A Hundred Days to Our Wedding

6

"How did you even get yourself into this mess?" I asked Renee when I had finally managed to get her to sit right and be in place. Jane was seated beside her on the bed as well. 

"I was so lonely." She sniffed, with a latter smile. I knew it would take everything to get her to be herself and I was fully determined to help my sister get things back.

"But you know you have got us. Renee, for God's sake, what if something worse than this had happened to you? What then?" I gulped, shaking my head in fear at what I would have done if something crazy had happened to my sister or anyone of my siblings for that matter.

"Lana that's not helping." She said, rolling over on the bed. "I got myself into this mess and I'll definitely work on getting myself out of it." She frowned and I nodded. At least, she was safe and that was all that really mattered to me.

*

I tried dialing Job multiple times after I got home but it was all to no avail. I knew he was busy with work and stuff but I felt worried, deep down and I had no idea why.

I felt as if something bad and wrong was going on with him. I could do nothing but hope that he was safe. With a sigh, I sat down and decided to watch television. 

That seemed like an activity that I hadn't done in a long while. Just as I was about to turn it on. My phone began to ring.

I frowned at the unknown caller ID but I answered the phone call all the same.

"Hello?" I called a while after answering the phone. "Who is it?" 

"Hey Lana." The voice called back. I didn't need further introduction to know it was Spikes. I felt a bit uplifted at the sound of his voice though and it was mostly because I was home alone. Dale and Jones had gone over to Renee and had said they'd spend the night over there.

Without warning, a loud thunder that accompanied the quick flash of lightening rumbled and the unexpected sound caused me to jerk in fear. 

As if doom had made a plan, the lights all went out as the rain began to pour in harsh showers. It complimented the home alone scheme and fear over powered me. 

"Are you still there?" Spikes called. I had totally forgotten all about his presence, thanks to my drifted attention.

"Yes! Yes I am. Please do not disconnect." I sounded desperate but like earlier mentioned, I was afraid. Something was going wrong somewhere, I just had no full knowledge on what it was.

"Are you okay? You sound terrified? Are things good over there?" He asked me. He seemed to sound genuinely interested in knowing and so I sighed in relief.

"Yes, all is great." I lied.

"Oh, sounds like someone might be afraid of the rain though." He chuckled and I frowned.

"I am not. Well, at the very least, I'm usually not. This time around, it just seems different. I'm home alone and I don't know if you ever get this feeling but, I'm worried about something and I don't know what it is." I sighed, ignoring the fact that I was talking to someone who was more or less like a total stranger to me.

"Oh I understand." He sounded serious this time. "Do you need company? I could come over." He teased. More than anything, I wished I could say yes but it made absolutely no sense. There was no way I would invite an unknown man into my home especially so late at night.

"What? No way." I rolled my eyes and then paused to think before speaking. "Wait, how do you even have my phone number?"

He chuckled, "a magician never reveals his secret." I wondered why he seemed to find everything in life so funny especially since I didn't. I wish I had that much enthusiasm.

"That makes no se- " I rolled my eyes again. "You know what? Never mind it." 

"I didn't. So what was the big emergency this time? I'm always causing you trouble for real, now, I see that to be honest." He went back to full seriousness. I wondered how he did all the time. Going back and forth between being serious and playful.

I smiled in response and then for some reason the sound of his voice reminded me of Job and the smile on my face melted as quick as it had appeared and my heart began to race faster. What on earth was wrong with me? I wished I knew more than ever a way to decide the problem I had, but I did not.

"Listen, can we talk later? I really have to speak with someone important right now." I told him, careful not to hurt his feelings, also speaking with the hope that Job would pick up this time.

"Oh." He sounded rejected or at the very least, I felt like he did. I wanted to apologize but it didn't seem needed and so I ended the call.

I dialed Job with my fingers crossed then I and prayed silently to God that he answered this time. By now, he should be done with anything work. It was way past his work time anyway and frankly, he had no excuses not to answer the phone.

The phone led me to his voicemail and I didn't know when a tear slipped down my eye. "Hi Job, call me once you get this, Lana." I sniffed and hit send. What if something terrible had happened to him? I knew I was ever worrisome but what other reason would he have that he wouldn't answer the phone.

It took me every single ounce of dignity I could gather not to go to his house and see if things were right. As if to worsen my mood, the thunder sent even scarier rumbles. I huffed myself tight to my chest and not knowing what to do, I picked up the phone and redialled Spikes.

Thankfully, he answered the phone on the first ring. I almost forgot it wasn't Job and excitement filled my entire body in gratitude.

"Somebody important got somebody else that's important that they didn't pick up the phone when you called?" He teased, not even bothering with an hello the second time.

I almost regretted calling him but then right now, I needed to feel as if there was someone's presence with me in the room and this was the closest I could get to doing that.

"It's my fiance and I'm his first priority. His phone is most likely not with him." I said, defensively, also trying to assure myself that was the truth.

"I'm sorry. I was just teasing." He laughed. I started to wish I had just gone to Renee's with the rest of my siblings instead. At least that way, all four of us would be complete and one of them would have managed to convince me that everything was fine.

"Not everything is a joke, you know?" I frowned. What was I doing talking to him anyways when I could easily call Jace? My brain had totally skipped her.

"Listen I'm sorry okay? I'm just trying to brighten your mood, you seem devastated?" He asked in a low voice. I didn't seem it, I was devastated.

"I'm sorry too." I sighed, not being in the mood for the slightest argument.

"The best thing right now, is for you to sleep it away. Trust me, you'll wake up feeling a lot better." He said, trying to help me feel calm. I knew he was right but I couldn't sleep, not yet.

"I know." I admitted. "But I can't sleep even if I wanted to." I shrugged. If I could, I would have. It would help pass time away anyways. 

"Why not?" He seemed confused. "Hey, how about I talk you to sleep?" He added after a little pause.

I giggled, "are you indirectly letting me know you are extremely boring?" I teased.

"Not exactly. I'm just trying to help here, give me a break." He groaned playfully.

"I'm just kidding. But I don't think talking would put me to sleep. I'm actually very particular with listening to people, you see." I shrugged, playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Oh well," He hummed, thinking about something for a few seconds and then added, "okay what if I sing you to sleep? It'll be just like putting a little child to bed." He suggested. His words were spoken softly as if he thought they scared me and his act of consideration made me smile.

"Well, that seems a lot more better than your previous idea." I smiled. "But you see, I'm on the couch right now and I would rather be in bed in comfortable clothes than sleep off like this."

"Well, I'm a patient man." He began but I interrupted him. 

"Uh huh." I rolled my eyes in remembrance of past events that had occurred between us.

"Okay, sometimes I'm a patient man." He said and we both laughed at it. It wasn't exactly funny but laughing seemed like a pain relief at the moment.

"Alright then, if you insist." I smiled as I got up to go up to my bedroom. I ensured that all windows were appropriately locked before leading my way to my room with the aid of my phone's flash light.

Placing the phone between my ear and shoulder, I listened to him rant on endlessly about how mad his boss was that he got the offer rejected, while I changed into my nightwear. 

I took all of my underwear off so I felt even free and talking to Spikes over the phone kind of made the weather seem a bit more lovely than it previously was. 

"I'm sorry about that. You know you made me do it though." I smirked. "But I promise, I'll sign it first thing tomorrow. Once you show up, that is." I told him.

"Really?! You would? Oh my God, I'm so grateful! Thank you Lana, you just saved a dumb guy from losing his job." He chuckled.

"Interesting. You said if we didn't sign, you'd find somewhere else to sign the contract." I decided to make fun of them for a little bit.

"That was just a way to get you guys not to turn us down. f**k, I wish you'd known how scared I had been when you'd ripped that s**t apart, I felt like my life was flashing right before my eyes." He said.

"Again, you left me no choice." I was fully in bed but I didn't want to stop talking to him just yet. Something about him just seemed so peculiar.

"I know, let's not talk about it anymore, let's put it way into our past." He said and I couldn't agree more.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" He said after a few seconds of silence.

"Uh-" I stuttered not knowing what exactly to say. "Not yet. I have to um, put my hair in a bun first."

"Sounds to me more like you still want to have a chit chat with a guy with such masculine and irresistible voice. 

"Oh please, it was your idea to sing me to sleep in the first place." I tried to defend myself but he only laughed at me mockingly. 

"Uhh uhh, and you agreed!" He informed me.

"Fine, do what you want. I'm in bed, sing me to sleep." I rolled my eyes, "are you happy now?"

"Beyond happy and glad that you just confirmed that I have such a marvelous, divine voice. Wait till you hear me sing." He said with full pride and clear contentment with himself.

"I didn't confirm it." I shifted my lying position to lying on my right. 

"You didn't deny it either." He said. He was right. His voice over the phone sounded so angelic but it wasn't as nice as his speaking voice in real life, but I truly couldn't wait to hear him sing.

"Okay, you ready?" He asked. I pulled the covers over my head and nodded before saying a yes.

And then he began. His voice was like nothing I had ever heard. It sounded so natural. No instrument or overly edited voice. He was singing fire on fire by Sam Smith.

The last thing I heard before darkness embraced me in its warmth was, "...you're perfection, my only direction, it's fire on fire."