𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 - 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆

24 | Better Future

I agreed. I don't know why I agreed, but I did.

Throughout the night I found myself searching for similarities between him and Jisung but found none. Maybe that's what drew me towards Luca. How completely different the two were.

He was like an open book and some would hate the fact that you could read the other so easily and quickly—with every question you got a real honest answer but I didn't. I loved it.

When he invited me over for dinner I agreed, hesitantly. As I arrived I watched him cook his 'famous' lasagna but soon admitted he had only cooked it for his mom and she loved it.

I had offered to help but he quickly declined and said I was his guest.

I watched him cook as we conversed over random topics and pricey wine. I never realized how different a person could be in their own home. Luca wasn't an overly guarded person naturally and I wouldn't think he could be more open until this moment. He talked freely and his shoulders were never tense as he glided around the kitchen—knowing where everything was at because this was his space. His sanctuary and he chose to have me over and not for a one-night stand like before but dinner.

Dinner, it was much more than I expected. Yes, he had said his mom loved it but I had thought it was a biased opinion but no, it was great.

"How was work?" I asked as I dried the plate off, watching his hands clean the last dish.

"It was work, not much to it today. Had some paperwork to do and a meeting" He spoke softly before turning the water off and looking towards me. "How was work for you?" He asks as I hand him the cloth to dry the pan.

I exhale silently and shrug "Like you said work was work"

He lets out a breathy chuckle before putting the dishes away, he turns to me and leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest he says "Want to know what I do when I find work to be miserable?" He says, "And I find it to be just that quite often because I get lots of paperwork and boring business meetings"

"What do you do?"

He licks his lips and thinks for a moment "Well—I, I think about the future" He says but quickly continues when he sees a smile rise on my face "Don't talk shit yet Minho, hear me out" he says playfully.

I raise my hands in defense "Fine, tell me all about romanticizing work burn out"

He rolls his eyes "I think about what I'm working for, my mom, my future partner—kids possibly" I listen to him, I really listen as he speaks. "I don't know, I guess I often find myself asking all these questions on why I push myself in my job and even in life but it's all because I hope for a better future"

"Are you not satisfied with the present?"

Luca inhaled softly "I don't have a reason to be unsatisfied. I'm healthy, I get good money, and I have a roof over my head. Yes, life could be better but it could also be worse and for that, I'm thankful for where I'm at"

He was so wise. He was positive and I think I needed some positive in my life.

"Would you believe me if I said there was a time in my life when I felt like it could only get worse?"

Luca frowns slightly "Your life would have to be pretty bad if you felt that way"

Right now I felt my walls crumbling down as he stared at me with so much care and worry.

"I was never close to my family" I started "I-I caught my dad cheating on my mom when I was younger and when I told her she was upset that I had. It was like she knew but never wanted to hear it out loud because it would become real and though she forgave him, I never did" I admitted to him, telling him something I never told anyone but Jisung. Not even Jeongin knew.

Luca became aware of my vulnerability but didn't put pressure on it like some would. He kept his distance and stood where he was and just listened.

"I grew up so afraid of that feeling" My visions blurred "The feeling of what my mom must've felt. To love someone so much that she didn't care if they were fucking someone else just as long as she slept beside him at night—as long as she still had him" I ranted "For so long I was fucking terrified and I hated it, I hated how she forgot about it and I hated how she wanted everything to be normal with him"

He finally walked to me and took my face into his hands, wiping the tears away that must have fallen without my acknowledgment.

"It's okay to care about someone like that Minho, it's doesn't make you weak"

I shake my head and without realizing—the words spilled out of my mouth like I've been holding onto them for years. "I-I'm just like her," I said softly through my sobs and his hands fell from my face as I rubbed my tears away harshly.

He grabs my hands from my face and stares me in my eyes "Don't do that" He said a bit harshly "You'll hurt yourself"

"I loved him like my mom loves my dad. I didn't care if he slept around when we were younger, I didn't care if I allowed him to pick and choose when he wanted me, I didn't care about any of it because I had him. I finally had him after admitting to myself that maybe it was fucking okay to care about someone like that" I said harshly, "He lied and lied, and continues to lie and I'm tired"

"I know," He says softly, "You have a big heart Minho, you just guard it off"

I frown "Do you think I deserve this?"

He shook his head "Nobody deserves that"

He spoke so softly and he held me the way my body sought. With safety and warmth. It was the spare of the moment, maybe. Or maybe I just really really wanted to kiss him.

I pressed my lips onto his and it didn't last long before he pulled away "Minho" He called my name, waking me from whatever coaxed me to do that. "Maybe we shouldn't—"

"Yeah, no," I said and stepped back "I shouldn't have—I should have guessed that you wouldn't want to kiss me after I ranted about my ex" I said pathetically.

Luca shook his head and stepped closer to me "Minho, shut up" He chuckled and I did as he said, ending my rant and thoughts that screamed at me that this was a mistake. "I just think you've had a long night—you've had a long week. It's not the best to be kissing and then regretting it later on, don't you think?" He says with a knowing smirk.

I swallow harshly "Who says I would regret it?" I said "What if I really wanted to kiss you"

"Then you can, whenever you want," He says "But preferably not after you ranted about your ex" He laughs and I playfully hit his arm.

I liked this feeling. Not the feeling of thinking about my shitty love life but the feeling of being able to be open with someone like this. He didn't judge me or refuse to hear about Jisung. He allowed it. He welcomed it along with my tears and instead of doing what others would—which is adding to my problem and trying to help me fix them, he just listened, no matter if I sounded dramatic or said something completely shitty, he listened.

He didn't try to fix me. He didn't look at me like I was broken or like I was overreacting. He held me, wiped my tears, and accepted me.

Like Jisung once did but what he didn't do was hurt me.

This is so unrelated but I started 'Peaky Blinders' on Netflix yesterday because I was bored out of my mind and binged the whole first season because I'm OBSESSED now.

Not everyone's cup of tea but definitely mine.

Anyways, a full Luca and Minho chapter. Some of you cheered, some of you cried. but you know what, now you all know why Minho isn't as close with his family.

No, but seriously I finally planned out most of this book (except the last 2-3 chapters) and the estimated chapters I have left to write are 23-26.

This makes me want to focus on updating this story more since I do have it planned out and I feel like I've been writing this story and the characters for so long. Which I have because 'Darling' was the first book I ever put out and that was exactly a year and a month ago.

Just wanted to let you all know.

Love you all
Sierra <3