29 The Unexpected Call

Lana sat alone in her room; it was a three-bedroom apartment. The silence of the night weighed heavy on her. She had just returned home after a long, grueling day, and the memory of her recent troubles seemed to seep into the very walls around her. She had been bailed out of jail earlier that day, after an unfortunate incident that had landed her in a mess she never anticipated. Bad incidents just found their way to her; they came in hard. Rachel was in a different room as she sensed that Lana needed some space and some time alone. Just as she was starting to unwind, her phone rang, jolting her back into reality. She picked it up hesitantly, not recognizing the number. "Hello?" she answered cautiously. "Lana? It's Mark," a voice she hadn't heard in what felt like ages replied on the other end. Lana's heart skipped a beat, not knowing what to expect from Mark after all this time. He ditched her even though he knew it was going to take a long time for someone to bail her out consid