better man // calum hood

twenty

Just as Leilani finished laying down the silverware, taking longer than necessary due to her bothersome thoughts, she heard the front door open and a voice call out, "Lan, I'm here!"

"Hi!" She called, smoothing out the front of her dress absentmindedly. "I'm in here!"

Luke entered the dining area half a minute later, curls styled and blue eyes sparking. "Hey, long time no see," he teased, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You look great. I feel underdressed."

Leilani took in his outfit, eyes scanning up his black skinny jean clad legs to his white button-up that showcased his upper chest and the studded leather jacket over his broad shoulders. "It's a cute outfit. This is just one of my old dresses anyway. I didn't think we were going for fancy tonight."

Luke smiled grimly. "Guess this isn't a fancy night, huh? We're basically going to group therapy."

"With food!" Leilani said to make the mood lighter, doing jazz hands in front of the table. "I got Cheesecake Factory because I wanted to give you the very best non-Leilani cooking you've ever had. There's cheesecake in the fridge for dessert."

"Fuck, has anyone told you that you're the best?" Luke wondered aloud, shrugging off his jacket. He placed it on the back of one of the chairs and then walked over to the other side, pulling the seat back along the wood floor. "Your seat, madame."

Leilani couldn't help but giggle, doing a mock curtsey to show her gratitude before sitting down. "Thank you, kind sir." He pushed her the appropriate distance from the table before taking his seat, a lock of dirty blond hair falling in his face. His eyes watched her as she began unloading the food, opening up each container to reveal a different dish. She had ordered orange chicken and rice, a multitude of pastas, and pizza just to make sure there was a variety. Not to mention the five different types of cheesecake in her fridge that she ordered due to her desire to try them all. Her personal trainer was not going to be happy when he came over tomorrow.

While Leilani opted for a cheesy pasta, Luke grabbed a slice of pizza as well as some orange chicken. They ate and made small talk at first, conversing about topics such as their upcoming albums and tours.

"We're actually filming a series of videos at Ashton's house pretty soon where we pretty much get drunk and talk about each song on the album. We're going to upload them a little after the album itself comes out. You should come though. There's going to be a lot of mixed drinks," Luke told her after he finished chewing a bite of pizza. "I'm pretty sure it's next week sometime if you're free."

Leilani scoffed. "Of course I'll come if it means seeing you guys shitfaced. I plan on staying sober though just so I can enjoy it more." She grinned at his expression. "That's such a creative way to promote the album though. And I'm sure it'll be fun for you guys."

"I don't know. I get really giggly and babbly when I'm shitfaced so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to say."

"Even more reason to come." She winked, laughing. Luke rolled his eyes.

They continued talking about nonsense for a while longer until their meals were devoured and there wasn't much else to stall with. Leilani took their plates to the dishwasher and put the rest of the leftovers in the fridge, trying to buy herself some time to go over her worried thoughts. Unfortunately, Luke's soft palm grabbing her hand made it hard to concentrate. He tugged her away from the fridge, his expression solemn.

"You wanna go somewhere else?" He asked softly and watched the brunette nod hesitantly. His footsteps echoed behind her as she led him to the living room, their hands still intertwined. They sat side by side on the couch, Leilani sitting criss cross despite being in a dress.