Colliding Stars |✔️

20. Nostalgia

My heartbeat quickened. Oto-san. Papa.

I clenched my fists. There was no way I was going to get through this. It was already so bad now and I wasn't even inside the house yet. That's why I knew I was making a big mistake when I stepped inside the house.

The moment I was inside and Everett was behind me, the smell of homemade sushi and bowls of cooked rice wrapped itself around me in a warm hug as if I had returned home after many, many years. I was quickly overwhelmed with nostalgia, leaving me breathing heavily.

However, it didn't last when I saw little Yuuki limp to the front door and push it open only to have her excited smile wiped off when two policemen were standing there, mentally preparing how to break the news to an eleven-year-old kid that her mummy and daddy were in a car accident.

Refusing to relive that horrible moment, I rapidly pushed past Everett and burst out of the house as tears sprung to my eyes  and my breath quickened in sync with my rapid heartbeat. I reached for the porch railing with my shaky hands. As the memories flashed by, I was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness. squeezing my eyes shut, I fought to keep the tears from rolling down my face.

Keep it together, Yuuki. Keep it together.

I stifled a sob. I couldn't keep it together.

"Lana!" Everett's hand grabbed my arm and I flinched so hard that I almost lost my balance.

Regret immediately spread across Everett's shocked face. "Shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to...I mean, are you okay? What's wrong?"

When tried to meet my eyes, I lowered my head so that my bangs fell over my eyes. However, it wasn't good enough because when Everett gently put his hands on my trembling shoulders, my head jerked up and I met his eyes through my glassy ones.

I could see Everett's stomach drop by looking into his eyes. The softness in them widened and his lips formed a deep frown. "Lana? Hey, why are you crying?"

There was no way he wasn't going to find out. As soon as he sent the address of this house in the group chat, I knew the council's immediate reaction would be "what?", "holy shit!" and "you live in the Takumi house?" And I honestly wanted him to hear it from me than from Kevin for example. I didn't want this to be another opportunity for Kevin to downgrade me like he did when he told Everett that my foot was disabled. No matter how much I hated all this shitty stuff related to me and my life, it was still my shit to share with others. Nobody else's. 

Thus, I inhaled a deep breath before whispering, "This was my house. I...I used to live here."

He blinked. "What?"

"This was the Takumi house before...," I trailed off. "Before they died six years ago." I guess I kinda died with them too.

"Oh," He simply said but then slowly and eventually all at once, the realization settled across his face and Everett's eyes slowly widened.

His hands that were still on my shoulders, leaving an uneasy feeling settled within my chest, dropped by his sides before he ran them through his hair, roughly. "Shit, Lana. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I didn't know...I'm sorry."

I didn't say anything. Instead, I kept my gaze lowered while trying to blink away the tears.

"So-So you haven't been here in six years ever since your parents passed away?" He asked, gently.