AMINA LAID ON Luca's chest. Her head rested above his heart, the steady thump beating like a soft lullaby to her ears. Her fingertips danced across his bare chest as the steady breathing from the both of them was the only sound in the room.

Luca had spent the night in her bed. The two laid in each others arms until darkness was replaced with the bright morning sunlight. They both were lost in thought to talk or sleep throughout the night. Luca occasionally squeezed her hand or placed a kiss on her forehead to remind Amina she wasn't alone and he was there with her.

Everything was replaying in her head-over and over again as she tried to come to the fact that her manager was a disgusting human being who deserved everything that was going to come to him. Brandy Manning manipulated everyone, and worst of all, he was still trying to hurt his artists and manipulate them into thinking he was a good and respectful man.

Amina thought throughout the night how she should've dropped Noah off instead of Brandy. How she shouldn't have believed Mavis to trust Brandy and let Noah get close to the man who was acting like someone he wasn't. All night long she thought about her encounters with Brandy that lead to her turning her back to him and Noah as she went home. She didn't see the signs-she should've saw the signs.

It was early dawn, the two tangled in covers on her bed with too much on their minds to speak about until the right chance to. She wanted to ask the questions that's been on the top of her tongue for the past five hours, but she refrained herself from doing so until Luca started playing her her braids.

"What happens now?" she asked, tilting her head up to his fixed gaze.

"Now, we eat breakfast since it's morning." He sarcastically replied, sitting up which caused her to do the same. "Come on Amina, it's common sense." She stuck her tongue out when he winked.

Amina knew Luca understood what she was really asking, but she didn't want to push it. After what had happened between Luca and Noah, and the panic attack Amina had yesterday, she felt as if they all just need a break and time to step back and focus on their emotions. But she couldn't help but ponder over the thought on what Luca had planned or what he was going to do now.

She gave him a deadpanned look. "Smart ass."

He sighed with a small smile. "Now I have to tell my story." Luca muttered as he rubbed the side of her arm.

Amina knew it was coming, but she still couldn't help but gasp. The idea of having Luca tell his story to the public after years of him blaming himself for what happened felt surreal to her. He was so strong and amazing and she found herself looking up to him.

She pushed herself up on her elbows. "Are you afraid?"

"More than anything." He whispered as he moved a braid away from her face.

"They'll believe you."

Luca doesn't say anything. He dropped his hand from her hair and cupped the back of her neck as he bent down and leaned his head against her shoulder. "I missed you." he admitted softly.

"Oh, did you?"

"Do you blame me?" He leaned his forehead against hers as he winked. "Your presence is quite spectacular."

Amina laughed as she kissed his cheek. "Why thank you kind sir."

Luca sighed in content as he turned her face to his, leaning down as his lips softly brushed against hers. Amina sighed into the kiss, his soft lips over hers as he licked her bottom lip. She laughed, backing away from the kiss as she wiped Luca's lips in the process.

"Where you going?"

Amina rolled her eyes as she walked away from Luca's body on the messy bed. "Come on, get up!"

"Lets just stay here." Luca pouted, quickly grabbing her wrist before she could get farther from his grasp. He pulled Amina down beside him as they both collapsed back on the bed laughing.

"I'm starving, Luca!" Amina exclaimed over their laughs. She softly slapped his chest as she peppered his face with chaste kisses before standing back up giggling.

Luca groaned, leaning up against his elbows with a pout. "Ugh, fine."

Amina sighed as she pulled him up so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. She stepped in between his open legs as she ran her hand through his hair and softly tugged at the strands so he'd look up at her. "I'll make pancakes."

"You know the way to my heart." Luca muttered as she laughed.

He got up, grabbing her waist and lowered his head before kissing her. Amina laughed, grabbing the side of his neck as she smiled into the kiss. It was soft and slow, something the two relished the feeling of. But it didn't last long before Luca pulled back with an accomplished look.

"Remember that time you said you wouldn't go on a date with me because I was famous?" Luca asked with an amused grin. "Well, here you are kissing me."

Amina groaned, leaning her head into his chest embarrassed. "Oh god, I can't believe you remembered that."

The thought that that was over a few months ago, and now they were there was mind blowing to Amina. She went from not giving him a chance because of the stereotypical Hollywood relationships to wanting something with Luca she never expected to want in her lifetime. Luca opened her eyes and heart to possibilities she never. Thought she could have or deserve.

Luca stepped back as he lifted her chin up to meet his nervous gaze. "Well, I hope your answer changed over these past few months."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Why's that?"

"I want you in my future, Amina." Luca sighed as he cupped the side of her cheek. He bent down so she wasn't craning her neck up at him as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked nervously, swallowing slowly as his Adam's apple bobbed back and fourth.

She tried to refrain herself from looking nervous or overly enticed.

"Goodness Jackson, we share one kiss and you're already hooked." Amina replied amused, pinching his cheeks in amusement.

He caught her hands in intertwined his fingers with hers. "I was hooked since the moment I saw you." he said seriously, staring at her directly.

He wanted to be with her, and she wanted to be with him, so what was worrying her? She liked Luca more than she's ever liked someone. She could see herself being happy with him and having a good future with him in it. Yet, the little demon on her shoulder was telling her otherwise. Was he saying this because of the shock he'd gone through? Did he even want to ask her or was having an adrenaline rush and was sayin anything? No, no Luca liked her-he showed her how he felt towards her.

Luca was the first person to talk and see Amina as someone other than a new artist. He let her have a voice when everyone was trying to keep her quiet. He was on her mind constantly and made her heart race with a simple stare or soft touch. Over the past few months she spoke more to l if a than she had to anyone in years since her mother passed away. Amina knew how she felt about Luca, and she knew how he felt towards her-yet she still was insecure about his question.

"Are you sure?"

Luca rolled his eyes amused. "Like I could regret this."

Amina gave him a deadpanned look. "This could be an irrational decision because of so the stress you're going through, Luca."

Luca's face morphed from amusement to an almost sad look. "You're my future, Amina." He swiped his thumbs over her cheeks bones. "You're my home."

Home.

A place she never thought about since her mother's death. A definition she saw as somewhere to live, but not someone to live with. Luca Jackson was becoming her home. They could be anywhere in the world, but wherever they went, as long as he was with her she'd be home. He was her home.

Amina laughed, grabbing his hands as she rubbed her thumb over them. "Well, aren't you soft?" she whispered amused.

"Only for you." Luca said, laughing.

Amina bit her lower lip as she stared at Luca with an expression she knew matched his longing one. Slowly, she stood on her lip toes as she grabbed onto his shoulder softly. "You're my home too, Luca."

He smiled at her answer as Amina quickly turned his head to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Luca asked, brushing a braid away from her face and behind her ear.

"I'm starving!" She exclaimed as she grabbed Luca's hand and led him to the kitchen.

"I don't blame you." He said amused. "Here, let me," he offered as Amina stepped to the side so Luca could grab the pancake mix from the top cabinet.

She raised her eyebrows as Luca grabbed a large bowl off the counter and began to pour the mix in. "What are you doing?"

"Sit down and let me make some breakfast." He instructed sarcastically.

Amina looked at him unsurely as she hopped on top of the counter beside his bowl. "You wanna know how to make pancakes?"

"I may be rich Amina, but I do know how to cook."

She smiled. "That's now what I meant," she looked away embarrassed. "Thank you."

It suddenly dawned on her that she shouldn't feel happy or joy when Noah was at home traumatized and it all being her fault. She was happy and kissing Luca as if Noah hadn't just been through the most traumatic event in his life-an event he wins thane gone through if she had drove him home or gotten in the car with him. The memory of her saying goodbye to Noah before turning away from him and going to her car replayed in her head multiple times. It was alike a nightmare that never ended and grew more and more scarier.

"Amina." She looked away from her shaking hands and to Luca's soft gaze. "You know it's okay, right?"

She knew he could read and see right though her easily, but she didn't think she was that much of an open book around him. He knew what she was thinking, even when she tried to hide her emotions-he saw everything she tried to ignore.

She shook her head with a clenched jaw. "No it's not."

"Open up to me." Luca pleases, pushing the bowl away as he tried to faint her attention.

Amina found herself biting the inside of her cheek to refrain from crying or saying anything. She wasn't used to talking about her emotions or thoughts, she was used to being the listener instead of the talker. Her entire life she had people coming to her for advice or to just drop their emotions on her because they needed someone they trusted to talk to. The thing was, with Amina she never tried anyone enough to be comfortable with talking to o them about herself. Talking about herself was letting her guard down, which could lead to heartbreak of mistrust. She found it selfish when she talked about herself to someone because they could be going through something worse, and yet she was talking about her emotions and problems as if they were big.

She felt Luca thumb before she felt her tears. He wiped the tears off her cheekbones as he slowly brought her into his chest. Amina quickly wrapped her arms around his neck as she dug her face into his shoulder. Everything she was thinking for the past few hours came out in tears and sobs. Luca's hold on her tightened as he rubbed her back softly, which only caused Amina to crying and hold onto him tighter.

"I should've dropped him off." She exclaimed into his shoulder, hiccuping as she closed her eyes.

"Don't blame yourself for what Brandy tried to do." Luca whispered into her head as he rubbed her neck. "You couldn't have known. It's not your fault, Amina."

She continued to sob I to his shoulder. "But I let him get into his car. I should've told him to come with me! I should've rode with him! I should've-"

Luca pulled Amina away from his chest as he grasped her tear stained face. "You couldn't have known anything Amina! It isn't your fault! It's Brandy's! He's the one who tried to do something! You couldn't have known because no one knew what he was planning!"

He was right, yet Amina still felt guilty and disgusted for not intervening with Brandy and Noah. She knew she couldn't have known, but the thought that if she had drove Noah home he wouldn't have had to go through the traumatic event he had went through. She blamed herself for something she didn't see or notice, and now someone was paying the price for it.

"I-I can't help but feel accountable for what happened to him." She admitted with a pained expression.

Luca's face softened. "I understand what you mean," he brought her back into his best with a sigh. "But know Amina to not blame yourself. Noah doesn't blame you, and he most definitely isn't angry at the fact that you didn't push him to rude with you."

He was right, and yet she still felt the twisted pain in her heart and stomach just thinking about what noah could've gone through or did that night. She wasn't there for him when he needed her, yet Noah isn't upset or hold anything against her. He went through something that traumatized him, and yet he didn't hold no blame or hanger towards Amina like she did herself.

"I know," she whispered. "But I feel so guilty."

"I understand." Luca muttered pained. "I'm sorry you're going through this, but Amina know he doesn't blame you."

She nodded her head as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Do you think he'd want to see me?"

She couldn't imagine seeing Noah's face that was morphed with disgust and anger towards her. She wouldn't be able to be happy with herself if Noah yelled and blamed her for what he'd gone through. She wouldn't allow herself to be happy if Noah wasn't. If he was angry with her and resent her, then so did she. Yet, she couldn't imagine Noah holding such feeling towards Amina or anyone. She couldn't have known what would've happened that night, and if she had Amina wouldn't intervened as quickly as possible. It wasn't her fault, but Brandy's.

"He's not at all upset with you, Amina." Luca admitted with a soft tone. "Just give him time with his mom and himself and when he's ready he'll text you."

He was right, Noah wouldn't hate her or resent her. It wasn't her fault, and she'd slowly begin to know that. The feeling of guilt and disgust towards herself would go away in time, but for right now she began to realize it wasn't her fault, and that Noah needed time to himself because it wasn't his either.

Amina sighed, leaning back from Luca shoulder as she gave him a sad smile. "You're right."

Noah needed time, and she needed to come to the fact it was okay to feel guilty, but it wasn't a feeling she needed to feel. It wasn't her fault, no matter how much she felt like it was-it wasn't.

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" She asked, wiping her eyes.

"Not really," he shrugged. "Bella wanted to come over to the mansion and check up on me."

Amina raised her eyebrows. "She said that?"

"No, but I can read her easily." Luca stepped in between Amina's opened legs as she automatically combed her fingers through his hair. "Come along, I could use your amazing presence."

She laughed. "Shut up."

He sobered up as he leaned in closer to her. "I'm serious, everything's easier with you around." he flirted.

Amina looked at him with squinted eyes. "Alright , I suppose I'll tag along." She quickly cut in before Luca could, "I have a question for you though."

He smiled accomplished. "Shoot."

"How come you call it a mansion? And not your house?"

"What?"

"You don't say home, you call it the mansion." She restated clearer, hoping to make sense of her question.

She remembered on all sorts of occasions Luca calling his mansion 'the mansion' or just 'mansion' instead of home. She found it peculiar that the mansion never had the title of being called his home. Did he not consider it that?

"It's not my home." He states. There went her question. "I never saw it as that."

"Really?"

"It's my cage," he muttered with disgust. "It was a cell to me for seven months. A golden cage that I had no escape from."

Amina pusher Luca's shoulder playfully. "A huge mansion a- jail cell? Geesh."

He smiled as he grabbed her hand. "You're my home."

"I like the sound of that."