I was meant to get drinks with Ilene, but she had to cancel because her mum fell down some stairs, I could tell it was a lie, but I thought nothing off it. I slam my locker shut after pushing my books in, as I step back to pick my light bag now.

I then hear gasps coming from the hallway, I look to the side and my eyes widen once I see Leo. His face was bruised. This spreading purple with yellow blotches is only the surface wound; his eyes stared into mine, and when I thought, he was going to do something to me, he simply walked past.

Deep down, my guts told me that Alex maybe did this...after what I told him last night. I walk away from my locker, and rush towards my car. Once I am safe in my car, I depart to my apartment. I drove like a mad woman on the loose and I am shocked that no one has caught me so far.

I park and jump out of my car, tripping on my feet.

"Nova, you, okay?" The receptionist, Michael asks me.

"Fine!" I yell rushing up the stairs, it took me around ten minutes to reach my level.

Once I do, I stand in front of his door and knock. I knock crazily, waiting for him to open the door. "Alexander! I know you're in there!" My fists bang against the door until it open, Alexander leans on his door frame as he wraps his hands with a black bandage.

"What."

"That was not your fight to take." I guess you could say I was angry, angry because-well-I guess because no one has ever had my back before. I am used to this, used to being and acting out alone. And I do not appreciate someone else fighting my own battles. He looks at me like I'm some lost tourist as he continues to tighten the bandage.

"It was not your fight in the first place," he whispers.

His teeth grip the one side of the bandage as he rips it off, butterflies swarm my stomach.

"Now did you come to just say that?"

"You could have gotten hurt! He could have hurt you and then you'd blame me for the rest of my life!" I guess I was just making excuses so I could see him more often, talk to him, see his face, hear his voice and imagine his lips on mine. This man is slowly taking over my body...and he doesn't even know it.

"No one hurts me Nyla, I do the hurting."

"Thank you, Alex." I mumble, stepping away from his door as I turn to unlock mine. I pick out the wrong key, looking back to see him staring at me.

"Struggling?" He asks.

"No, no." I look for the right key, and suddenly. It has disappeared, I did not attach it to my car key-oh fuck-oh fuck-oh fuck no! I suck in my bottom lip and slowly turn around to face Alexander, he raises a brow of amusement. "So-it seems that I have forgotten my key inside..."

"Oh, what a shame." He slams his door closed, and I swear if I had super aid hearing-I would know that he is laughing right now.

I text my landlord asking for a spare key and wait for her reply.

my body slumps down my door, I take out a tennis ball and begin to throw it against the floor, allow it to bounce on the wall and then back to me. My foot kicks the floor at the same time.

The landlord then replies:

Oh great!

The door opens, "stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Banging my fucking wall."

"Well, I have no home until the landlord comes back-so I guess I'll be living out in this hallway...I may have to use my bag as a pillow-" I was putting on a 'give my sympathy act' but it looked like the only thing he wanted to give me was a box to ship me back to New York.

"Or just sleep in your car." He adds.

"Leo broke my window." That seemed to break that smile of his, I throw the tennis ball high up in the air and it does not return to me.

Alexander grabs it in time before it slams into his wall again, "you can use your jacket as a blanket too." Before the door could close, I stick my foot between it.

Alex raises a brow and looks back at me. "A decent person would offer their couch, you know."

"Guess I'm not a decent person then."

"No, you're not." He folds his arms, which makes his chest look bigger, his shoulders wider and broad and his biceps-oh god damn his biceps. I grab my beg and rest it on the floor, I slip my jacket off.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"It's hot in the hallway," I am about to grab the hem of my shirt before his words stop me.

"One night. Couch." I jump to my feet and gather my things before entering his home with welcome arms of my own.

"Thank you, see I always knew I could break down those little barriers you put up."

"Shut the fuck up, Nyla," he brushes past me and slips into his bedroom, closing the door behind him, and I take that as my cue not to distract him. My bag and jacket are thrown to the floor. I look at the comfortable couch, and as soon as I sit on it, a loud thump is heard. As I sink to the actual floor, my eyes widen.

Oh no.

I did not just break his couch...I did not-my hands grab onto my mouth.

A creak is heard from besides me and I turn my head to lock eyes with Alexander, he looks between me and the broken couch. "It's the bread from the bakery."

"That's a four-thousand-dollar couch."

"I-Uhm...sorry?"

◾◾◾

"Hey, this isn't so bad..." I whisper, pulling the covers as I slide onto the bed. "As long as you stay on your side of the barriers then what more could we ask for right?"

We both look at the lined pillows that separated the bed in half, Alexander pushes the pillows slowly more to my side to give him more room.

"Hey! That is not fair."

"I'm a big person Nicole, that is why I have double bed. And you're tiny anyways, you'd fit anywhere."

"Nova! Nova! Alexander, the name is Nova!" He slides his shirt over his head, throwing it to the side. My eyes betray me as they fall down to his body, however the moment he turns away-and his back faced me is the moment...

Scars...

Scars printed all over his back.

Whip scars.

The same on his hands.

I decide not to say anything before sliding into bed and pulling the covers over my head to hide my sadness at what I had just witnessed. I notice a dip in the bed and know Alexander has settled; I look back and see his back to me.

For a brief moment, I turn my body to the side, my hands hovering over his scars. But I didn't touch him at all. I'm afraid it'll cause him flashbacks...but my mouth betrayed me.

"Alexander..." I whisper.

He does not respond.

I slowly sit up and look at his bed side table to see two hearing aids, this entire time i thought he only had one. He cannot hear me. My back rests on the headboard as I stare at him, it may seem weird from your point of view-but mine? Not at all. Alexander has been abused; I could see it.

I wipe the fallen tears away from my eyes and brush a light finger against his scars.

His breathing slowly stopped, and then his back expanded meaning he was inhaling.

I ignore myself and remove my hands before turning away.

Memories of the little boy spring into my mind, memories of when he once waved at me with bloody hands.

Who are you little boy?

What did my mum do to you?