[CONTENTID1]Chapter 20[/CONTENTID1] 

[CONTENTID2]Love is never supposed to hurt. Love is supposed to heal, to be your haven from misery, to make living ing worthwhile[/CONTENTID2] 

[CONTENTID3]

At exactly four in the morning, Luhan stood in front of the penthouse. It wasn't his intention to show up in front of it again -- he promised not to appear anywhere within Sehun's radar. He hoped Sehun would already be asleep once he got inside to retrieve his belongings.

He typed in the code and tiptoed inside, careful not to make any noise that can wake his husband up. The house was dark and the only source of light was from the moon, barely seeping in through the curtains. 

Luhan walked to his room and hurriedly packed all of his personal belongings. He was thankful for once that he didn't have much. Once he was done, he pulled his dusty rose-colored luggage, eyes darting rapidly in the dark as he headed to the door -- no matter how much he tried to deny it, he was still scared less of the dark. The door wasn't fully closed; Luhan purposely left it cracked open so he could sneak out easily.

He sighed in relief once he stepped out of the penthouse. He dragged his luggage towards the main elevator and waited for it. Everything was returning to its proper place and he couldn't be happier -- although a bitter taste still lingered in his mouth. All that was left was for him to confront his parents and tell them the truth.

He closed his eyes and silently prayed that they'd take the sudden news well. He couldn't imagine their reactions, especially his father's -- Luhan got the feeling that he adored Sehun more than his own son. He was afraid Mr. Lu would take his anger out on him instead of just accepting the situation.

But what could he do? There was nothing else that could be done -- nothing could change the fact that Sehun never loved him.

A loud 'ding' signalled the elevator's arrival and Luhan was about to step in before abruptly stopping, his face growing pale. Sehun, his cell phone pressed to his ear, exited the elevator. Luhan reacted in seconds, yanking his lugagge and hurrying towards the emergency stairs.

Luhan climbed down two steps at a time, trying to escape from Sehun who had certainly seen his husband. Luhan refused to look back -- after all, he promised not to appear in front of his husband again.

"Luhan!" Sehun's deep voice echoed throughout the stairwell and Luhan picked up his pace, growing anxious at how fast he knew Sehun would run. Those long legs of his had a lot of different uses.

As for Luhan? His short legs and the heavy baggage prevented him from going any faster. Sehun succeeded in catching up with him in the lobby, spreading his arms to stop Luhan from running away any further. The curious glances from the staff went unnoticed.

Luhan turned away, his eyes never meeting Sehun's pleading ones. He promised, didn't he?

"Lu-Luhan!" Sehun panted, inhaling a deep breath, feeling like he'd run out of air. "Please, Luhan. I searched for you everywhere." Sehun draped his arms on the petite male's shoulders, trying to get his husband to turn around and look him in the eyes.

"Don't do this to me. I was so worried, Lu... Give me one more chance to fix all of this."

Luhan can't help but smirk internally. He wants another chance? That came out of nowhere. Did Sehun only think Luhan was important after he'd disappeared for a few hours? What a joke. I've gotten hurt enough already. He suppressed a laugh, although his face stayed emotionless. He had gotten better at hiding his true emotions -- thanks to a long-legged male.

"You don't deserve any chances!" Luhan squirmed away from Sehun's grasp, swatting his arms away when they tried to wrap around him. He looked away and began walking again -- he'd never turn back, never again.

_

A migraine began to build up in his temples again, his stomach feeling uneasy and ready to puke.

Maybe it was from lack of food, seeing as he'd been purposely avoiding his meals. His stomach had been empty since yesterday evening. Having felt lost and broken, he made his way to his parent's house after he finally left Sehun behind.

Sehun had asked for another chance. Luhan wasn't inconsiderate enough to just reject it without a second thought. However, it didn't feel right to continue living with Sehun anymore -- they were never supposed to be married in the first place.

But Mr. Lu immediately dragged him back to the penthouse as soon as he arrived. His father acted deaf as he refused to listen to any explanation that spilled frantically from his son's lips. All his father cared about was bringing Luhan back to his husband so that the friendship between the two in-laws could be kept safe and sound. He warned that he wouldn't acknowledge Luhan as his son if the boy ever decided to run away from his husband again.

The same exact words that Mr. Lu had once told him when he demanded the engagement be cancelled.

Looking at the stream of tears running down his mother's cheeks, he choked back his own -- he had to be a good son for her.

And with that, he was back in Sehun's life once again. Sehun himself looked quite shocked when Mr. Lu dragged his husband home at sunrise. Without a word swapped between them, Mr. Lu abandonned his son in the penthouse and hurried home.

Once Luhan stepped back inside their home, he knew he wouldn't be able to escape again -- he was caged up here. He didn't have the energy to move even an inch.

Sehun had been standing still in the doorway of Luhan's room, looking at the blanket bundle that his husband had wrapped himself into. Since he had arrived earlier, Sehun hadn't said a single word and Luhan didn't want him to either.

"I was very serious when I asked you for another chance. It's fine, just... rest first, okay?. I know you haven't slept since yesterday.We'll talk later. Sleep well." Sehun closed the door quietly behind him. Luhan fell asleep shortly after he deemed he wasn't yet ready to talk to Sehun.

_

Luhan forced his eyes open when he heard a few knocks on his door. He blinked to adjust the suddenly bright surroundings. His head still hurt, even though he'd gotten a few hours of rest. He gathered whatever energy he had left to open the door but Sehun beat him to it. He felt uneasy with the presence of the doctor, turning away slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed. What more does he want? 

"I cooked lunch for you. Let's go eat, Luhan." Sehun crept towards him, taking a seat next to his husband.

Luhan kept his head bowed and silence accompanied them. Why is Sehun so unexpectedly kind today? Did he hit his head or something.