Chapter 32

Ana was moping. And she had all rights too. After Jack had left the other day, she had stuffed herself with pizza, hoping it would help her stop thinking about him.

All it did was give her a sore tummy. She didn't understand Jack. He had always been the perfect gentleman. But at the first sign of trouble, he did this.

Ana didn't know why she always placed her hopes high on people. She didn't know why she trusted people knowing how much power they had to hurt her. It was strange really.

Yesterday, she had called Landon and the conversation they had had was pretty interesting. Landon was her rock. The only person she knew without a doubt she could count on.

***

"Why were you crying?" Landon asked. He had arrived a few minutes after Ana had called since he was on patrol duty around her area. He could not stay long but she had sounded broken and he couldn't just leave her like that.

"I- nothing," Ana finally said, sniffing. Her tears had subsided by now. But she knew she was ready to cry. Like the dam was building up and at any moment it could burst.

"Look at me," Landon said holding Ana's hand. Ana looked up at Landon and he could see the tears still glistening in her eyes.

He held her to his chest and it was at that moment that the dam burst. Ana started crying in earnest.

It was a culmination of everything. Her mother, her pregnancy, then Jack who she really thought would support her not caring. She really didn't understand her life sometimes. Why did it have to be so fucked up?

"Look at me. Look at me Ana," Landon said after a while. "I'm still here okay? I won't leave you. Now stop crying and tell me what's wrong."

"Mom- Veronica- she found out," she explained, staring at Landon. Yes her eyes were red and puffy from so much crying.

Landon frowned. He knew that Ana was affected by how cruel and indifferent her mother could be sometimes but he didn't think Ana had ever let the woman affect her this much. So it had to be something else.

But he didn't ask. He waited for her to him herself.

"Jack..." Ana started and Landon's lips tightened. It seemed like everything was about Jack now. But he didn't complain. Ana was down. She didn't need the added stress.

"Jack was here. And I- I don't even know Landon. I don't even understand him. I don't even understand anything at all," Ana said in confusion. She had stopped sobbing but her tone was so anguished and confused.

"Look at me Ana," Landon ordered softly. Ana stared at him. "Tell me. What happened?"

Ana looked a bit hesitant to tell Landon. And with good reason. He could be very lethal when mad and Ana knew whatever she would tell him about Jack was going to make him mad.

Should she tell him the truth? Lie to him? Truth? Lies? Truth? Lies? Her head was going to explode.

"Tell me the truth, Ana. If you lie, I'll know," he said with a frown on his face.

Ana sighed then said, "I- Jack. He hurt me. He-"

"He hit you??" Landon asked urgently. The look on his face was aghast and Ana hurried to reassure him.

"No! He didn't! He's not like that," Ana said and missed the sour expression on Landon's face. He had hurt her but she still defended him? What type of fucking stupidity was that?

"So what did he do?" Landon asked, trying to control himself.

"He found out I was pregnant, Landon. And his reaction.. his reaction hurt me so bad. He didn't believe it was his baby. And he implied I was a slut. Me! Me, Landon! A whore!"

Landon took her into his arms again with rage burning through his veins. Who the hell did that Jack man think he was? He was going to teach him a lesson.

They were silent for a while and Ana's cries and sobs had stopped. She was a bit calmer now.

"Landon?" Ana called.

Landon's response was a "hmm?"

"Promise me you won't hurt him," Ana implored and Landon felt like slapping himself in his face.

What the hell? Was this chick real?

"Ana. What the hell? If you think I'm going to let him go scotsfree-"

"Landon. Please please, I'm begging, don't hurt him. Please. I didn't tell you this so that you would hurt him. Please don't."

Landon felt like letting Ana go and just getting away from her. What the hell was she on? But he tried to calm himself from his sake. He wasn't going to do anything rash.

"Okay.. simply because you begged so much. If something like this ever happens, I'm not listening to you, Ana," Landon warned, but in his mind he was thinking of threatening Jack, even if just verbally.

All of a sudden, Ana placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

He touched it with red cheeks. "What was that for?" He asked.

"Because you're the best, Landon. I love you," Ana said with a smile.

"I love you too..."

***

Ana kind of wanted Landon to rough up Jack a little bit. But she still had feelings for the idiot. And hurting him, honestly, would hurt her.

She baffled herself, to be very honest. She was so mad at Jack. But if he came to her with a sincere apology, she was going to accept it. Sure she was going to make him sweat a bit. If not he was going to take her for granted, and that was definitely not what she wanted.

She reached work in record time. She honestly was in no mood to talk to anyone. Today was a shit day. She was in a shit mood. And her resting bitch face was on point today.

Unfortunately, as she got into the elevator, Tasha got in too. Ana sighed internally but made up her mind to ignore her. Tasha loved stirring shit up and Ana was not going to give in to her destructive tendencies.

"So I heard about you and the billionaire guy," Tasha said. Ana tightened her lips but didn't answer. The billionaire guy? Seriously? That was the best she could do?

"I'm sure he'll get bored with you pretty soon. You know with my Pence I had to keep him on his toes. And you seem so boring. Like you can't handle Jack. No offense," Tasha said and Ana felt like slapping her.

If you had already forgotten, Pence was Tasha's supposed billionaire boyfriend. The one she always spoke about but that nobody had ever seen.

"Ana you know, if you had been a better person, a nicer person, I would have given you tips on how to keep your boyfriend. But-" Tasha started and Ana grew fed up.

"Shut up," Ana said, rolling her eyes. It was obvious that Tasha was taken aback. Ana had never dared answer her. This was the first time.

"What did you say?" Tasha asked, outraged.

"I said shut up Tasha. Your stupid lying stories about your Pence are getting old. Please keep them to yourself. And I definitely don't need your advice. Thank you but no thanks," Ana said and luckily the elevator stopped at her floor.

She got down and walked to her office breathing a bit heavily. She got into her office and what she saw shocked her.