Judging by the look on Cory’s face, Lana knew that no matter what, she would not change his mind.
“Okay, but call me right away,” she said as she watched Cory rush upstairs.
12
Lana shook off negative thoughts. She knew the safest place Isabel could be was inside their home.
“I’m sure everything is all right,” Doug said, trying to comfort her.
“Yeah, you’re probably right…now, how about that security system.”
Lana was glad she at least had something to do to keep her mind off things. Plus, she enjoyed Doug’s company. They stayed in the basement for a while. Lana was getting the cameras ready while talking to Doug about their lives before The Sabbath.
Lana had imagined that Doug would become sexual toward her, but to her surprise, he seemed very sensitive to the situation and acted like a complete gentleman. The more Doug talked about his past relationships, the more she realized how funny he was.
Lana couldn’t stop laughing. Wow, I haven’t laughed like this since the times Cory used to tell me about his girls…shit! Cory!
Lana grabbed her phone.
“Hey, everything OK?” she messaged.
Cory responded within a couple of minutes.
“All good. Nobody is on the streets. Bell’s still scared, waiting til she’s calm before coming to get you,” he texted back.
Lana was relieved that Isabel was safe, but furious with Cory. He didn’t even have the decency to call me and tell me that everything’s all right. I had to message him…he doesn’t care about me – not if I’m safe, or if I’m worried to death.
“Lana, is everything all right?” Doug asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yes, everything’s fine. Cory just messaged me,” Lana said, trying her hardest to conceal her true frustration. “Now, why don’t we go outside and install these things?”
Lana grabbed a few cameras and the blueprints and followed Doug outside. Doug grabbed a toolbox and ladder from the shed, and they began installing the security cameras.
“I’m so useless,” Doug said, looking up at Lana.
“Huh, what?” Lana said, not sure of what he meant.
“I mean, you’re up there with the power drill, and look at me…I’m down here holding on to the ladder for you.”
Lana laughed.
“Stop it! Every woman needs a strong man to hold her up,” she winked.
“Hey, how’d you get so smart, anyway? I bet you fix everything in the house while he does nothing but sits there, right?”
Lana laughed again, “Let’s just say I had few friends growing up, so books kept me company. In school, all the girls wanted to do was mock me, and all the guys wanted was for me to do their homework or to have sex. The only things I trusted were my books, so our relationship grew, and so did my brain.”
“So which one does Cory want? Homework or sex?” Doug joked.
“I don’t know if he wants anything from me anymore,” Lana sulked.
They mounted one more camera on the edge of the house in silence as it began to get dark. Doug called it quits and led Lana back inside.
“We’ll schedule another date to finish setting up the cameras and the wiring,” Lana promised as Doug left her sitting on the couch as he walked toward the kitchen.
“Want some water?” he called out.
“Yes, thank you, that’s mighty generous of you,” she replied.
Doug returned with a glass of water in one hand and a beige folder in the other. He handed Lana the water and made himself comfortable next to her.
“Thanks for coming and helping out with my new pad.”
Lana was flattered; it has been a while since someone had made her feel appreciated, “Aw, Doug you don’t have to thank me, plus you’re always looking out for me.”
“Well, I got this for you,” Doug said as he handed her the beige folder.
“What’s this?” Lana asked.
“Some government documents I picked up. I can’t read it, so I figured it might benefit you…I can tell that Cory lost someone important to him, that’s probably why he’s so protective of you, but you don’t owe him anything. Before you open that folder, I want you to think long and hard about what you’re getting yourself into. Shit, he’s not the only one who cares for you.”
Lana looked at the folder once more. It was a thick folder about two inches in width, and on the front it read, Damian Phils.
“Thank you,” she smiled, “for everything.”
Lana got up and went to the basement to get her things. She put the folder in her bag, making sure she left nothing behind before heading back upstairs. This was a new side of Doug, and it was refreshing. As soon as Lana returned to Doug, her phone vibrated.
“It’s Cory, he said he’s leaving home in five minutes, and he’ll be here in thirty,” Lana said out loud.
Lana realized with a jolt she was annoyed that Cory was on his way. She’d enjoyed her time with Doug. He reminded her of how Cory used to be before The Sabbath. Lost in her thoughts, she caught herself staring at Doug.
They were only inches apart, looking into each other eyes. Doug leaned over and kissed Lana on the lips, then pulled back.
Lana froze, not sure of what to do. In the past, she would have slapped him for even trying to touch her, but instead, Lana leaned her face forward, grabbing the back of his head and kissed him back. Before long, Doug was on top of her, kissing and touching her body. It seemed so natural at first, but then she came to her senses.
Doug, Doug, Doug…Cory!
Snapping out of her pleasure, she began pleading with Doug to stop. Doug lowered his hand to undo Lana’s pants, but she grabbed hold of it to stop him.
“Stop! Doug, this isn’t right!” Lana proclaimed, but Doug continued.
Doug pinned her on the couch. She had nowhere to go. No, no, not again, memories of being molested flashed in her head, and this time, Cory wasn’t there to save her. Closing her eyes, she felt tears building up and then Doug’s body easing off of her. She opened her eyes and saw him standing still, shock written all over his face.
“I’m so sorry, Lana. I thought this was what you wanted.”
A glance into Doug’s eyes and Lana saw that his apology was sincere. Plus, she knew she was also to blame, and for a moment, she had wanted it.
“It’s okay,” she stuttered, “It wasn’t entirely your fault.”
Grabbing her bag, she sat across from Doug in complete silence. How did I let this happen? Fuck, what am I going to tell Cory? Lana thought. She looked at her phone and time couldn’t move fast enough.
When she heard Cory pulling up into the driveway, she stormed out of the house. Like a madman, she opened the passenger door and slid into the front seat. Without looking at Cory, she said, “Let’s go.”
“What’s wrong? What did he do?” Cory said, concern mingling with anger in his voice.
Lana placed her bag at her feet and kept quiet.
Cory undid his seatbelt and reached for the door handle. “I swear I’m going to smash his face in. I shouldn’t have left you alone with him…!” Cory’s temper went from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. Although he did not know why she was upset, he just naturally assumed Doug was to blame.
“No! Cory! Stop!” Lana yelled, drowning out his voice.
She leaned over Cory and forcefully pulled his seatbelt back on. She got up to pull his door closed.
“I want to go home, please, Cory. Just take me home,” she pleaded, still looking away.
Cory had other things in mind – like hurting Doug.
At last, Lana turned to face Cory, with desperation in her voice, she pleaded once more, “Please, Cory, take me home.”
Not wanting to upset her further, Cory complied, but intended to deal with Doug in the near future.
Lana’s emotions were getting the best of her. Knowing she was about to cry, Lana turned away and stared out of the window as Cory drove off.
“Lana, um,
you ain’t gotta say anything, just listen. I don’t know why you’re upset, but I assume that it has something to do with Doug. How am I supposed to protect you if you don’t tell me what happened?” Cory said as he drove onto the highway.
Odds were Lana would lock herself in his room when they got home and avoid him. This would be the best time to talk to her. But Lana didn’t respond; instead, she shuffled in her seat, still looking out of the window.
“Come on, Lana, tell me what happened… please.”
Lana turned to look at him; reaching to the dashboard of the car, she turned on the music, volume up to the maximum.
I can’t leave her like this, and if that fool did anything to her…God help me, Cory thought.
He lowered the volume to talk again, not expecting her to answer.
“I want to apologize for before. I know I’ve shut you out more often than not, and I’m sorry for not always expressing myself to you,” he said, glancing over to Lana to see if his words resonated. She was still gazing out the window. “Come on, Lana, I’m baring my soul here. You know how hard that is for me.”
Still no response from Lana.
By now they had pulled into their garage. He spoke fast before she could open the car door and disappear into his room.
“Lana, I need you. I need you more than I need anyone else in my life right now. You keep me sane. I don’t ever want you to pack up your things and leave - that would mean losing my sanity; it’s why I reacted the way I did. I need you, Lana, and that hurts me so much to know it and admit it,” Cory said, taking a deep breath.
Lana was looking out the passenger’s window with tears running down her cheeks.
“Please don’t cry, Lana, I don’t want you to be sad anymore,” Cory begged.
She turned to Cory, “Why couldn’t you have told me that this morning, or yesterday, or all the other hundreds of times we’ve fought?”
To Cory, her voice sounded more regretful and sad than angry.
Looking into his eyes, she waited for an answer, but Cory was mute. Instead, he wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and caressed her face in such a delicate manner, that Lana’s only response was to close her eyes and embrace Cory’s soft touch. Without hesitating, he leaned over and pulled her face closer to his, kissing her forehead. A man with little words, but his actions spoke volumes, and it was the answer Lana had been waiting for. For the first time in a while, she felt his love and acceptance.
With traces of her tears still on his fingertips, he held her eyes with a tender look of admiration, then he leaned in and kissed her cheeks, letting his lips linger for a moment. His kisses felt like Kryptonite. He traced his lips up and down from her cheeks to her neck before kissing her passionately on her lips, causing Lana to let out a moan. She was weak and at the mercy of Cory’s affection.
Tugging onto Lana’s shirt, he pulled her closer toward him. This would lead to one thing, and she would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want it, but she couldn’t go through with it. Using every ounce of strength she had, Lana pulled away from him, stopping Cory’s advancement.
“I think we should go inside,” she said, opening the door and walking through the garage to the back room of the house.
Oh my God! What am I doing? I just kissed Doug. Now I kissed Cory. This is so wrong, Lana thought as she walked through the house. She wanted nothing more than to pound her head into a wall, but she controlled her urge because she sensed Cory watching her every move. For now, she had to keep a poker face.
I can’t tell him what happened, at least not now. Not after all he said…I didn’t want to kiss Doug, it just happened. Fuck. All these damn technological advances and no one invented a time machine. Fuck!
She hurried to the bedroom to be alone with her thoughts.
“You’re such a slut, Lana,” she cried out. She had every right to be mad at herself for letting things escalate with Doug. It was out of character for her. Never in a million years would she have thought she would be the one to cheat in a relationship. Things were so much easier when we were just friends, she thought.
And she was right, things were simple when they didn’t live together and all she had to worry about were the glares from every girl with a crush on Cory. But after The Sabbath, nothing was that simple anymore. Everybody’s lives were ruined, and you were lucky if you had someone to keep you sane.
When Cory invited her to stay with him, she didn’t hesitate for a minute. Over time, their relationship had grown to something more than just friendship, and with all the bad happening in the world, Lana shared some of her happiest moments with Cory. Now all they’d built together could be ruined by her single mistake.
She sat in the darkness of the room, beating herself up, too ashamed to even call her grandmother for advice. Her mind was in hyper-drive; she was so worried that with everything Cory had been through, and their past fights, telling him would mean losing him forever.
“I’ve got to tell him…the first chance I get,” she told herself while playing out the anticipated conversation in her head.
Why did it have to be with Doug! Lana understood too well Cory’s feeling about Doug. Had it been anyone else, Cory might be more understanding and willing to forgive. But with Doug, there was a chance that he would never forgive her.
Her body tensed. Cory was knocking on the door, waiting for her response.
“C-come inside, Cory,” she said with her voice trembling.
Cory entered his room. He stood at the doorway for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, then closed the door behind him. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what Lana was thinking. Terrified and confused as to what to do next, he just stood there.
“Are you all right, Lana?” he asked finally, hoping to get a response.
“Sit down, I need to tell you something,” Lana replied.
He sat beside her on the bed and took her hand, but Lana pulled it back.
“What’s wrong?” Cory implored.
Lana froze, unable to face her guilt. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him, not when he was being so sweet to her. She trembled on the edge of the bed, sobbing like a child. Cory reached for her hand, and this time grabbed it with conviction.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, rubbing the middle of her hand in a circular motion while he stared at her.
Lana wiped away her tears and gazed at Cory. Cory’s concern for her attracted her in ways she could barely imagine. The irony tearing Lana up inside was the affection she had been yearning for from Cory is coming at the moment she didn’t deserve it. On one side, she wanted to confess, and on the other, she wanted him in the worst way.
At least let me have him one more time. She was wrong for thinking this, but Cory’s soft touches overcame her.
They sat there, gazing at each other. Lana still wondered if this was the right thing to do, whilst Cory wanted nothing more than to put her fears to rest. Her eyes blazed with a fiery fervor that consumed Cory, making his body hot with passion. He peered deeply into her eyes as if seeking his own soul’s reflection, and in that moment, he kissed her. A kiss full of vehemence, and Lana responded with the same heat.
Burdened with the fear of losing one another, neither one of them held back. Licking his lips, Cory inched closer to Lana. His movements: smooth and poetic - his eyes never wavering from her. To him, this moment made all the fighting and tension worth it, and he would not rush. Cory planned on taking his time exploring every inch of Lana’s curvaceous body. Holding her by the waist, he picked her up and placed her in the center of the bed.
He lay on top of her now. She reached her face up to meet his and kissed him again. Each kiss left her breathless, drawing her in deeper as if he held her breath hostage. Most nights, his kisses were enough, but tonight she wanted more.
Her mistake with Doug grew fainter in her mind with every passing second. Her body craved Cory’s touch, and it was time for her to have him. They spent the entire night entangle
d in sheets, making love until their strength departed.
*
Lying there in Cory’s arms, guilt consumed Lana - now more than ever. She couldn’t escape the torment of her betrayal and became a prisoner to her own thoughts. I wonder what he’s thinking. Should I tell him now?
“Cory, we need—” she began, but Cory interrupted
“Babe, I know, but not right now. I don’t want to risk ruining this moment.”
Lana smiled at this. As much as she hated being told what to do, a part of her loved it when he took control. She climbed on top and kissed him. Their strength returned to them as they continued to make love, forgetting everything.
*
Lana turned her body to face Cory. Smiling, he used his hands to pull her in closer. He kissed her forehead as she lay on his chest, being rocked to sleep by the rhythm of his heartbeat.
“Cory, are you awake?” she whispered.
“Uh-huh, what’s up?” he replied.
“Why can’t you ever talk to me?” she said with her voice trembling. “It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, I don’t want to fight…not right now.”
“Babe…I wish I knew, sometimes I wish I can just run up to you and tell you everything, but I can’t…it’s the only way I know how to be strong.”
“What do you mean?” Lana asked.
Cory sucked his teeth, “Well, when my dad left, I didn’t understand why. I remember being so angry with everyone. My mom tried her best though, and for the longest, she was the one I ran to when I needed to talk.”
He paused for a moment, then let out a big sigh and continued. “It was always the same: we would cry, she would hold me tight and remind me that it wasn’t my fault. Back then, it was what I really needed to hear…it was what I wanted to hear, and it was enough to pick me up until my next episode.”
He took a deep breath as his guard dropped. Lana held him tighter.
“Until, one day, I broke down while she was at work. I had no one to run to but my uncle, who had been watching us at the time. He was a good guy, but not the best with kids. I remember going to him bawling, screaming, and shouting God knows what.”
The Sabbath Page 8