HE KNOCKED LIGHTLY on the unfamiliar black chipped door in the van can't hallway. The number 24 laid kn the top of the door in a golden color that reminded Luca he was at the right place. Oh Music loudly played behind it, and Luca found himself perplexed when it was cut short on his third knock. He could feel his heart racing rapidly at the soft footsteps coming to the door, the person he desperately wanted to see hiding behind a door.

It swung open slowly, Amina's confused gaze meeting his before shifting to shock. Her hands immediately grasped his sore bicep worriedly. "What the fuck happened?"

She was in front of him after almost two months of him missing her. She looked just as beautiful and angelic as when he said his goodbye. Being in her presence was something he missed. Her aura calming down Luca's nerves and making him take an easy breath.

He looked down at himself and chuckled bitterly. Looked like Noah wasn't wrong, he did look like he was dying. His once white button up long sleeve was covered in blood and gravel, and his long hair was sticking to the blood on his forehead. His nose most likely looks bruised and he could practically taste the blood seeping from it. His cheeks still aches and throbbed, the once pale flesh turning purple and bruised.

Luca grabbed her hand with his shaking one as he looked down at her with a deep sigh. "God, I missed you."

He leaned into to kiss her, but Amina quickly stepped back as she pulled him into her apartment. "No, you're not kissing me until we get you cleaned up." She instructed as she closed the door behind her.

She grabbed his hands as she practically dragged him into her bathroom quickly. He got to see the rest of her apartment before she closed the door to the bathroom. A loft that had her bedroom, long room, and kitchen in one huge space. A small hallway linked the spare closet and bathroom together by the living room. Pictured and lights were hung all around, not one dark spot or blank wall seen anywhere.

Amina guides Luca to her large counter as she let go of his hand and quickly pulled open a drawer with shaking hands. "My god, Luca." She whispered worriedly as she took out a first aid kit. She turned to him concerned. "Are you okay?"

He wanted to answer truthfully, he was done lying about how he was feeling. He was done keeping everything bottled up in him, he knew know that keeping everything to side never helped him-no matter how hard he tried to make himself believe it did. In order to heal, he wanted to start opening up to the people in his life-opening up being something Luca wanted to do on his own and believing it's help him for a starter.

"No." he admitted. He leaned back against the counter as he looked at her seriously. "But I will be."

He was having hope that he'd get better. Amina wasn't his only sign of hope anymore-now he was too. He wanted himself to get better because he deserved to be better. He didn't deserve to rely on drinking as a way of coping and healing. He was his own hope now, he wanted to see himself get better instead of getting worse. His vendetta wasn't driving him to make Hollywood bleed-he wasn't pushing himself to get better to make Hollywood crumble. He was pushing himself to get better because he wanted too, not because he wanted to see Brandy fall.

Although that still was his plan, it wasn't his main self objective anymore. He was overflowed with anger and revenge that he was willing to put Amina's career and life in danger for it. He thought he was to weak and a coward to think people would believe in him-he thought this because that's all he was told. I one would believe him, no man would let brandy do what he did to him-and he realized how strong Brandy's manipulation was on him. For years Brandy manipulated Luca and belittled him to the point he wanted to kill him self to get control and his happiness back. He was done with watching Brandy hurt the people he loved and himself.

Amina sighed as she nodded her head. Opening the kit, she pulled out cotton balls as she put rubbing alcohol on them. "This is going to sting." Luca had no time to react before Amina pulled his hair back and placed the cotton ball on his cut. "What happened?"

Luca couldn't keep his past from her anymore, he wanted to tell her. But if he did, what would she think? Would she be disgusted with him? Would she resent him for letting her and Noah he around Brandy knowing what he might've done to them? He shook his head sighing. He needed to stop worrying about what she might think or say. She spoiling so anything his demons told Luca she'd do-he needed to have hope that Amina would understand Luca and let him open up to her.

Luca hissed as he closed his eyes wincing. "I need to tell you something

"Okay," she muttered as she pulled the cotton ball away from his cut.

Start it off slow-explain what happened before diving in to his triggering past. She didn't want to openly tell her what Noah could've gone though, but he also didn't know how to tell Amina the truth about what happened without that key detail. He understood that Noah was okay with the fact he told Amina what happened, but he couldn't bring himself to comprehend it. They both were in shock, and yet Noah was handling it much better than Luca. He was brave, so brave.

"I got in a fight with Brandy." He admitted as Amina applied a white gel on his forehead.

Amina looked at him shocked. "Brandy?" She gave him a look of disbelief, "there's no way he could do all this to you."

She didn't know him as well as Luca did-because by god could the man throw a right hook. Although most of the damage was done by Brandy's body guards feet and Brandy's rings, his jaw was still throbbing in pain from Brandy's punches. He may be old, but he was fit like someone twenty years younger than him-something he used as his advantage with fighting and woman.

"He did half while his two body guards did the rest." He said amused, trying to calm down Amina. It didn't work.

Amina dropped them gel as she stepped back worriedly. "Why would they do this to you?"

This is where it was getting hard and deep for Luca. This was something he want used to talking about and having to hear himself go over what happened the last two hours was making Luca nauseous.

"This is really serious, Amina." He rolled his neck as he stood up straight. "And I need to know if you're alright mentally to hear this. This is very triggering and sick and disgusting."

Amina nodded her head slowly. "Okay. I'm alright." When he gave her an unsure look, she sighed. "I'm okay. It's okay."

He could tell she was growing nervous and scared, and so was he. He wasn't used to talking about anything he went though, but Noah was letting him tell Amina-something Luca found so brave and amazing.

Luca cleared his throat slowly as he backed away and rubbed his beard. lI had to pick up Noah from Brandy's house."

He needed to start off slow, he wanted to give her room to drop him anytime she felt the need to. Taking about it was being back fear and anger he felt hours ago-something he never wanted to feel again. The fear of being too late and having Noah go through what Luca was trying to protect him from was disheartening and hurt more than anything. It triggered and hurt him, but he needed to be brave for the scared teenager-because he knew deep down Noah needed someone in his life to tell him evening was okay.

"His house?" Amina shook her head dumbfounded. "No, no he said he was dropping him off."

Luca clenched his jaw as he felt his eyes glaze over. He could feel his throat closing up on him. He let in a deep breath as he exhales slowly. "Brandy tried to assault, Noah."

The color drained from Amina a face as she staggered back softly. Luca reaches for her hand as he held hers right, maki sure she didn't fall back into her bathtub. He quickly let go as she she began to shaking her head quickly.

"No," she reached for her throat as she rubbed it. "No, stop."

"Amina-"

"I just talked to him." She whispered confused. "I let him go in the car, Luca."

Her face fell at her words. Her eyes glazed over as she covered her mouth. Her shoulder began to Bob up and down as her chest rises rapidly.

"Amina, calm down." he pleaded.

She clutched her throat in shock. "Oh my god, I'm going to be sick."

Before Luca could say anything, Amina darted to the toilet as she hunched over it. He quickly made his way over to her as he held her hair back, rubbing her back as she emptied out the containments in her stomach.

"It's okay." Luca soothed.

Amina pulled away from the toilet as she stood up and walked to the sink quickly. Raining her mouth with water, Amina looked at Luca through the mirror in front of her. "Where is Noah? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Luca tried to calm her down. "He's at home right now."

Amina turned to face him with a pained look. "He shouldn't be alone when this just happened." she whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes painfully.

She knew he wanted him to stay with Noah, but that wasn't at all a good idea with what just happened. Noah wanted his mother and alone time to think about what he just went through. What he didn't need was to stay in the same house as the man he called to help him get away from Brandy.

Luca shook his head frowning. "I couldn't stay with him. He's with his mom right now."

Amina opened her eyes as she ran a hand over her face and groaned. "How did you know he'd be there?"

Now this is where Luca's word could make or break his relationship with Amina and the little respect she held for him. She could walk away when he told her about his past and vendetta that he wanted her to go through with. She could tell at him and push him out of her life because of how disgusted she was at Luca for putting herself and Noah in dangers grasp.

"He called me." He admitted with a clenched jaw.

"Called you?"

Luca stepped forward to her shaking body cautiously. "Amina, this isn't the first time Brandy tried to do this."

There is was, the bitter disgusting reveal-Brandy Manning wasn't the man he manipulated people to think he was. This was the step into telling Amina just why he wanted her to carry his bitter vendetta, and how he had no right to put it on her. The reason why he made the vendetta in the first place. Because like she said, it wasn't e place that was evil itself, but rather the people living there-and Luca was slowly staring to realize the bitter truth of her words.

Her face crumbled as she quickly covered her mouth. "What?" she muffled in disbelief.

Luca could feel his chest tightening and vision beginning to blur, but he was trying to remain calm and composed for as long as he could. "He isn't this good guy Amina."

Everything he learned two months ago was slowly staring to seem like nothing at that moment. The feelings Noah was confused as to why Luca wasn't feeling were now rushing into his body. His hands began to sweat and he just wanted to lay down and release everything by crying and talking it out-because that's what he learned. To let everything go and talk it through, even if it was to himself or his body guards, he needed to talk about what a he was feeling. Drinking was out for his healing, and so was keeping everything bottled up is inside-Luca was trying to help himself mentally and physically by doing what Brandy never wanted him to do. Succeed and be happy.

"What has he done?" she slowly asked him, tears escaping from her eyes.

Luca could do this-he could say it out loud. He practiced this and he was comfortable enough to finally let out what he'd been holding in him for years in a healthy, safer way than breaking down and drinking himself to death. He wanted to talk about what happened to him, because he wanted to have his story heard.

Luca wiped the cover of his eyes as he looked down at his shoes. "He assaulted me and raped me multiple times, along with other artists."

Pin drop silence.

There wasn't a single sound besides Luca's erratic heartbeat in the once loud bathroom. He as too afraid to look up at Amina's face, the demon on his shoulders telling it she'd display disgust and anger towards him for letting Brandy do what he did to him and Noah. He was afraid even though the angel on his other shoulder told him he was a survivor and Amina would never hold anything a heady against him.

Suddenly Amina's feet darted to his side, Luca quickly running over to her hunched body over the toilet. He didn't understand how her small body rejected this much liquid in such a short time span.

Water.

She needed water and electrolytes in her system. Quickly getting up, Luca jogged our the bathroom as he entered the kitchen and went to her large refrigerator. Pulling then metal door open, Luca grabbed two water bottles and a half full orange Gatorade that she thankfully had in it. Closing it with his shoulders, Luca quickly made his way back to Amina who was leaning against the salmon the floor sickly.

Bending down, keeping a safe distance between them, Luca sat across from her as he opened the water and Gatorade and held them out for Amina. Frowning, she grabbed the water with shaking hands and chugged it till empty in less than fifteen seconds. Luca handed her the Gatorade bottle next with a matching frown.

Amina took a small sip of the Gatorade. "How long has he been hurting you?"

He wasn't sure what shock looked like beside Noah, but he wasn't entirely sure if Amina was going through it at that moment. Her body looked the part of someone going through shock-her shoulder slumped and her hands and legs shaking violently. Her face was two shades lighter than how it really looked, and her es were glazed over almost lifelessly. Yet, she was asking him questions that could lead to an even bigger shocking aftermath.

Luca grabbed her empty water bottle and twisted the cap back on. He sighed as he looked down at his hands. "Since I was seventeen."

The Gatorade fell from her hands as Amina choked back a loud sob into her sleeve covered hand. He wasn't sure if he could huge or confer her physically without the fear she'll freak out and end up in a panicked state. He stayed glued on the titled floor as he watched the only person he ever learned to love breakdown.

Amina sniffled as she hiccuped loudly, her eyes burning white as tears ran down her face freely. She looked up at Luca with an expression he never wanted to see her wear again. "Have you told anyone this."

"Bella," he replied back slowly. "But she doesn't know the whole story."

He never truly told anyone what happened to him in his past-he tried so hard to forgot about the events they he went through. Forgetting was his own twisted way of healing and moving on-but he never moved on, he just got more hurt. He wanted to tell a therapist what he went though, but he knew if brandy found out what he was telling them he'd just end up in house arrest like he was before or end up getting him on pills that didn't help anything Luca needed help with.

Amina's wiped her cheeks as she moved the bottles away from her and scooter closer to Luca-keeping a safe distance from him. "Are you comfortable telling me it?"

He quickly looked at her calm expression perplexed. "What?"

"Your story. Do you feel comfortable tell me it?" she sniffled.

A story. His story. She wanted to hear Luca's story.

Tears suddenly came rushing out of his eyes. Everything he felt from that day, to the week, to the years of torture he was out though in Hollywood because of what Brandy did to him. Someone wanted to hear his story, what he went through and not use it against him or to hold leverage over Brandy. Amina Ryan wanted to hear the story of Luca's hell with Brandy, and yet he was crying. Crying because with her he could let everything four without having to be worried she was judging him.

The pain of knowing Noah could've gone through what Luca and others did came out in tears and sobs. What Luca was trying to keeping him and Amina far away from. Cried for all the years Luca resented himself for what Brandy did to him and others. He cried because he finally had the courage to step up to Brandy and wanted to have his word heard-no matter the aftermath and consequences of it.

"He started as soon as I signed my contract." Luca wiped his eyes, as he hiccuped. "It was a small little hand touches, but then those touches started turning into caresses and next thing I knew Brandy was telling me I was asking for it when he..." he trailed off wincing.

Amina nodded her head in understanding as she held out the unopened water bottle Luca brought to him. "He manipulated me and used Bella and Mavis against me to let him do what he wanted to me." He explained with disgust, grabbing the water bottle from her and placed it beside his leg.

Both of them sobbed harsher, Amina crying into her arm as Luca turned his head to the sink. He couldn't bear looking at her in such pain-pain he inflicted in her in a way. Luca didn't watch over Noah like he should've, and now she was crying for him and his story-something only Luca's ever done.

She hesitated touching his hand, her shaking hand hovering over his. Luca let out a tearful chuckle as he grabbed her writer and pulled her into his chest. Amina automatically dug her face into his neck as she held onto his arms tightly-as if he would disappear from thin air at any given moment.

Luca sighed in continents tears still falling from his eyes as he rubbed Amina's back and hair. Having her in his embrace was something he always found therapeutic-a feeling of comfortableness and an almost home feeling that Luca never felt. Knowing he could have someone he could hold and know everything will be okay as long as she was with him out ease into Luca's guarded body.

"I started drinking as a way of forgetting and control even though Brandy was the one pushing it on me anyways." He let out a bitter chuckle as Amina peered up at him through her eyelashes. "My entire life in Hollywood was filled with lies and abuse, but I'm going to change that."

Amina wiped her eyes as she softly leaned away from Luca to look straight up at him. Luca quickly cupped her cheek and the side of her face worriedly. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

She leaned into his touch as she ran her thumb across his cheekbones. "Are you?"

Luca lips titled up in the slightest ways "I will be."

Amina let out a soft hiccup as she wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She sat on her knees as she cupped the back of Luca's neck and sunk back into his chest. "You're so brave. So amazing. What he did is disgusting he deserves jail time for what he did you all." Luca tightened his hold around her. "You had to see him after what he did..." she trailed off with a break was voice, "oh my god, I'm gonna be sick again."

Be automatically grabbed Amina's shaking body before she can scoot back to the toilet. "Amina breathe." He placed her hands on top his his chest. "Like me. See? Do what I'm doing."

Amina's chest following his owns movements. Her shaking hand placed under his son as they both felt his steady heartbeat and rising chest. She was having a panic attack, and if she kept on throwing up she'd end up fainting and dehydrated.

She nodded her head and let her hand slide off his chest once she calmed down. "It all makes so much sense," she whispered hoarsely. "You were saying it without even saying it."

"I never even thought of it like that." he admitted.

He was telling behind without saying anything. His actions were speaking louder than words. Luca went from the sweet, funny, good guy next door to coming out into the public as an alcoholic and severely depressed man who dealt with too much that he could handle. He always drank, but brandy made sure Luca his it from the public in fear it'd ruin his good guy reputation or be under fire for being a bad role model. But six months before his breakdown Luca retaliated and frank, partied, fought, and broke down in front of the public's eyes. It gave them whiplash, each week Luca's name headlining the media's pages with something he did.

"This is why you hate him. Hate this place."

"He is this place to me." Luca explained. "He's the evil that drained Hollywood of it's color."

Hollywood to Luca was bran and the evil ropes ruling it-but to Luca Brandy was the true devil in the music industry. He was the biggest lie. He stayed in Hollywood for years and made his way into the levels from rock bottom-as soon as he made his way to the top he has no means of goin any lower or leaving the place that made him Brandy fucking Manning.

"Is that why you were gone for so long?"

Luca nodded his head. "I needed time alone

She nodded her head in understanding. She slowly lifted herself away from Luca's chest to look straight at him. "Is this why you wanted me to make Hollywood bleed?"

He winced. "It was selfish of me to put it on you. I was too scared and a coward to do it myself."

At that time Luca had no confidence in himself, and Brandy's promises that no one would believe him, or that he'd just make Luca's and Bella's life a hell of he spoke out. He realized how Brandy man I may be powerful, but he no longer had power over Luca. Not anymore.

"Don't say that."

"But it's true," Luca accepted with a stern look. "I was scared to speak out because I was scared of brandy and people not believing me."

Amina weaved her hands behind Luca's neck. "You're the most bravest person I've ever known." He looked at her taken back as she pulled his face cloaked. "You an amazing and strong man, Luca. I believe in you and always will."

He swallowed slowly. "Oh." He held onto her hand behind his neck as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm okay."

She smiled up at him. "Are you?"

"For the first time in a long time, I feel relieved."