months now.” I don’t know why I said it, I don’t know where it suddenly came from, in this moment of heat and passion with Lana straddling me I’d become overwhelmed with sadness. Lana began to move but I sat up and grabbed her waist.
“Don’t!” I whispered.
“Rebecca it’s ok, this was just a silly thing.” She looked down at the bodice.
“No it’s not its beautiful. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, you look like you should be in a film or something.” I laughed sniffing back a tear.
“We should talk a little. You can talk to me about anything you know that?” She placed her lips atop my head and pulled her arms tightly around my neck.
“I know.” I told her. “I don’t know where that came from, I haven’t really been upset or anything I just didn’t think about it.”
“I would have stayed with you, you know.” Lana leant back and looked into my eyes. I nodded biting my lip. “And one day you will be an awesome mom.” She held my face in her hands as tears tumbled down my cheeks.
“Well I don’t think I will be going near a man again.” I brushed the tears away and smiled up at her.
“They’re not all like him.” Lana wiped away a stray tear from my chin.
“No I just meant, I don’t think I will be going near anyone else again, anyone but you anyway.” I let the words hang in the air whilst reading Lana’s expression.
“I’m glad to hear that.” She smiled broadly.
“Yeah?” I queried.
“Yes! Are you kidding me?” Lana laughed and rolled onto her side pulling me with her so that we were chest to chest.
“Lana?” I linked my fingers between hers.
“Mmhmmm.” She replied closing her eyes and nestling her face closer to mine.
“Do you trust me?” Her eyes flickered open and she observed me for a moment.
“Of course.” She nodded. I took her hands one at a time and placed them behind her head, she watched me a smile playing across her lips. “Oh ok.” She laughed as I slid off the bed and hopped out of my jeans.
“You can’t move your hands.” I told her as I moved back between her legs. “You have to keep them right there! No touching!” She bit her bottom lip but remained silent.
I ran my hands up and over her legs, the feel of the silk making me shiver I unclipped the stockings and hitched my thumbs into the sides of her underwear pulling them slowly down, for every inch of skin I uncovered I placed a kiss. Lana twitched at the touch. I tugged the scant piece of material down and off throwing them to the side. I slid back up the bed resting on my elbows I kissed the tops of her breasts lifting my head to meet her mouth as I let my weight press against her, Lana moved one hand free from behind her head and wrapped her fingers in my hair pressing the kiss harder and faster.
“Hey!” I wagged my finger at her and reached up to replace her hand firmly under her head.
I held both of her wrists with one of mine, moving to the side slightly so that my free hand trailed down her stomach, with no barrier between us any longer my fingers quickly made their way through the short course hair and dipped inside her. Lana moaned quietly against my mouth pressing herself lower so I slid deeper, she rocked her hips slowly, guiding my movements, every inch of me was on fire. Lana seemed to melt inwardly her body curved up towards me both hands now free reached for me.
“Fuck Rebecca do you have any idea what you are doing to me?” Her words were hurried as she unclipped my bra and ran the straps off my arms bending her head to take my nipple between her teeth, I cried out at the pressure pushing her back with my hand on her chest which was rapidly rising and falling.
“I want to do this.” I told her as I moved down her legs my mouth hovering above her groin.
“I’m not going to stop you.” She laughed making me smile. I dipped my head and let my tongue explore the soft folds of her body, reacting to each tiny movement she made, she pressed her fingers around my face moving a strand of hair and leading me to where she wanted, my tongue flicked over her and she arched up into me, her fingers flexing, I looked up and met her eyes she nodded quickly brushing my cheek with her fingertip. My hands fanned out over her stomach as the twitching in her muscles grew stronger and faster until she cried out. I moved to the side of her inching up the bed so that my head rested on her stomach I gently ran my fingertip across her hipbone.
“Oh my God Rebecca.” Lana giggled pulling me closer.
“I’m guessing that’s a good reaction?” I asked innocently.
“Yes!” She smiled breathlessly. “Come here.” She tugged up her legs and moved the duvet back so that we could both clamber under, wrapping me in her arms and enveloping me in warmth. “Where have you been all these years?” She whispered. “You are so totally unexpected, you blindsided me Rebecca, I never want to let you go.”
“I could stay here forever.” I told her sleepily.
“That sounds like an amazing plan.” She replied as my eyes began to close.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Wake up sleeping beauty.” Lana nudged me lightly and I felt the bed dip as she lay back beside me, a coffee cup clinked. I opened my eyes and reached my arm across to sling over her waist.
“Careful.” Lana scolded with a laugh catching hold of my wrist just before it landed on the tray that was over her knee. I sat up, carefully pulling the duvet with me to cover my chest.
“You made breakfast?” I smiled at the plate of toast and cups of coffee.
“I wouldn’t exactly call it that but yeah.” Lana picked up her coffee and took a sip, she had thrown on a checked night shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves, her ebony hair pulled up into a messy bun.
“You look beautiful.” I told her.
“It’s a night shirt Rebecca.” She laughed.
“I don’t care what it is, you look gorgeous.” I stroked my hand over the back of her neck.
“Come on drink your coffee while it’s hot.” She smiled and passed me the cup. A vibration made me jump, I looked over to where I had kicked off my jeans and saw a faint glow coming from the pocket. “I’ll grab it.” Lana passed me the tray quickly and padded across the floor.
“No honestly it won’t be important.” I said hurriedly as she reached down and pulled the phone from my pocket, pausing before turning the screen towards me.
“Gem?” She asked with her eyebrow crooked, the phone stopped vibrating as Lana moved back to the bed.
“Yeah, she owns that club.” I said carefully.
“Oh.” Lana nodded but her face flushed red. The phone started vibrating again. Before I could stop her she pressed down on the green button and answered the call.
“Becks?” Gem asked, I could hear her voice in the quietness of the apartment.
“No sorry honey it’s not.” Lana suddenly sounded much more American, I supressed a grin.
“Well can I speak to her please?” Gem sounded taken aback.
“No, sorry.” Lana picked at her finger nail distractedly.
“I’m sorry?” Gem laughed.
“What for?” Lana didn’t miss a beat.
“Look can you put Beck’s on the phone, I need to know when she’s coming in to work.” Gem sounded nervy.
“Oh she’s not coming back.” Lana said.
“What?” Gem’s voice was raised now. “You te
ll that little bitch that she has had a fortunes worth of drugs and free accommodation off me, she needs to get her arse back in and earn some money to cover her costs.”
“Isn’t that kind of like pimping?” Lana asked innocently, there was a pause on the line.
“I don’t know or care who you are just give her the message.” The phone went dead.
“Ooh she sounds mad.” Lana tossed the phone to the end of the bed playfully but her eyes were flashing with anger.
“Lana she really was nothing you know.” I placed the tray onto the floor and moved to lie against her.
“I just hate the thought of someone else having touched you.” She lifted her arm allowing me to crawl into the space and wrapped it tight against me. “And I hate the fact that she gave you drugs to keep you there even more.” She clenched her teeth.
“Well that’s gone now.” I snuggled in closer.
“I know baby.” She kissed my head.
“I love it when you say that.” I smiled. “It sounds so cheesy when anyone else says it, but that accent just pulls it off every time.”
“It does huh?” She placed another kiss on my head but I noticed her voice seemed different, distracted almost.
“What’s wrong?” I sat up pulling the sheet with me and turned to face her.
“Nothing is wrong.” Lana tried to smile but her eyes were still blazing.
“I won’t be going near that place again.” I told her leaning forwards to hold her hand.
“I know.” She ran her fingertip over my wrist. “It’s just the drugs Rebecca, they aren’t so easy to leave behind and I know they have a habit of ruining things. I can’t be with someone who takes them as a regular thing.” She shook her head and stared at the bed sheets. “But I love you.” She added more to herself than to me.
“I’m not going to touch them I swear. It was a short term thing that I have never done before, I don’t need them now.” I watched as she looked up at me nervously, her emerald eyes shining with tears.
“I want to believe that.” She sighed.
“Well trust me because it’s the truth.” I pulled myself closer to her and wrapped my arms and legs around her body holding on tightly.
“Ok spider monkey.” She laughed tilting me back so that I fell flat onto the bed.
“So what shall we do?” I asked bouncing up.
“What do you mean?” Lana sipped her coffee.
“Today, what shall we do!? We need a proper first date!” I shimmied down the bed dropping off the end.
“Well, it’s February and it’s freezing so a picnic is out of the question.” Lana pouted thoughtfully. “We could go bowling but we’re not twelve and neither of us want to play with balls.” I burst out laughing. “The cinema is too quiet and I don’t know if I could be trusted in a dark but public place with you right now. What to do?” She tapped her fingers around her mug. “I’ve got it!” I looked at her expectantly. “We can just stay in bed!” She shouted happily.
A bang made me turn around, Lana stopped laughing and looked nervously at the door.
“Will that be Christine?” I asked, there were muffled voices rising and falling from downstairs.
“She’s already in, she was only working half day because I don’t have any clients until tomorrow, but that sounds like a man.” Lana got up as she spoke, throwing back the duvet and moving across the apartment to where a white phone was latched into the bricks. She picked it up and pressed a button looking back at me.
I reached for my clothes throwing them on as Lana pulled her own jeans from the sofa and wiggled into them hastily, the chequered night shirt sticking out at angles from the waist. Below us the sound of a table toppling to the floor rattled around the hall.
“There’s no answer on the intercom I’m just going to check everything is ok.” She said reaching for the latch of the door as I shoved my feet into my shoes and made to follow her.
Looking back it seemed as though time stood almost completely still in that moment, every millimetre her hand moved was painfully slow, the sway of her hair and click of the lock taking minutes instead of the split seconds of reality. The door swung inwards, Lana’s arm outstretched holding the frame, then the ear splitting shot. The echoing, pop of a gun being fired, Lana’s body folded in the middle as she fell like a ragdoll backwards to the floor. I stared in disbelief as Ben stood in the doorway, his hands trembling around the butt of a small black gun, he looked stunned.
“What the hell did you do?” An older man barrelled past him into the room, dropping to his knees and clutching Lana’s shoulders.
“She just came at me!” Ben cried. He lowered the gun and stepped inside closing the door and resting his head against it. The world lurched around me and I stumbled towards them, this couldn’t be real.
“Sit down!” The older man barked, Ben span to face me holding out the gun once more. “You’re not going anywhere until we sort this out.” He was leaning his head down and listening to Lana’s chest. I sat on the arm of the leather sofa gawping silently.
“Is she dead?” Ben asked glancing down at the thin delta’s of blood that were spreading through the cracks in the wooden floor.
“No.” The older man sat back on his haunches.
“You’re her dad.” I croaked.
“Yes, I am.” He replied.
“The famous Jack Hewitt.” Ben gave a short laugh. “You didn’t know who you were taking on did you?” He glared at me.
“Shut up!” Jack rose to his feet, the back of his hand slamming hard across his son’s face with a ringing smack.
“You hit me!” Ben whined looking back at his father.
“I said shut up!” Jack roared running his hands across his gel laden hair. “I am so sick of cleaning up after you! This is too far Ben, too far!” He was pacing the room.
“You’d think you actually care!” Ben said petulantly.
“We need to phone an ambulance.” I tried to stand up but a heavy hand pressed me back down.
“No.” Jack leant into my face his eyes the same ocean green as Lana’s but with none of the shine.
“We phone an ambulance and they phone the police!” Ben waved the gun in the air. “That’s not how we do things.”
“I’ll take her to the hospital myself.” Jack turned and bent down, tucking Lana’s arms across her chest and preparing to lift her up.
“What?” Ben was dumbstruck. “We need to get rid of her, if she wakes up and tells them what happened… she can even tell them about her!” He pointed at me.
“This is one for you to face on your own.” Jack stood up facing his son. “I am so tired of you, you have been spoilt Ben, it’s as much my fault as your mother’s, but it has done you no favours. All these years, all the awful things you have done, I covered them up and allowed you to carry on no matter who you hurt. I made excuse after excuse for you. You have no respect, no ethics, no morals, nothing! You have been truly ruined.” Jack shook his head. “I’m sorry son. By not giving you any kind of consequences you think that there’s nothing you can’t do. It needs to stop.” Jack turned back to Lana who was unmoving on the floor. Ben’s face was wobbling, reddening at the cheeks, his eyes creasing in the corners, he clutched the gun tighter and fired three shots. I stifled a scream turning my head away as they thudded into his father’s back. Jack toppled forwards his face crunching into the floor.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I screamed.
“Shut up! Shut up!” Ben tapped the gun against his head, drops of spit flying from his lips. “This is your fault.” He said quietly, looking up at me. “Yes, your fault. Everything was fine until that night.” He moved towards me, I stood up and scampered back across the room until the kitchen counter was between us.
“You’re the rapist how is that my fault?” I cried.
“You knew what you were doing.” He waved the gun at me. “You were flashing that smile and tossing your hair all over me, with the sweet little touches.”
&nbs
p; “You are delusional! I was stitching up wounds!” I flinched as he broke into a laugh.
“Then Miranda comes to the house, saying that you’re now living here with her.” He snarled. “What was she going to do, trap me into saying something again? Get proof this time!?”
“He hit me with the car didn’t he?” I looked over to where Jack was flat against the floor, his arms outstretched.
“He was crying when he came back!” Ben scoffed. “Crying, like that thing would have even meant something.” He pointed briefly at my stomach.
“Was it worth it? All of this, was it worth it?” I shook my head “You killed an unborn child, as much as it disgusts me your unborn child.”
“So you say.” He huffed but looked slightly less sure of himself.
“You are sick, you really have something wrong with you.” I told him.
“But there’s still something you like about me though isn’t there? Is that why you went with her? Does she look like me?” He glanced over his shoulder to where Lana lay. “I mean did she look like me…. When she was alive? I couldn’t see it myself.”
“She’s not dead.” I whispered.
“Looks it to me.” Ben sniffed turning back towards me. I reached my hand to the shelf next to my thigh feeling for one of the heavy glass bottles I knew lay in the wine rack.
“She’s a fighter, she will be ok.” I found the neck of a bottle and pulled it carefully free.
“No she’s definitely dead.” Ben smiled.
“Oh yeah, so why is she moving?” I looked past him as he span around, I made my move, darting forwards and swinging the bottle so that it collided with the back of his head shattering and spraying the contents across the wall. Ben wobbled for a second, his eyes rolling then crashed to the floor. The gun clattered from his hand.
“Lana.” I ran across the room, avoiding Jack’s body and the pool of blood that was spreading outwards. “Lana.” I sobbed holding her face in my hands, still she didn’t move. I scrabbled to my feet and half ran half fell towards the bed gripping my phone and punching in triple nine.
“Which service do you require?” The voice of a woman said immediately.
Unexpected Page 13
