Chapter 17

Landon looked at Ana keenly. She was different. She was more fidgety and definitely more excited. And he had asked her why about five times, she didn't want to tell him.

Ana felt Landon's stare on her. She had been postponing telling him about Jack. But looked like she couldn't anymore.

"Ana?" Landon said.

"Yeah?" Ana answered, her voice kinda wary.

"Why you so happy?" he asked, looking at her sideways.

"Can I just be happy, Landon? Damn," Ana said, rolling her eyes. Landon grew a bit annoyed.

"Cut the shit Mel. Tell me, what happened?" he asked, a bit more forcefully this time around.

"Okay okay, let me tell you. Chill tho. Damn," Ana said, grumbling a bit under her breath.

Landon looked at her, waiting for her to start talking. They were currently at his apartment and they were sitting on the couch in the living room. Couch from which Ana had migrated when Landon started interrogating her.

"I found the father of my baby," Ana finally said. Landon turned sharply towards her and asked in a small voice, "What?"

"I found the father of my baby," she repeated and Landon rolled his eyes.

"I know dumbass. I mean how, when, where?" Landon asked, a strained smile on his face. Ana noticed it but didn't speak.

"Oh. I met him today at the office. We recognized each other instantly," Ana explained cheerfully, unaware that she was breaking someone's heart. Landon stared at her silently, deep in thought.

Ana frowned when didn't get any reaction from Landon. He was just from asking her a question and after her response, he kept quiet?

"Landon? Are you even listening to me?" Mel asked ours. Landon shook, almost as if she has just woken him from a deep sleep or from a deep reverie.

"I.. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to wrap my head around.. all this," the pause before all this kind of annoyed Ana. What did he mean by all this? Besides, if Ana had not complained, he too had no right to.

"What do you mean by all this?" Ana blurted out without even wanting to. But she needed to know.

"I mean. It's so difficult to get that there's a human life in you. That you're going to give birth to someone else," Landon said and she nodded wistfully.

"You know, sometimes I sit and ask myself how he hell there's a baby in my tummy. And then, am I really going to be a good mother? Would I know to do for them? When I don't even have a correct example."

Ana was already sobbing by now. She didn't know why exactly she was crying. But the tears couldn't stop flowing.

Landon took her into his arms and she wrapped hers around his waist. Landon's warmth always made her feel safe.

After a while, the sobs had subsided a little. Now all you could hear was the occasional hiccup.

"All better?" Landon asked softly, and Ana nodded.

"Yeah, I don't even know why I was crying," Ana said, laughing a bit. "Lawd, my hormones are already getting all messed up."

Landon laughed at the last sentence and Ana joined him. They laughed and fell on each other. Then it stopped. Landon stared down at Ana for a while.

Ana started feeling a bit uncomfortable. The way Landon was staring at her, made her feel uneasy. He almost looked like he wanted to kiss her.

Ana had the brightest idea. She slapped him playfully and he shook. He growled lightly and smiled mischievously, a glint in his eye. Ana knew what that meant so she tried to squirm away but he wasn't having that.

"Mike..." she started, trailing out.

"Mel..." Landon mocked, holding both her arms down.

"Please don't do this," she pleaded, giggles already escaping her lips.

"Oh, I so will. And I will enjoy myself doing it," he replied. Ana furrowed her brows lightly; she felt like his words had a deeper meaning to them. Then she shook her head to clear such thoughts from her head.

As she was distracted, Landon pounced. He times he most ticklish parts of her and started his light assault. Ana was almost bent double in laughter. And her squeals were so loud.

"Mi-ke. Mike. Stop. Landon! Stop!" Ana called out, still laughing. Landon would have thought something was wrong, but she was till laughing. So it meant that there were no worries.

Finally he stopped and she slapped him lightly on the chest, then slumped into his arms. Landon stroked her hair and they lay there in a deep and comfortable silence.

This were the moments both of them lived for. Ones where they did not anybody's approval. They could bask in the warmth of their friendship without justifying anything to anybody.

They stayed like that for a while. Then Landon broke the silence. "Did you tell him about the baby?" he asked and Ana sighed.

From her sigh, Landon knew the answer to his question. But he just wanted to confirm it.

"Do you think I did?" she asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Ana, answer the question," Landon said, annoyed.

"Fine. I did not. But how did you expect me to tell him? We just met. Should I have been like oh you're the stranger I had sex with. I'm carrying you baby by the way. How fucking creepy would that be?" Ana countered, a bit heated up. Landon was an annoying asshole sometimes.

Landon was hurt at the mention of Ana having sex with someone, someone that was not him. The hurt on his face was visible but Ana had her back turned to him.

"Do you plan on telling him?" he continued with his questions. Ana was tempted to tell him to stuff it up his ass. But she knew Landon was asking out of concern. And she appreciated it.

"Of course I do Landon! What do you take me for? I'm not stupid. I know I'm going to need all the help I can get."

Landon was silent for a moment, then he said, "You have mine. I'm going to help you. You know you can count on me. Right?" he said. His words were suggestive to another meaning, but as always, Ana ignored that part. She really didn't want to get into an argument with him.

Ana suspected that Landon had feelings for her but she didn't want to ask. She felt like if he did have the feelings, he was going to get closed up and annoyed and their friendship was going to go on to shaky ground. And if he actually didn't have feelings, she would have made him feel self conscious about his behavior towards her. And that was the last thing she wanted.

"What's his name?" Landon asked and Ana thought extensively on whether she could answer the question objectively.

"Jack. Jack Knight," Ana said, and without even knowing, she had broken Landon's spirit.

He had suspected that Knight and Ana had been looking for the same person. He swallowed. What he didn't want had happened. And he couldn't do anything about it.

"Don't fall in love with him," Landon said and Ana looked at him as if he had said the most stupid thing in the history of the world.

"How and why would I fall in love with him Landon?" Ana asked, a brow raised inquiringly.

"Just be careful," he said, not bothering to explain his thoughts. Ana sighed. Landon could get like this sometimes. He was extremely protective and when he had an idea behind his head, it was the right one.

His reaction had been so strange though. It was like he already knew the Jack's name. He had not acted at all surprised when she said Jack's name. And she knew Landon enough to notice that, every time he was surprised, his looks and words were amazing.

But she let it go. She didn't want to spark his anger yet. They stayed like that. In each other's arms. Landon was silent, matching his breathing to the beat of Ana's heart. That was how much he loved her. And he didn't care if she didn't return the feelings. He felt that way about her and that was the end of it.