In Desperate Need (Lani)

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna had been headed back to her dorm room from the auditorium, frustrated as ever and still unable to stop thinking. Rhett was back and already making lives hell. It hadn't surprised her that he'd already gotten to Odion. Then he set out to get her. As if he hadn't done enough, he decided he was going to push his way through her mind again and reach the part of her that had a very bad time with trusting people. Boy was he good at it too. It hadn't taken long for him to not only piss off the girl, but also to make her doubt someone who hadn't done anything to deserve it.

Once she made it back to her dorm, Adri sniffled as she searched her room for her cellphone. She hadn't really talked to Lani very much today and after having such a trust smashing conversation with Rhett, she missed Lani a lot. Finally, she spotted her cellphone sitting on her pillow and she grabbed it with a trembling hand. Searching through her contact list, she spotted his name and pressed the 'send' button almost frantically.

The talk with Odion had definitely helped some, but at the same time, it wasn't the same. She needed to hear it from Lani. If not that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her, then to just hear him say that he cared about her and was sorry Rhett had said those things to her. It just wasn't fair that Rhett had gotten to her. She was supposed to be strong now, she couldn't keep falling back on Lani like this because it wasn't right, but she wanted her boyfriend now because he was the only one who could make her feel even the slightest bit better. Then again, it would only be a slight bit because it was a phone conversation instead of a face to face thing, but she couldn't wait. It was easier to just call him, besides, she could go see him once she wasn't a total mess.

Each time the phone rang, was another second closer to Adrianna crying. She hadn't cried in weeks, not since she went dancing with Lani in the auditorium. Now that Rhett was back, she had a feeling tears would be coming a little more frequently. Finally the ringing stopped and Lani's voice came through the receiver. Just the sound of it, the familiarity of it, sent a comforting warmth through her chest and eased back her trembling. "L-Lani?" She stuttered before taking a deep breath and forcing back the tears and tightness of her throat, "I'm pretty sure Odion told you already...Rhett's back a-and I really need you right now because he said a few things that got to me and just please tell me you can talk right now."

[Lani Hunter]

Lani was currently blowing off steam. Doing a mix of drills and sprints across the small training area that was tucked in the basement of the temporary hide away of his boss’s men. He had to admit it was nice not having to wait until night to train for racing across rooftops and practicing his ability to trust his body to swing without his brain thinking about it. It really was so opposite of his power it was amazing. He almost never came here. He didn’t hate the people only what they did. But he really couldn’t stand having himself be any closer to these people especially when he was talking about leaving. Well talking being relative. He was thinking it, mostly.

It also helped to work out where no one he knew could run into him. When he was training here people left him alone. And he wasn’t likely to run into anyone. Not Adrianna, not Odion and certainly not Rhett. Which was probably more lucky for Rhett than for Lani. For Lani had made it a personal goal to break the guy’s nose. So he was hiding. So what? If he wasn’t blowing off steam here chances were someone would find him and he would only get more stressed. And right now his power was on edge and didn’t need to be provoked.

But now having taken a break he was standing by his stuff taking a long drink from his water bottle when he thought he heard his phone vibrate. It really was strange. Mostly Lani felt it vibrate but some part of him insisted he heard it as well. He reached in his bag digging around for it until he found it. He checked the caller ID intent on either A) ignoring it or B) yelling at someone for bothering him. But then he saw it was Adrianna. He answered almost afraid that he had missed her. “Hello,” he said brightly faking happiness as best he could for her.

However her answer shattered his façade and her shaking voice made him grab his bag and make his way outside. “Adrianna? Are you ok? You sound like you’re crying,” He asked worried. Then she blurted out her story and Lani almost threw the phone. However his body wouldn’t move. He was literally stunned and cold terror slipped down his back. He bit down on the swears threatening to be blurted out. Instead he let out a wordless growl of rage. “I can talk,” he said his voice hard and angry. “What did he say to you? Did he hurt you? I swear I’ll kill him.” Lani raged and there was a sharp crack as Lani connected his fist with a nearby fence. Thankfully his power pushed it as well and his hand only bruised as he flapped it realized how bad an idea that was.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna really hadn’t meant to bother him, especially with something like this, but she was in desperate need of her boyfriend for once and it was a force of habit. The bright happy tone that had started out made her almost smile, but then his tone turned worried and ended with anger. The whole time, Adrianna was just trying to keep from bawling. The more she thought about Rhett and all that had surrounded her when he was around, the more she wanted to curl up and close herself off from the world again. Last time she’d done that, Craven had found her, but would Lani? The thought caused her to break and tears streamed down her face.

The way his voice darkened almost scared her, but she knew it wasn’t aimed at her. She’d never heard Lani so mad before, never seen him angry and she never wanted to, but this was something she had to tell him. All she wanted to know was that Lani did care about her and that he wouldn’t make her regret introducing him to her mother. He’d been the first boy to ever meet Amelia and that was something huge to her. The fact that Amelia loved him only added to that. If he hurt her, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. And she never would have considered that had Rhett not talked to her.

“I’m fine, I just really needed to talk to you,” She explained through her tears. “He didn’t hurt me in the physical aspect at least, he just…he knows how to reach that part of me that has been hurt so many times before.” The sharp sound she heard threw the receiver made her cringe and let out a small whimper unintentionally. She took a shaky breath and wiped her eyes trying to slow down the waterfall of tears. “Lani, I told you about what happened with Talen didn’t I?” She asked. Adrian wasn’t sure if she had fully explained all of it. She never wanted to bring up her ex around Lani because it always upset her. It was probably for the best that she explained it to him now.

She needed to tell him how she’d been so infatuated with Talen and how part of her thought she was in love which was a totally irrational thing considering they rarely spent time with each other. She needed him to understand how she felt about Talen and how hard it had been on her when Rhett did what he had. Once he understood that, she needed to tell him what Rhett had said and she needed him to tell her that Rhett was wrong. She’d be completely honest in everything that was said between the two and she just hoped he would be honest in his answer.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani's distress rose as he paced toward downtown and toward Hammel. It wasn't hard to see, or rather hear that she was upset. After she spilled her story out and burst into tears. Lani's heart broke and he wanted to run to her to find her and to keep her company until her heart stopped aching. "Adrianna," Lani said soothingly, "Shh, it's ok." He tried to comfort her. His anger rose and he was hard pressed to swallow it down. So he focused on the ache in his hand at the moment. Rhett had crossed the line and this hand would soon connect with something quite different. First Odion, and now Adrianna. Rhett was barking up the wrong tree if he thought that Lani was just going to sit back and watch him manipulate and tread all over his friends and his girlfriend. No there would be consequences.

Oh yes, Rhett had better hope that Lani never found him. "You're not fine," Lani told her insistently. "I'm here, talk to me, Adrianna." He listened and shook his head before realizing she couldn't see him. "No. There is no difference. He came after you didn't he?" He asked, "He sought to hit you where it hurt. Adrianna, I'm so sorry, I should have been there... I should... don't worry, I'll make him pay." Lani said his voice serious and he was even terrifying himself. No one messed with his friends.

"Yeah, very little though," he said thinking about Talen. Odion had told him about that man and Adrianna had a little bit. "What did he say to you?" He was more than furious, if there was such a thing. He couldn't even come up with a word to describe his hatred. Maybe loathing. He had to calm down. He was still far from Hammel and from her. He had to calm down. Especially if he wanted to see Adrianna, he had to be there for her not scare her. She had never seen him angry, but by god she was about to. Not at her, no. It wasn't her fault Rhett was a self centered ass. But even if he couldn't calm down he was going to go to Adrianna. Whatever Rhett had said, be they lies or otherwise had stuck Adrianna where it hurt.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna wished that Lani had been there. Mad or not, she knew it wasn’t directed at her and she really could have used his comfort. His words were somewhat soothing, the sound of his voice, but not when he was so angry. She’d never wanted him to be angry around her least of all because of something she had brought up. Lani wasn’t mad at her, she knew that, but it still scared her. As much as his words soothed the ache in her heart and the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach, the tears still slid down her cheeks at a constant rate. Rhett really did have a way of tearing her down. What had she ever done to him? All she’d done was driven Talen right into his lips!

“I’m trying to be fine though,” She whispered wiping at the tears on her face again. Lani continued and she just wished he was there with her so they could both calm each other down. She didn’t like that Lani was so angry and she was craving his comfort. It would have been easier if she’d waited to see him, but she hadn’t had the will power to wait that long. “It’s okay, Lani, you don’t have to be sorry, hun.” His threat made her shudder and she sighed quietly, “Just don’t go doing anything right now, you need to cool off a little before you go at him.” It was the only thing she could think of to say. She wasn’t objecting to Lani wanting to teach Rhett a lesson, she just didn’t want him to do something he’d regret.

Adrian sighed and chewed on her lower lip trying to figure out where to start. “Well he pretty much told me that he was worried about you and Odion being so close because you two hang out so much and go drinking. He said that though he was sure I trusted you, I shouldn’t trust Odion because he wouldn’t put it past him to rebel against Rhett. Then I told him that he was right that I did trust you and that I had nothing to worry about because you were nothing like Talen and I knew that you wouldn’t do what he had.” She paused trying to regain her composure as the tears poured down her cheeks again. Now for the worst part. “And in response to that he asked me if I’d trusted Talen before what happened, which I mean I did, but not as much as I trust you. Then he made a comment about how Tal hadn’t even liked guys and he cut off before he left.” Adrianna started crying harder, “Lani you know I trust you and I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me like that, but the more I think about it the more scared I get. It’s not you that I’m worried about it’s the fact that history repeats itself and I don’t want him to be right.” She sobbed and curled up in a ball trying to get a hold of her hysterics as she rocked back and forth.

What Rhett had said had done exactly what he’d wanted it to. Here she was bawling and an emotional wreck, questioning the boy that hadn’t done anything to her and that she was falling in love with. What a mess.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani was already on his way back to the school after hearing that Rhett was back from Odion and now from what he said to Adrianna he had blown off his steam but now it was all back. The day was going to make this hard. He was supposed to meet Odion soon to go drinking but he needed to go to Adrianna now. He had enough time. This had officially become the worst day of his life. Well, second only to when they gave the news about Caroline. He almost didn’t want her to see him so angry. Lani rubbed his forehead trying to wipe away some of the stress. “I know, I know,” he told her as he listened to her cry. He would make Rhett pay for every tear.

He scoffed when she told him he didn’t have to be sorry. Her words didn’t sooth him like they normally did, instead they stoked his fire. This was the sweet woman that Rhett was trying to ruin? “No, it’s not okay,” he snapped then caught himself, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just cannot believe why this guy is harassing you. I mean hasn’t he done enough?” His anger was strong and it was really taking him down a dark path. He didn’t want to listen, he wanted to seek out the bastard and tear off his head. “But,” he started to protest and sighed as he pressed his fingers into the bridge of his nose. “Fine, but I won’t change my mind. Adrianna he’s made you cry and I can’t let him get away with that!”

Then she really dropped the bomb. He was stunned into silence with what she told him. Seriously? Rhett was worried about Lani taking Odion? Seriously? He had a girlfriend, he wasn’t that kind of person. He wasn’t Rhett. “First off,” he started, “Where does this guy get his information? Odion and I are friends. Hell, I will gladly help him rebel against Rhett but not at the expense of hurting you.” Lani was honestly hurt. Hurt that Adrianna doubted him because though she assured him she trusted him she still doubted him. His heart throbbed and he found himself blinking back tears. She really couldn’t think that he would do that to her. Lani had to sit down on a nearby bench and think about this. He realized that he had been silent for a long time and that could freak her out even more. So he sighed and ran a hand through his head. “Adrianna, I’m not Talen,” he said knowing all about her abandonment issues. The pain was clear in his voice and his anger hadn’t melted away but been replaced by sadness. “Listen to me, this guy is manipulative, and selfish, and sadistic. He revels in this kind of thing. Adrianna, Adrianna, listen to me,” he said as it was clear she had collapsed into hysterics, “I would never do anything to hurt you and for that matter Odion wouldn’t either. I… I…” He didn’t want to say how hurt he was but he felt the need. “I can’t believe you think so low of me.” He finally pushed out.

He wiped at his eyes and pushed back the moisture leaking from them. He needed to amend that. “Adrianna, I want you to trust me. I would never cheat on you.” Now he grew angry again. Rhett would pay for this. Oh yes he would. “And remember that all of this relationship advice is coming from a man who abandoned his boyfriend for three month without any explanation and expected him to accept him back with open arms. This guy is messed up in the head.” He clenched his fists. “Adrianna, please, please don’t believe him over me.”

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna had tried to keep in all of the emotions and pain until she left the auditorium. Dancing hadn’t helped because it just brought everything to the surface after Odion had left. All of the pain that was cycling through her, it was like reliving that moment when she found out about Talen and Rhett. It made her chest ache and her stomach turn. Now she’d gone to Lani and simply added that stress onto him. She knew it wouldn’t end with him being calm, cool and collected. In fact, she’d wanted him to be at least a little angry about it, but at the same time, she had been afraid of how she’d tell him and how he’d react. It tore her apart that she couldn’t wait until he was there with her for her to tell him everything. At least then, he’d be able to console her and she would be able to relax him.

This whole situation was just a mess. Nothing she said seemed to be helping, only making things worse. She was feeling more helpless than ever. Once he snapped at her, Adrian flinched and bit back another whimper. The more angry he got, the more horrible she felt. She took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly, “He’s going after me because I’m an easy target, Lani. He knows how to get to me and he knows that I’ll break under pressure.” Adri frowned when he began to protest. She couldn’t let him just go out on a rampage and was glad that he agreed to wait. “Thank you, and I understand, I just really want you here instead of out looking for him,” She whispered trying to find a way through this. Would he still want to be here with her after she told him that she had thought about what Rhett said?

Once he began talking, she sat back and listened for a while. Instantly she heard the pain begin to seep into his words. It was like another stab in her already bloodied heart. She knew that he wouldn’t hurt her intentionally, but that didn’t mean something wouldn’t happen. What if he got wasted and did something impulsive? That was what she’d been worried about. For a while, they both sat there in silence. Adrianna was starting to get worried and the hysterics were on their way. She was so scared that she’d done something wrong by telling him, but she wanted him to know because she wanted him to reassure her. The one reason she’d told him at all was because she needed to hear it from him. She couldn’t keep assuming that no one would hurt her because in the past it hadn’t worked that way. His first words after the long silence caused her heart to break further. She knew that. She knew he wasn’t Talen; that was what she’d told Rhett for crying out loud! Tears hadn’t stopped falling from her eyes, but now she was shaking and having trouble breathing because everything was beginning to overwhelm her. She trembled and nearly dropped her phone, but that wasn’t what had her hugging a pillow trying not to scream. The last sentence he spoke nearly crushed her. If he only knew just how highly she thought of him, he’d never have said those words to her.

Adrianna had introduced him to her mother. Yes, Amelia’s arrival had been unexpected, but she hadn’t made Lani leave. She had been so excited about Lani meeting the one person who mattered the most to her. And not only that, but she was always telling him how great and wonderful he was and how happy she was to be with him. How could he say that she thought low of him? The phone shook in her hand and she tried to form words again, trying to gain strength from what she felt for him. “I do not think lowly of you. You know how much you mean to me, how many times have I told you how much I care? Why do you think I called you?” She shook her head, “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I was calling because I needed you. If that’s a bad thing, then I made a mistake, but that wasn’t how I saw it.”

Taking a deep breath to further calm herself, Adrianna listened to him again. Each word caused more tears to fall and she felt as if she’d never stop crying. If only he knew that she was falling in love with him, then he’d know that was why she was terrified of losing him. She wished desperately for him to be there with her so she could hug him and kiss him to make him realize that she did trust him and that she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. She was a weak minded girl when it came to manipulators. “Lani…I’m so sorry that I hurt you and I’m sorry that I doubted you and I just wish this hadn’t happened,” She said through the tightness of her throat. “I believe you and I do trust you, I just needed to hear you say it. I’m so scared of getting hurt again that I didn’t want to assume that you wouldn’t hurt me. Now will you please hurry and get here so that I can hug my boyfriend!”

[Lani Hunter]

If Lani could have had Rhett in his hands at that very moment he would have throttled him. But that was a lie. He could punch someone and be violent but he could never really hurt or kill someone. He just wasn’t that kind of person. “Why do you let him get to you?” Lani asked knowing she was right, even if she tried to ignore him he would speak and get under her skin. “You’ve changed, you don’t have to listen to him anymore. You don’t have to give in. You are strong. Don’t let him break you, you break him for once.” He said this and his fists were clenched and his voice strong but full of hatred and rage. “I know,” Lani said with a little sigh and stood up from the bench and started walking again. “I’m on my way.” After all if Rhett wanted to see this to fruition than he wouldn’t leave and so Lani would probably only need to plan and wait and Rhett would fall right into his hands.

Lani’s heart had never been so easy to penetrate. He had a wall of ice and stone surrounding his heart but her doubt and words struck him like blows. Yes he had underestimated this man and he had learned his lesson. Never again. He was being forced to swallow his anger so that he could comfort her and he would not have had it any other way. His anger would still be there later but she needed him now. He could give her that. He heard her breath go ragged and the tears increase and he knew he had made a mistake. He had been honest and he had made a mistake. She was hurting badly and he had tried to explain how he felt and that had only hurt her more. So Lani snapped his jaws shut on his hurt and turned his mind entirely to hers.

He found little comfort in her words, for actions speak louder than words and if she really trusted him than she would have told Rhett to get lost and ignored his lies. But despite what Lani had said and what he had proven she had lumped him in with her past boyfriends and father. Someone who was just waiting to betray her. That knowledge even though refuted did nothing to ease his bruised heart and ego. He covered his face with his hand and shook his head as she spoke. Her words started to sound accusing and he had to say something. “I know that Adrianna. But do you know how much I care about you? The things that he’s imply I’ll do they’re simply impossible. I’m glad you called me, especially if you doubt me,” he said the last part without malice but it was clear that he added that on there for a purpose. He didn’t want to hurt her but he had been hurt and now he was lashing out. Lani let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He felt very bad about what he had just said. “Adrianna, it’s not a mistake. I’m here for you.”

Something pushed through to Lani as he listened to her over the phone. Those were his tears. Not the ones Rhett caused. Lani was causing those tears. An urgent need to be there for her, to fix that over took him and he broke into a run as he approached Hammel’s gates. “I know,” Lani said his breath luckily not panting into the phone. “And I’m sorry I said those things. I was angry and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. Adrianna, I’ll say whatever you need me to say. I never want to hurt you, I never want to betray you.” She was scared that was for sure. Lani really hadn’t realized how scared until this moment, he thought he had but he really hadn’t. He listened to her and a small smile crept on his lips as he bound up the stairs to her room. It took him a little too long for him to enter dramatically right as she said it but it was close enough. After a while of silence he was at her door. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he kept muttering. He unlocked her door with his power and pushed it open seeing her collapsed in tears. “So hug me, God knows I could use it too.” He said to her and into the phone panting just a little.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

It wasn’t as if she tried letting him get to her. She didn’t want him to cause so many problems in her life. Adrianna really wished she could be that mean girl that caused problems in his life, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t mean and she couldn’t stoop as low as he did. She frowned, “I don’t let him. Just like I don’t let people hurt me. It happens anyway, no matter how hard I try to stop it, nothing works because I’m not like him.” She wiped her eyes and chewed on her lower lip. How had she changed? She was still the weak sniveling girl that couldn’t handle harsh words. If she was strong, she never would have let Rhett speak to her. She relaxed slightly when he said he was on his way. She just wished it wouldn’t take him long.

Adrianna wasn’t trying to make things worse. It went to show that she couldn’t open up to anyone without hurting them. She was starting to regret telling Lani all of what had happened because now they were both hurting and arguing which was something she hadn’t been expecting when she first thought of telling him. He was upset now and she could hear the tears in the sound of his voice. She never should have said anything. She shouldn’t have called him. She should have just shut herself off in her room and dealt with this on her own. So much for being that strong girl he thought she was. Nothing she would say now would help, that much she knew. What if he never told her how he felt now? What if she’d just ruined everything by trying to explain herself?

For her, someone was lucky if they had gained all of her trust. It was a difficult thing to do and very few people ever got it. Her family, her best friend, they were the only ones who’d ever received all of her trust. For Craven, it had taken him years to find out things about Adrianna that he hadn’t known before. He knew of her abandonment problems, but he hadn’t understood to what extent her trust issues were because of that. She told her friends about her mother and some about her father, but that was only the surface of the problem. The depth of that problem was a dark place of fear and caution. If only Lani had understood that, they wouldn’t have been fighting now. Even she couldn’t explain how afraid she was, there were no words for what the abandonment had done to her. “Yes, Lani. I know you care and I know that what I’m saying isn’t what you want to hear, but I can’t help how I feel. I can’t help the fact that after being betrayed so many times I’m afraid that everyone will leave me or hurt me in some way.” She flinched at the malicious tone his voice picked up and she bit back more tears. All she was trying to do was explain herself and he was getting angry with her. “Lani, I’m not trying to doubt you…” She said shakily as he told her it wasn’t a mistake. If it wasn’t a mistake, then why was he getting angry with her?

Adrianna’s heartache was soothed as he apologized and she continued to listen to him. Despite how much pain they’d been through in just this one conversation, she was so glad that she had Lani. She knew that fighting was all part of having a relationship and it only made the feelings she had for him intensify. She really did love him. “It’s alright, Lani, I understand. I know you care about me a lot, this is just the effect Rhett’s presence has on people I guess,” She whispered and sighed looking down as she gripped the pillow in her hand. Her cheek was pressed against the pillow and she continued wishing that he would show up so that she could cling to him. She was still unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face, no matter how many times she wiped at them. At the sound of her door unlocking, Adri sat up and looked over her shoulder at her boyfriend as he stood in the doorway like the hero he was to her.

Frantically, Adrianna set her phone down and threw her pillow to the side. Jumping off the bed she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Lani, I’m so sorry!” She said as she buried her face in his neck and fresh tears spilled over. She clung to him in desperation, the trembling slowing tremendously the longer she held him.