eight

56 5 1
                                    

AMINA DIDN'T GO out to eat lunch with Noah; instead, she stayed in the building waiting for his return

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

AMINA DIDN'T GO out to eat lunch with Noah; instead, she stayed in the building waiting for his return. She could've gone home, considering it was her only day off for the upcoming busy weeks, but she didn't want to. Her condo wasn't her home--just an empty living space with a mattress on the living room floor and a vacant bedroom. Even though Brandy chose the apartment for her, Amina couldn't get used to how much space she now had. She had her own room now, and it wasn't going to be shared with anyone like before. Yet, she slept in the living room with the city's skylights on full display through her window.

She was wandering the hallways for the lounge room that was sure to have vending machines. Her stomach growled loudly, and her head began to thump, a sign of a headache forming.

"What are you doing?"

Amina jumped back slightly, turning to Brandy with wide eyes. "Trying to find the lounge."

Luca and Mavis stood behind him with crossed arms. All three adults stared at her with furrowed eyebrows. "The lounge?" Brandy repeated.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Noah said there was a vending machine in there." She began to play with her fingers, nervously behind her back. She felt like she was a child who just got caught trying to steal candy.

"You didn't get a tour?" Luca asked.

Amina shook her head quickly. "No."

Unlike Noah who explored every room in the building, Amina didn't know where anything but her and Noah's studio room was

Something flashed in Brandy's eyes, a smile growing on his lips. "Why don't you give her a tour?" he asked, turning to Luca with a broad smile.

"No, it's fine," Amina muttered.

"Yeah, sure." Luca simultaneously said.

Amina bit her lower lip, looking between Luca mad Brandy awkwardly. "I'm waiting for Noah to come back."

Brandy waved her off with a grin. "He's explored this place top to bottom."

"Oh."

"Go with him, Amina." Brandy said, pushing Luca forward forcefully.

"She doesn't have to," Luca strained, glaring intensely at Brandy, who glared back.

The media wasn't lying about the tension between the two. Luca looked like he wanted to kill Brandy, where he stood while Brandy looked like he wanted to do the same. What was the reason for all this? What SMAC's reporters claimed was that it had something to do with Jacob and the falling out between the two. Amina sighed, shaking her head softly. No, this was much more bitter and older than that. That was something between Brandy and Luca, not Luca and Jacob.

"She's going to," Brandy ordered, looking at Amina with a soft gaze and charming smile. He didn't leave any room for discussion as he ushered the two adults to the open elevator. Stepping in before Luca, Amina turned around to see Brandy no longer in front of her but closing metal doors.

Hollywood BleedsWhere stories live. Discover now