Chapter 43 Your Name
Lana’s Point of View
“What are you doing here?” I asked curiously as I tried to wrench my arms from Christian’s grip, but he didn’t let me.
His other free hand pointed towards the departing bus, one that my little brothers boarded home.
“I saw you talking to some boys,” He muttered, and then his eyes narrowed at me, leaning in to cup my face, his touch tender against my face. “Wait, are you crying?”
I shook my head, trying to blink back the tears that welled in my eyes. Christian’s gaze was oddly gentle, and seeing such vulnerability in his eyes made me burst into tears.
“Hey… Hey…” He checked around, his eyes searching for something or someone, but I suddenly didn’t care that I was in public.
I sobbed hard, and he just hugged me very tightly, cooing softly in my ears.
“Stop crying, please.”
In the height of my frustration, I grabbed the leather jacket he was wearing, my tears soaking into the material of his shirt, and then he led me to the back of the parking lot, towards a red luxurious car.
I had a lot of questions to ask him.
What was he doing out here? How did he get this car? And where the hell was he talking to me?
I hesitated for a minute, and he just smirked.
“Come on, have some faith in me.” He muttered before he pushed me inside the car. I didn’t complain anymore, I just gripped the edge of the seat.
My eyes searched vacantly—flickering towards the venue of the competition. It will be over soon, I can’t just leave like that.
“Where are we going?” I asked eagerly. “I can’t leave the premises of the competition.”
“Why not?”
“The school… I only came here as a support means for my friend.” I was trembling as I explained.
“Okay, fine then. I’ll tell the school that you were with me during the time.” He assured me. I was about to ask him who the hell he thinks he is, but I quickly remembered that he was Christian Blackwood.
He is everything he thinks he is.
He is the student who wields the most authority in the school.
“My friend.” I was reminded quickly.
“Forget about him.” the car engine ignited, as he waved me dismissively. “You should know that I don’t care about anyone else but you.”
“Where are you taking me?” I asked when he drove towards the highway.
His eyes were fixed on the road, cold and unreadable, but the smirk that hung at the end of his lips kept his charm.
“I will tell you but first you have to tell me why you were crying.” My heart slammed hard against my ribcage.
I wiped the rest of the tears with the back of my hands, but my eyes were still swollen with tears.
“Here.” He opened the compartment of his car and handed me a tissue.
My hands shook as I received it from him, blowing my nose into it.
“So, would you tell me?”
More tears slipped out of my eyes as the reality of my situation settled on me, and I found myself sobbing again.
“Come on.” He groaned. “Now you’re making me more curious.”
“It doesn’t concern you.” I gritted out.
“As long as it involves you, it’s definitely my concern.” His eyes leaving the road for a minute. “Just know that you’ll be going nowhere unless you tell me exactly what’s going on.”
My eyes flickered back to my thighs.
I’m in a car on the highway going to God knows where with Christian, and knowing the kind of person he is.
He doesn’t mind keeping me for days until I tell him the reason I cried.
So I sniffed.
A problem shared is a problem solved.
Even though Christian was the last person I expected to be interested in my problems.
“I don’t know what to do anymore.” I confessed, my voice breaking. “He just won’t listen to me, my dad is just too stubborn.”
“All fathers are built that way.” He shrugged. “ No surprises there.”
“No, you don’t get it.” I whispered. “ He keeps on raking debts, piling them on the other just so he can pay for mother’s hospital bills—when is he going to get the hint that she is never going to wake up and he can pull her off life support?”
Silence settled on us, and Christian’s hand stiffened against the steering wheel.
So I continued anyways.
“He took out another loan last week, as if all the debt we are in isn’t enough.” I snapped, now I didn’t even know what I was angry at anymore. “And now we are at a risk of losing the house. To make matters worse he told my brothers not to tell me anything.”
“I’m sorry.” He finally spoke and I just dabbed on my eyes with the tissue.
Soaking out the tears before they spill to my cheeks.
“What happened to your mother I hope you don’t mind me asking.” His voice seemed softer compared to the previous time we spoke.
“She got into an accident five years ago,” I confessed. “And ever since then, she had just remained like that. Not waking up, even once.”
“First you need to calm down.” He urged me the smile returning to his face. “There was never a problem that got solved by crying so hard.”
The heaviness in my chest cleared up, and I felt lighter.
“What’s the worse case scenario?” he asked suddenly.
“I drop out of school.”
“Hmm.. “ he shook his head. “Having my girlfriend drop out of school will be such a shame.”
“I am not your girlfriend. “
“Oh babe, you hurt my feelings.” He winked at me. “I’ve kissed you couple of time—”
I interrupted him quickly.
“Just twice.”
“How many more times do we need to do it for you to be my girlfriend?” he leaves the steering wheel for a minute. “I’m free now, we can add one more to the strike.”
“Get lost. “ I rolled my eyes trying to ignore the smile that tugged at my mouth.
“Is this the reason you’re in the school pretending to be a boy?”
I froze for a minute before I finally nodded my head.
“I’ll make sure you don’t have to leave the school.” He assured me. I don’t know what he meant by that, but I was unable to say anything. “Oh before I forget, I wanted to know your name. Your real name.”
My cheeks became hot.
“Lana. Lana Rowan.”