"I CAN'T."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
☆

Leilani knocked on the door, waiting for it to open.

She noticed that Taeil's car wasn't home, but Sooyoung's was. The chinese girl knocked again, biting her bottom lip as her fingernails were pressing hard against the palm of her skin. A hiccup escaped her lips suddenly, catching herself off guard as the door opened.

"Leilani— Sweetie are you okay?" Sooyoung immediately looked at the younger with worry once she saw her red eyes. Leilani instantly leaned on Sooyoung, her tears flowing out of her eyes nonstop. The older could only bring her into a hug, not saying anything until she brought her inside.

"Taeil is still at work, do you want to wait for him to talk?" Sooyoung asked, knowing that the girl would've been more comfortable speaking with Taeil until she watched Leilani shake her head. "I want to talk with you..if you have time.." Sooyoung could barely hear what the girl was saying, but understood nonetheless.

"Does it have to do with any relationships?"

"Dejun." Leilani quickly said, hearing Sooyoung hum. "He texted me yesterday saying he misses me and that he wanted to talk. I went to his place like a coward— I came to him so easily.." the girl sniffled, feeling Sooyoung run her fingers through her hair.

"We didn't talk much..we slept with each other and I hate myself for giving him what he wanted. I should've just ignored his text..but I couldn't."

Sooyoung kept quiet, wondering if the words she were going to say would help Leilani's case. "I feel like it falls on both of you, but then again mostly on him because he knows your weak and he's taking advantage of it. Whatever girl he has right now isn't giving him the satisfaction that he wants when he cheated on you."

"Xiaojun knows how to get you, he's known you since..forever actually. He was your first love, it's harder to get rid of those feelings than gain them. I been through it— exactly what you're going through." Sooyoung spoke softly and it only made Leilani cry at the motherly like affection.

"What did you do..?"

"Do you want me to tell you?"

♡

Taeil came home to the sound of laughter in his kitchen.

"Soo? Lani?" he said, announcing his presence as he heard the sound of their footsteps come closer to him. Taeil watched as the two girls had flour of the faces, mimicking whiskers from a cat as their teeth showed from when they smiled widely.

"Well..hello to you too!" the male laughed, bringing his wife into a short kiss as Leilani chuckled. "What are you doing here? Should I call Doyoung and tell him you're missing work?" Leilani knew he was joking around, playfully rolling her eyes.

"I'll give you a little five dollars.."

"I need proof!"

Sooyoung laughed at the wholesome interaction, linking arms with Taeil before taking him to the kitchen as Leilani followed after the two. Despite being six years apart from them, she loved them

She found comfort and warmth in the two strangers ever since she met them, more than her own. Though she didn't tell them that, they were expecting their own child in a mere nine months so she kept those feelings to herself.

Yet it was so obvious that it even made the couple warm up.

The chinese girl looked at them with love, more love she could ever give to her own family— or to the people she would call family. Leilani felt herself around Sooyoung and Taeil, like her inner child was healing when ever she was around them.

The married couple easily thought of the girl as their own daughter, despite the six year age gap.

The three were no in the kitchen throwing flour at each other while the cookies were baking in the oven. The twenty-two year old felt at home, despite the difference in their ethnic background, their names, their last names, and their age.

"Lani! Why are you siding with her?!"

"Uh..cause girls over boys..? Duh.."

"I'm calling Doyoung!"

"What's he going to do?! Throw his lame ass dad jokes?! Fire his last two employees?!"

The couple laughed at the girl's remark, bending over and holding in their stomachs while Leilani thought her joke wasn't that funny. "Why are you guys laughing.." she mumbled, a short chuckle escaping her lips. "Oh i'm so telling him you said that." Taeil stared at the girl with a smile.

"Eunwoo would start laughing at this!"

♡

XIAOJUN
we broke up

XIAOJUN
i seriously messed up
with you xiuying

XIAOJUN
i know i did

XIAOJUN
and i want to make it up
to you

LEILANI
how?

LEILANI

XIAOJUN
where are you right now?

LEILANI
my room

XIAOJUN
is hendery there?

LEILANI
he's with yang and chenle

XIAOJUN
okay

XIAOJUN
coming

The girl immediately sighed.

She knew what he wanted and it was one thing only. She hated being so weak and letting him in so easily. Leilani hugged herself, her knees pressed against her chest as she cried.

"I can't..I can't do this.."

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆. .⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆.