Chapter 22

Lana's POV 

"Lana!"

She ignored it at first, hoping it was some sort of mistake, but then she heard it again. She stopped, took a deep breath, and then turned around, spotting Adrian, her ex-boyfriend. 

"Lana," he said again, when he was close enough."I didn't think you'd actually hear me, as you haven't been speaking to me of late."

Mabel and her boyfriend Liam walked a few feet behind Lana. They exchanged a glance. Mabel prodded Lana lightly. "Want us to hang around and wait, or."

"No, it's cool," Lana said, forcing a small smile. "I'll meet you guys back in a little while."

Mabel raised an eyebrow in warning, but Lana nodded reassuringly as she watched her friends walk away apprehensively. Once they were well out of earshot, Lana gave Adrian her full attention.

"What is it, Adrian?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling a mix of trepidation and irritation mounting inside. She hadn't seen Adrian in months-not since they'd broken up. A part of her actually had hoped she wouldn't have to see him at all.

Adrian's face hardened as he looked at her. "I thought I'd run into you sooner or later, but you've been pretty good at avoiding me. What's with the silent treatment, Lana?"

Lana shifted uncomfortably. "I've just been. busy."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Busy? With what? Running around as a nanny? Or maybe avoiding me altogether."

Lana let out a sigh and looked down the street. "It is not like that, Adrian. I have a lot on my plate right now."

"Yeah?" he mocked, and took a step closer. "Well, a lot's been going on with me too. And I could have used someone who actually cared. Or did you forget how I stood up for you with Bianca and her friends?"

She grimaced, remembering how Bianca and her crew had been hounding her mercilessly until Adrian rose to her defence.

"Adrian," she said softly, "I haven't forgotten that. And I'm grateful, I truly am. But things have changed. I'm working a lot, taking classes. I just don't have the time to…"

"To care about anyone but yourself?" he asked, an acidic lash in his voice. "Do you know how many times I have tried to get in contact with you, only for you to ignore me?"

Lana sighed, feeling a mix of guilt and frustration. "I'm sorry if you felt neglected. But we broke up, Adrian. We both agreed it was better this way."

He shook his head, his jaw clenching. "No, you decided that. I just went along with it. You never gave me a chance."

Lana opened her mouth to respond, but just then her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at the screen, instantly recognizing the alert-it was Max and Lily's pickup alarm, his cue he needed to be at the bus stop to meet them.

She looked up at Adrian, willing herself not to freak out. "I have to go," she stated matter-of-factly. "I have responsibilities."

"Responsibilities," he spat, his tone thick with venom. "That is all you ever talk about these days. Whatever happened to just living a little, Lana? It's like you have even forgotten how to enjoy life anymore."

Lana pursed her lips and did not reply. She didn't owe him an explanation, not now. "Goodbye, Adrian," she said, turning away.

She could still feel his gaze upon her, the weight of his disappointment and frustration trailing behind her like a dark shadow while walking down the street. But already her mind was in overdrive, thinking about Max and Lily. They were waiting, and nothing else mattered.

She reached the stop and immediately saw the familiar yellow bus pull up. The door opened, and off came Max and Lily bounding, their faces lighting as they see Lana.

"Miss Lana!" shouted Lily, waving vimfully.

Lana waved back, her heart warming at excited children. "Hey, you two! How was school?

Max shrugged, his usual serious expression in place but with a slight glimmer of a smile. "It was fine. We learned about volcanoes."

"Volcanoes!" Lana played the amazed-of course routine. "That sounds like so much fun!"

Lily bounced up beside her, tugging on her hand as they started to walk. "Miss Lana, know that volcanoes explode? Like, BOOM!" She spread her arms wide, pretending to be an explosion herself, and Lana laughed.

"Sounds like you learned a lot today," she said, smiling at Lily. "Anything else fun happen?"

Max shrugged again, though Lana caught his eyes darting up to her with a sparkle of excitement he was trying to conceal. "Well, there's a treasure hunt planned for tomorrow. But it's for everyone in the class."

"A treasure hunt? That sounds amazing!" Lana replied excitedly. "Do you both get to join in?"

"Yeah!" Lily agreed excitedly, nodding. "We're going to get little maps and clues!"

The farther they walked down the street, talking about the treasure hunt and what kind of 'treasure' they could find, the more the remnants of her encounter with Adrian faded. This was where she needed to be-with Max and Lily.

Max tugged on her sleeve, glancing up at her with an echo of concern in his eyes. "Miss Lana, are you going to be there for the treasure hunt?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Of course, Max. I'll be right there with you two, cheering you on."

They finally got to the house, and as Lana unlocked the door, her phone buzzed yet again. She ignored it for the moment, ushering Max and Lily inside and helping them take off their backpacks and shoes. It wasn't until the kids had settled, chattering excitedly about their day, that she checked her phone.

It was from Mabel: *Hey, are you okay? That looked. tense with Adrian.*

Lana let out a deep sigh, her fingers hovering over the keys, contemplating her response. Finally, she typed back, *I'm fine, just had to set some boundaries.* 

Good for you, Mabel replied  You're better off without him anyway.