DENIAL

02

LOVE
is something Leighton Valak has never truly felt by anyone.

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Not by his parents. Not by his friends in which he has very few. Nor by himself. So by the age of 16, he swore he would forever be alone, not because he couldn't love another but because he feared they would not love him. In Leighton's opinion love is boundless. Or, well should be.

You should love someone for who they are, accepting all flaws that may come with it, all emotional and physical trauma that may reside within, accepting that there may be days where you and your lover fight but in the end should come together and communicate those differences.

Though even in doing all that, some people still don't work out. Sometimes people aren't meant to be and that's not because of anything either person did wrong but because sometimes you only meet people to help further find yourself.

In truth, Leighton isn't the most perfect person.

No one is.

He's cocky at times, overly sarcastic, lazy, selfish, rude and many, many other things.

So it's not surprise to him that he hasn't found the affection he yearns for.

His own parents barely cared about him let alone thought he was worth even a fraction of their affection, if your own parents can't seem to love you how could anyone else? How could you?

Leighton has constantly played those words in his head since the age of 6.

Though, he did feel loved once.

Only once and only briefly before he was reminded it was all an illusion, someone couldn't possibly love him. It sounds self-deprecating because it is, funny enough looking at the exterior you couldn't imagine such a attractive and wealthy guy could ever feel unworthy.

Unworthy of love.

Leighton would throw all the money away just to find that one person, that one person who could understand and love him despite all his noticeable flaws.

Soon enough, he quickly came to the conclusion that that person doesn't exist.

They never did. So he plays his role as the "dark and mysterious" guy in the back of the room.

Though, he never thought he was mysterious at all. He's quiet most of the time, yes. He speaks when spoken to but you'll learn quickly enough as soon as he opens his mouth he's a very talkative guy.

But perhaps only around certain people. In a way, people often flocked around him. He doesn't care for how people think of him, but he appreciates those who get to know him before making any assumptions about his character.

He has very few friends that he'd trust wholeheartedly, although that doesn't mean his other friends are any less.

Leighton didn't have many friends that he'd confide regularly, other than his older sister, Mia Valak.

The only person in his family that he actually has a good relationship with and on some level shares his same beliefs.

Maybe, he thinks too deeply about things, not everything has to have a some deeper meaning to it. Maybe some things just are but in that case, wouldn't that mean they don't mean anything? And shouldn't the things we do have meaning?