Kalinda was in a heated exchange of thrusting motions. She was in the hands of Lana, or should we say, the fingers of Lana were inside of her. A sudden movement and Kalinda regained control. She was on top and the woman pinned under her was craving for her body. She gave it to her. From Lana's lips, Kalinda moved to her neckline, to her breasts where she lingered a little, moved further down aiming for the area in between. Her own was throbbing in lust. However, her mind was sidetracked by a scar.

Lana, noticing the sudden stop, looked at Kalinda and tilted her head a bit to the left. Her mind was going, why the fuck did you stop?! But there was something there, she knew. It was an accumulation of actions. First, Kalinda left her in the middle of the night, which she hasn't done ever since they started going out again. Second, there were the times when she'd notice Kalinda thinking deep about things, things that she wasn't willing to discuss with her.

"What's wrong?" She asked instead. Having to ask this question in bed didn't sit too well with her, remembering fully the last time she did and what happened afterwards.

Kalinda moved, used the blanket as cover for her body and sat up beside her. Lana was forced to do the same.

"My name isn't Kalinda." She began.

Lana tilted her head some more. We're going to talk about this now? Really, right when we're in the middle of it? But Kalinda was being intimate. Lana's mind couldn't settle on an understanding of what Kalinda was doing.

"It's Leela." She continued.

Lana held Kalinda's hand, as if to say that it's okay.

"I was—we were into horse racing, fixing horse races." All the while Lana was brushing her thumb on Kalinda's hand.

"The last race I was involved in was a big one. There was a bust and for some reason, my father decided to deal with drugs on that day. The race fixing wasn't uncovered, but the drug dealing was. Instead of him going to jail, my husband—" She paused to see how Lana would react. Lana stopped brushing her thumb against hers.

"My husband took the fall. He went to jail instead." Lana wasn't letting go of Kalinda's hand though. She studied Kalinda's face while letting that piece of information settle in. Honesty brought out something in Kalinda.

"When he did, I saw the chance, I left. I left with his money to help me start again. That's how I ended up here."

There was silence. Neither party not wanting to break it.

Lana, finally having the courage, moved in front of Kalinda, placed both hands on the shoulders of the woman in front of her. Her hands felt warm on Kalinda's.

Lana gave out a sigh and said, "I don't care, Kalinda. I don't care if you have a husband. I'm assuming that that's all done now."

"He's a very dangerous man, Lana." Kalinda answered softly.

"What do you mean? Has he spoken to you?"

"A year ago. He found me, he was talking about how he could rat me out to the police and that I'd go to jail for it." Lana held her hand again, trying to understand what Kalinda was trying to tell her.

"He knew about you. He threatened you, so I left. He said he'd leave you alone if I did."

Lana was slowly putting the pieces together. "My apartment, was that him?". Kalinda nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" It was surprising Kalinda how Lana was keeping calm all this time.

"I couldn't."

"I could've protected you!" Lana, noticing her voice louder than usual, repeated it in a softer tone. "I could've protected you."

Silence ensued.

"That's why you left." Lana said.

Kalinda nodded in agreement. "I don't think he's done."

"What do you mean?" Lana asked.

Kalinda didn't know how to say it. Her face showed remorse and shame. She looked at Lana in the eyes and said in the softest voice she could, as if hoping Lana wouldn't have to hear, "Nick—my husband's name is Nick."

The pain in Lana's eyes, you couldn't paint. All she could do was move away from the woman in front of her. Both women felt vulnerable, with nothing to cover themselves but a sheet of cloth. Lana tried to cover herself with the blanket, she would've picked up her clothes and put them on had she known where they were.

Her mind was all over. Thoughts of what Kalinda had told her a few months back ran through her head. If I could change what I did, I would. Thoughts of that night ran though her head. I'd be more than glad to do it over again and again and again, she heard Nick say. She could almost feel the cold knife piercing her skin. She was brought back to reality when she heard Kalinda speak.

"You have to stop." Kalinda's face showed so much emotion. "He's going to kill you, Lana." Lana's face was blank.

Kalinda moved to where she was, tried to hold her hands but failed. Kalinda sighed. "He knows. He knows you're going to talk to the police."

Lana looked at Kalinda. Everything that they've worked on the past few months were slowly going down the drain. How the fuck did he know? She spoke to him? The wall between them was growing bigger and bigger by the minute.

"I don't know how he knows. Believe me." Kalinda noticed Lana's accusing gaze.

"If he goes to jail, he can't touch me. He can't touch you." Lana finally said.

"You don't know him. He's a dangerous man."

"What's in it for you?" Again, Lana was talking with accusing eyes.

"I want you safe, Lana."

"What's in it for you?" Her voice was louder and more commanding this time.

Kalinda sighed deeply and said, "If you talk, everyone in my family will go to jail."

Lana's face was disgusted. "Lionel?"

Kalinda looked at her, she didn't know the man.

"Marcus?" Lana tried again.

Kalinda's eyes said it all.

"If you talk, everyone in my family will go to jail. Including me."

"So that's what this is about?"

"If I'm in jail, I can't protect you."

"You won't go to jail, Kalinda." Lana was getting annoyed.

Kalinda just stared at her. Lana didn't know the extent of Kalinda's actions, the powerful people she's crossed. "Stop it." Kalinda was almost begging this time, the same way she begged Lana for her life over a year ago.

"This isn't about you."

"It's not. It's about you. I want to protect you, Lana. I can't do that if they take me away."

"No. This isn't protecting me. This—this is saving yourself."

Kalinda kept quiet. She didn't know what to say. Lana was right, this was saving herself. Lana talking means she'll lose the new life she's created for herself and everyone in it, including Lana. On the one hand, Kalinda wanted to protect Lana. On the other, she wanted to keep the secret of Leela safe. Either way, she was going to lose Lana.

"Just stop, Lana. I don't want to lose you again." It wasn't like Kalinda to say these kinds of things. And it was ironic that the one person she hated being vulnerable to was the one person she always ended up being vulnerable for.