Chapter 31
Lane (June 2023)
...
There was only one letter in their mailbox one afternoon and Lane had a feeling that they knew what the thick envelope was. The day after Atlas made it known to Lane that he knew where they were living, Ophelia suggested that they should file for a restraining order against Atlas. She drove Lane to the court where they filled out the forms that they needed. Lane didn't withhold any information and breathed slowly and steadily as they recounted every terrible incident involving the man they once cared so deeply for. With a heavy heart, Lane listed and went through all of the abuse, as much as they could remember, as much as they could stomach. By the end of the forms, Lane's handwriting became more and more shaky. The ink from the pen smudged in a few places. Lane saw a judge and explained why they felt they needed the restraining order and after Lane presented their case, the judge granted an ex parte temporary order. Lane was thankful that everything was moving forward. The day Atlas was served the court order at his home, Lane's phone was flooded with calls and text messages. They weren't only from Atlas, but from his friends as well. He had them convinced that Lane was lying about everything and wanted to ruin Atlas' life and reputation. People who Lane once considered friends texted them threats and other horrible things.
"You're a fucking asshole," one text read.
"Fuck you! You're a liar."
"We're gonna beat your ass you fucking piece of shit!"
"How could you treat Altas this way?"
"We know where you live now."
"You're just a little bitch. Atlas loved you!"
"I'll get you fucking fired! He didn't do anything to you!"
"You deserve to rot in jail for trying to ruin his fucking life."
Ophelia took Lane's phone while they were sobbing on the couch and blocked all of the phone numbers that were attacking them. She blocked the same people on social media as well, but they were making new accounts just to send Lane more disgusting messages. She held Lane as they cried and she wiped their tears.
"Fuck those people," she said while rubbing Lane's back. "They don't have a fucking clue."
The hearing took place several days after Altas was served. Lane refused to make eye contact with him the entire time but they felt his scowl and his eyes locked on them. They told the judge what had happened after Atlas was served, that they were harassed by him and his friends. The text messages and stream of phone calls were shown to the judge. Atlas barely said a word. Lane was expecting him to fight back against the order but he did no such thing. During the hearing, Atlas listened and accepted the terms at the end. The evidence Lane had was stacked against him.
Lane picked up the letter, looking at the envelope, and saw that it was from the clerk's office. It was a copy of the order that they had filed with additional paperwork about the court hearing that took place. Lane sighed and turned away from the lobby and entered the stairwell to return to C7. They went back into their apartment and locked the door. They had asked Phoebe if it would be all right to install an additional lock on the door and without hesitation, she retrieved her tools and installed a chain lock as well as a second deadbolt. Lane felt more secure and was thankful for Phoebe. They went into the bedroom and Lane fell to their bed. The blanket was fresh and warm because Ophelia had helped them with the laundry that morning before she went off to work. Lane was excited for her to come back in the evening to hang out. As Lane rested in bed, Petri hopped up and snuggled next to them. She purred loudly and the sound soothed Lane as they closed their eyes. They gently petted Petri and her fur felt softer than the blanket.
"Atlas and I used to be happy," Lane said to the cat. "You'll never know who he is, Petri. You don't wanna know him. He was terrible."
Petri continued to purr.
"We used to be so happy."
At the beginning of their relationship, Lane never would have expected things to turn out the way they did. Atlas seemed to be a kind and romantic soul, always looking out for Lane and making them feel comfortable.
"I made dinner tonight." Lane remembered the first time Atlas had cooked them dinner. He was a fantastic cook. Lane remembered that Atlas was once in culinary school but never finished the program. He had said he lost his drive and passion for cooking and switched to finance right after.
"You didn't have to do that," Lane said while Atlas pulled out a chair for them at the dining room table.
"Of course I did!" Atlas laughed. "You are going to love this!"
Atlas had the entire table set up and served Lane an amazing dinner, paired with great wine, and a lovely desert at the end.
"You are so amazing," Lane said to Atlas while candlelight flickered between them.
"You're amazing," Atlas replied.
"I love you so much."
"I love you more."
"How was your day today?" Lane asked.
Atlas smiled. "It was good. Nothing too crazy happened. It was a pretty normal day. Oh! Except that I saw a really cute dog walking down the street on my way to work this morning."
"Aw," Lane said, "what kind of dog?"
"I think it was a Newfoundland. Such a big puppy! It was so fluffy-looking" Atlas took a sip of his wine.
"Oh my goodness! One day I would love to get a big dog. They are everything," Lane replied.
"Maybe one day we can. I've always wanted a big dog too. My family always had little pups," Atlas said.
"Together?" Lane smiled and drank from their glass.
"Yes, together. Maybe one day you can move in with me."
Lane laughed. "I would like that."
"Me too," Atlas said softly. "Do you wanna go see a movie tonight?"
"You made me dinner and now you wanna take me to see a movie?" Lane giggled.
Atlas nodded. "Yes! My treat."
"You're too good to me."
Petri meowed, bringing Lane back to the present. She stepped around them on the bed while kneading with her paws, then hopped across the room and went into the living room. "Wanna watch TV, Petri?" Lane asked, not expecting an answer. Petri meowed again to Lane's surprise.
"TV it is."