Page 33

NOEL

It's past midnight by the time we finish. Our energy has been dwindling since we broke in here.

I put my sweatpants back on as Alex does the same. My ass is dripping cum, and it's both disgusting and kind of hot. I use my shirt to wipe myself as best I can.

We've been here way too long.

I've been meaning to talk to him about his father's text… but I'm not sure how to bring it up again. I want him to know I'm here, and he's not alone.

I just don't know how to bring it up.

Things have been so great with Alex since he moved in with me that I forget there's a very real threat in his life still.

His father.

I can't keep him safe in my home forever. He still has issues that need to be dealt with. And I've been terrified of him facing those issues alone.

I'm shoving my black hoodie over my head when I decide to just fucking do it.

“Are you going to see him?”

Alex is tying his shoelaces when I ask, and he pauses.

“Yes.”

I inhale sharply. “Why?”

“If I want to go to college, I need his help financially. I can't just cut ties with him like this. And there's shit I need to say to him…”

“Then I'm coming with you.”

His eyes darken, becoming a fearful, terrifying black. “Absolutely not.”

“Alex—”

“No.”

“Why not?”

His jaw clenches, looking at something behind me so I don't meet his gaze.

His voice lowers, becoming a faint whisper. “You know why.”

“And that's why I'll be there. Because you're mine, and I won't let you get hurt.”

“I will not have that man anywhere near you, Noel. I said no, now drop it.”

Ignoring his declaration, I walk towards him with confidence in every step. He glares at me up until the moment I place my hands on his face, pulling his forehead to mine. I exhale softly, a calming breath, so he can feel it through my actions. It's a reminder that we're in this together. I can feel the tremble in his body, the shaky breathing, and the anxiety he's exuding.

“What did I tell you before?” I ask, a whisper between our bodies, “What did I say to you that night you told me you had to move back to California?” It's rhetorical, but I want to set the scene for him. “I told you if it's too much, that I'd fight for the both of us. I'm your family now.”

He breathes in deeply, like it's physically painful for him to hear.

“I'm your family now, Alex,” I repeat stronger, louder, so it gets lodged in his thick head. “Where you go, I go.”

“I—” he gasps, hands grabbing for my waist to pull me in for a bruising hug. “I can't let you see me—” he breaks, shuddering. I pull back to angle his face with mine.

If there's one thing I've always felt within me where Alex is concerned, it's the deep protectiveness I have over him. “Do you think I'd let him anywhere close to hurting you? I wouldn't let him touch you, Alex.” My threat is very much real, and the calm rage in which I speak can be clearly felt. Alex blinks at me in shock. There's trust in his eyes, but fear too. Fear for me.

“Let's go together. I'll be by your side. We don't have to go as boyfriends, just as best friends. Your dad won't know what we really are to each other, okay?”

He nods, swallowing roughly as the anxiety slowly starts to calm.

One step at a time.

“Alright.”

Alex kisses my cheek and wraps his arms around my body, hugging me.

I hug him back, wrapping my arms around his head and brushing his hair back with gentle strokes.

“I love you,” he tells me roughly, and I smile.

“I love you,” I say into his soft, messy hair.

We depart a week later, on a Friday. Only missing one day of school. We plan to head back home Sunday. We don't want to stay any longer if we can help it.

Mom pats my cheeks before giving me a big hug. “Be safe, Nono. Call me if you need anything. I love you.”

“Love you, Mom. Thank you for everything.”

When she pulls back, she immediately pulls Alex into a hug that crushes him. He grunts but smiles as he's held tightly.

“Alex, you better come back in one piece. You hear me?” Her voice lowers, “I love you, too, you know.”

His smile drops, and I can see his eyes soften. “I will, Emma. And I'll watch over Noel. I promise.”

“Watch over each other.” She pulls away only to place a kiss on his cheek. “Alright boys. Go on.”

We both wave as we head to the terminal. We have a long flight ahead of us. Alex already had a ticket for himself paid for, but mine wasn't. I ended up asking Ace for help, with the intention of paying him back. He shook his head and told me not to worry about it. That's what credit cards are for.

I hugged him and that was one less thing to worry about getting.

Since boarding the plane, Alex has been quiet. His anxiety is a constant presence. There's not much I can do to comfort him but stay by his side. I grab his hand and hold it as much as possible. His breath is a sharp inhale and a long exhale. Alex uses my shoulder to lay his head down, and we spend the long flight sleeping, watching movies, or listening to music with shared earphones.

When we finally arrive, a driver picks us up at the airport, courtesy of his father. Alex puts on sunglasses to hide his eyes from me, I think.

Alex's face hardens into one of indifference. It's as if he's shifting into a whole different personality.

We pull into a gated driveway after an hour drive.

“Let's fucking get this over with.”

The house is just as I imagined it'd be. Large. Grand. Rich.

The driver opens our door, and Alex slides out first. I hand him our bags, and we walk up the path to the front doors.

They're unlocked, so Alex goes in with me trailing behind him.

If I thought the inside of Alex's house back home was extravagant, I wasn't prepared for this. His foyer size is the square footage of my home. There are two sets of staircases on each side as we step inside.

“Is he here?” I ask while looking at a massive canvas art that takes up an entire wall.

Alex watches me gawk at the red painting that seems to be an abstract piece.

“Yes. I didn't know he'd be throwing a damn party tonight, though…”

It's then I notice the hustling around of the staff up ahead. They're setting out flowers and picking up cleaning supplies.

“A party? For what?”

Alex shakes his head, his hand running down his face. “He knew I'd be here this evening. Anything to make him look like a family man.”

My face does nothing to hide my disgust. “I really hate your father.”

“Wait until you meet him. It'll get worse.” With that, Alex leads us through all the chaos up the stairs to his designated room.

It's nothing like him. Nothing to show his personal style. The walls are a light blue with a seashore theme. He has a bathroom to the left of the king bed.

“You'll sleep in here with me.”

“In the same bed?”

“He won't know. We’ll set up a cot on the floor to make it look like you're sleeping there. He won't come in here though.”

“Alright. Should we go look for him now?”

Alex drops our backpacks on the carpet and reaches a hand to my face, bringing me in for a deep kiss that takes my breath away. The warmth of his tongue is nice. I moan against his mouth, wrapping my hands around his back to pull him even closer.

He pulls back so he can grasp my face in his hands, his forehead knocking into mine gently.

“I love you,” he whispers, thumbs caressing my cheek bones.

“It's going to be okay. I'll be with you. We're going to explain that you'll be living with me now. You're eighteen and can make your own decisions.”

He doesn't respond, but I understand that he's working himself up to what needs to be done. We've gone over what to say already.

“Can you grab some Advil from the bathroom? It's in the drawer.”

“Do you have a headache?” I pull away from our embrace to look him over. He does have dark circles under his eyes as if he hasn't been sleeping for a few days. I don't wait for his answer but go directly to the bathroom.

There's a walk-in glass shower and a clawfoot tub. The sink is in the shape of a seashell with little cabinets on the wall around the mirror. I open the first one I see.

The bathroom door shuts with a click, and then something moves heavily behind it.

“Alex?”

Walking back to the door, I turn the knob and find that I can't open it.

My stomach drops. A chill erupts up my spine.

“Alex,” I say his name louder, more frantically. I try to turn the knob, give up, and then pound my fists against the wood, already knowing what this means. “Don't do this!”

Alex's voice on the other side is emotionless when he responds. “I'm just trying to protect you, doe eyes. You'll forgive me for this one day.”

“Fuck you, Alex! Damn it!” I shove myself up against the door, banging again. My eyes fill with unshed tears, my chest tight with emotion. How dare he do this after what we talked about! I can tell when he leaves the room, his footsteps heavy as he shuts the bedroom door.

I'm stuck here.

The door is unbelievably huge. Made of thick wood. Expensive wood.

Fuck.

Even the stupid knob looks like it cost a fortune. What did he put in front of this thing? It's not only heavy, but blocking the fucking knob so I can't turn it at all.

I'm going to kill this piece of shit.

Once I open this door, he's fucked.

And I don't mean Alex; I mean his father, for making Alex this afraid.

I reach for my cell phone in my back pocket, lucky to have it on me. I wasn't anticipating Alex to do something like this.

But I have a backup plan.

Or better yet,

An ace up my sleeve.