The Sweet Nothings || ✓

'I KNOW YOU WANT TO'

Lana descended down the stairs in the mansion. The chandelier in the middle of the high ceiling glittered the whole lobby into sparkles of gold and silver. The light reflected off from the glass furniture every where. The railing of the circular stair that she was descending, felt cool under her touch. But Lana was having a time sorting out her head.

It was dinner time. And today, for a very weird reason, her father had announced that everyone would have dinner together. Which meant the big-big dinner table would be seated by all her family members, the various aunts and uncles who hadn't still left the mansion, and all her gang members.

Lana was pretty sure that it was going to be a long evening today. It has been a week since that incident with Damien. And they had been avoiding each other ever since. Though now Damien seemed to be more indulged in the gang matters. While the whole 'Maia - kidnap' had kept Lana busy, she was still pressurised to be checking the other gang buisness. But Damien, now took them over from her. Lana felt easier at work. But heavier at heart.

She reached the dining hall to see that everyone was already seated and talking in a hushed tones. The table looked filled, everyone nearly indulged in their own conversations. But as soon as Lana entered, a silence settled.

Her eyes scanned the table and she cringed. The only seat left to sit on was the one beside Damien. She didn't want to sit next to him, not when they were practically trying to ignore each other in everyway possible. But still, not wanting to throw a tantrum and create a fuss, she moved and settled down on the chair.

Nany coughed and everyone joined their hands and closed their eyes. The prayer was spoken and thus the dinner began, with Maia's name still fresh on Lana's lips. Lana felt uncomfortable. Her movements were restricted inorder to avoid any contact with Damien. It wasn't that she expected him to do something when there were around hundred people around them. Instead she didn't trust herself to be able to control herself. She could still clearly remember the way Damien's had felt on her's.

Even now, she could feel his stare on her body, but she chose to not acknowledge it.

Lana ate with negligence, only moving the food around the plate, with her fork because her main attention seemed to be concentrated on Damien, who himself wasn't talking to anyone.

Huffing to herself for being so stupid as to eat because of some guy's presence, she reached out her hand towards the water jug. And just at the same time, Damien's hand reached forward for it too. And as there hands made contact, he looked at Lana but she didn't look his way. She knew why he was looking at her. He wanted to know if she felt the electricity too. And Lana was still having a tough time controlling her fast beating heart. Because Lana wasn't going to let on just how much of an effect he had on her.

So Lana reached further and poured herself a glass of water, gulping it down her parched throat in one movement. From her peripheral region, she could see Damien sighing to himself.

Lana's eyes searched the table again and she realised that Hazel wasn't here. She then noticed Levi and Sarah talking on the table, Sarah making faces and speaking about something animatedly while Levi looked at her with a soft smile. She looked beside her to see Lizzie eating her dinner silently.

"Hey Liz, where's Hazel?" She asked and watched as Lizzie stiffened visibly. Lana had told Lizzie only, about Hazel and Liz hadn't taken it well. She looked up from her plate now, her eyes raging a storm.

"I don't know. And I don't care." She stated.

"Liz its-"

"Don't say it's okay. Don't. I don't want you out of all people lying to me." Lizzie said and looked down at her plate again and started to slowly nibble on her food again.

Lana huffed, noticing the end of conversation and started to chew on her food too.

Just then Nana spoke up in a bold voice and everyone quietened.
"We have reached a highlighting clue in Maia's case. In God's name, everything is finally starting to become clearer. And if everything goes well, we'll soon have Maia back. Right here, amongst us." He said and raised his glass. So did everyone and they drank to that.

Lizzie's hand reached Lana's under the table and grabbed it, squeezing it with hope. Telling her to hold on to hope. Lana looked at her and smiled softly. Lana knew how important Lizzie thought Maia was. Which is why Lizzie always seemed to have this special friendship with Lana. They connected in a strange way because of Lana's lost sister.

And they started eating again. For Lana the dinner seemed to stretch for far too long.

She picked up her glass to drink water again. For some reason, Lana's throat felt dry even she had drunk enough water through this unnaturally long dinner.

From the side, her eyes traced Damien as he bent down to pick up his spoon from the floor. She was still gulping dwon water when she stiffened. She straightened her back and kept her glass down with force. Her lips were pulled into a straight line to prevent the water from spewing out of it. And notice that some people briefly paused their conversations to stare at her. She simply gave them a smile and they looked away.

She could feel Damien's fingers tracing up her calves and the goosebumps rose on her skin. Everyone on the table was still indulged in their own talks to not spare her distressed self a glance and then Damien came back up from underneath the table.

Lana looked from the side of her eyes and watched as his face shined with triumph and a huge grin made an appearance on his devilishly handsome face.

Well, you are still calling him handsome.

I call him what ever the hell I want.

But you have got to admit it, he has quite the nerves.

Yeah he does. Anything good in that?

Well, you know everything that's good in that.

Shut up!

She shook her head slightly, clearing away the internal battle with herself.

He knew now. He knew he still had an affect on her.

Lana looks at him sharply with as much disgust as she could muster up on her face. And then she mouths the words which were surely forbidden on a dining table.

'FUCK YOU.' And again, Damien smirks.

"I know you want to Sunshine." He whispers to her.

Lana was just about to retort back when her phone vibrates in her pocket. She fishes it out and her eyes widen at the number.

'XAVIER'. The screen read.

She gets up and moves out. Walking to the garden, she answers the call.

"What do you want you assh-" And she is cut off by the voice on the other end.

"Hey sis." The person whispers softly.

Lana remains silent for a second, letting the shock sink in.

But finding her voice again, she whispers, "Maia?"

____________________________________

Loads of love,
Mia.