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“Oh, not again,” I hear Alex say, his steps coming towards me while I lower my gaze towards the floor. I feel his arms wrap around me and I clutch onto him, burying my face into his chest while the sobs take over. I cry against him, knowing I shouldn’t, but I’m too tired. All I can feel is pain tearing through me, ripping through my heart.
“It’s going to be okay,” says Alex while stroking my hair. “It was just a little fight. These things happen all the time between lovers.”
I pull away from him, shaking my head. “What if he thinks nothing of me? What if Samuel and his mother are right, and he will just drop me in the next day or two? I’m not wealthy. I don’t have anything.”
Alex rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “You have more than both of those jerks combined. You’re an artist right?”
I nod jerkily.
Alex smiles while stroking my hair behind my ear. “So that mean you must have passion. You’re beautiful, inside and out. You show your true feelings, so that means you’re honest. You have more to you thank you think, Rachel.”
I smile, feeling a bit better. Alex’s hands slip away from me, but his hand grabs mine and he gently tugs me towards the elevator. “You have to realize,” he says while pressing the button, “thatguys like me and Lucas have to pretend all the time. We have to be chameleons.”
“Why?” I ask shakily, trying to control another sob threatening to break from me.
“It’s what’s expected of us. We can’t actually be our real selves. We can’t enjoy anything without our parents say so. I’m just glad I found running or else I would be like Marcus, burying myself in women and alcohol. It’s the only thing we can really get away with.”
The elevator opens and Alex guides me down the hall towards my apartment. “I wouldn’t worry about Lucas,” Alex continues. “I can tell he likes you. I just think he’s having a hard time with his parents being here. He probably had different expectations for this summer, as well.”
Alex reaches for the door, but it opens. My mouth gapes open as I watch Seth appear with hisAirPodsin, dressed in his running gear. His eyes widens for a moment as he stares at Alex before darkening into an angry glare.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he shouts, thrusting a finger into Alex’s face.
“Ssh!” I shush, looking down the hall and wondering if anyone heard. It’s too late to be this loud. I grab his finger and shove it down. “Not so loud. You could wake the neighbors.”
“I don’t fucking care!” Seth shouts.
I roll my eyes and grab his shoulders, pushing him inside. Alex chuckles while he follows in behind and the door slams closed, making me flinch.
“What the hell is he doing here, Rachel?” Seth asks, his voice a bit lower, thankfully.
“He-”
“I was seeing Rachel home. She ran into a bit of trouble.”
Seth jerks towards me, looking me up and down before settling on my face. His hand strokes my cheek, taking in my swollen eyes and smeared makeup. “Are you alright? What happened?”
“Nothing,” I say, not really wanting to get into it. I’m tired and all I want to do is get out these clothes and into the bath.
Seth scowls and jerks a thumb in Alex’s direction. “Did this asshole do anything to you?”
Alex scoffs. “I assure you I did not. I just saw her home.” Alex wrinkles his nose. “Also, why do you look like shit?”
“I do not look like shit!” Seth shouts, grabbing Alex’s collar and dragging the man towards him.
My mouth gapes open, and I touch Seth’s shoulder lightly, trying to pull him away from Alex. Alex is several inches taller than Seth with extra muscle around his arms, so I’m surprised he is able to grab him.
“Seth, let him go,” I say, hoping he listens to reason.
Although, Alex does have a point. Seth has been looking a bit ill these days. His face is slightly sunken in, his skin pulled taut over his lanky arms and legs. I have a feeling it has to do with his new running and eating schedule. I’ve been noticing lately that his eyes are a bit sunken in, as well.
“Did you just hear what he said?” Seth whines.
I grimace, not wanting to agree with Alex. I’m not in the mood for another argument especially so soon after Lucas.
“Well, it’s the truth,” says Alex while grabbing Seth’s hands and prying them off the color of hisbutton-downshirt. “Don’t train too hard, idiot.”
“Idiot?” Seth shouts.
