bucket list || l. norris

thirty one

* long chapter to make up for the mini unplanned break i decided to take. you're about to see so much more of micah and mila's relationship, because it's so pivotal to this story. please don't forget to vote and comment as you read! don't be a silent reader! i'll reply to as many comments as i can! enjoy :) *

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I stood on the doorstep and rang the bell, listening as Lando pulled out of the driveway. I told him I'd be back at our apartment in the evening, but I brought my suitcase with me to my parents' house, just in case I changed my mind. I'm always welcome here.

Part of me felt nervous to open up to my mum about everything Lando and I did in Paris. By the way, mum, Lando and I slept together in Paris and now I don't know what to do. It sounded like an awful way to say, hi mum, I'm home.

I was pleased when she answered the door, assuming dad would be working, since he was probably the busiest man I'd ever known. His determination was so inspiring. I felt lucky to call him my dad. Mum smiled at me, but I could see straight through it. She looked sad, exhausted even, and that was a concern on initial glance. I seemed to forget about that, blurting out my words in her face.

"I slept with Lando in Paris."

Her face dropped, but not in a bad way, if that was even possible. I could see her trying to process my words and collect her thoughts so that she could give me a proper answer. I couldn't believe I was doing this; standing on the doorstep to my family home with my suitcase, looking like I wanted to move back in, with that revelation finally out in the open.

"We haven't spoken about it since it happened because we argued the morning after. I don't know what to do, we agreed to keep it to ourselves whilst we were working but I've not stopped thinking about it," I paused for a second to take an insufficient breath. "We landed an hour ago. I asked him to bring me straight here because I needed to see you and talk about it because I just don't know what's best and-"

I stopped. I noticed she was nodding her head as if she was listening and taking in every word, but I believed the opposite. Like she wasn't listening at all. I frowned. Didn't she care? It only raised my suspicions, because mum was already so invested in a relationship between Lando and I that was yet to exist, if it ever would. Something else was on her mind. I could see right through her.

"What?" I asked, relaxing a little but feeling tense because I wasn't sure what on Earth was going on. Is she getting divorced from my dad? Oh my God, please, no. They're happy. They're in love. "Mum, what is it? What's going on?"

I stepped inside when she created a gap in the doorway, dragging my suitcase in behind me and leaving it in the first empty spot I could find. The hallway was filled with cardboard boxes and bags. Dad's leaving, I thought to myself, a lump building in my throat as tears threatened to spill, they're getting divorced. I felt my heart shatter.

I slowly moved through the hallway. I recognised the bags to be, in fact, my brother's. Realisation hit me. Micah's here. And all of the boxes and bags scattered throughout the hallway appeared to confirm my biggest fear. He's going to be heartbroken.

"These are Micah's," I turned to look at mum. She nodded, rather sadly, and I felt my heart break into pieces, too. Lando was the furthest thing from my mind. "What's going on?"