Aftertaste (Sin #2)

XXXV.

Alexander's friends are immediately there, pulling him back. "Whoa, there. I don't think you wanna go there tonight, buddy," one of them says.

I'm just standing there, watching the scene unfold completely speechless. I have no idea what just happened and why. It all happened so quickly.

The man Alexander punched stands up with the help of a few other people. He wipes the corner of his mouth, looking at the blood and then at Alexander, shaking his head. "Don't have time for this," he mutters and goes away.

"Fucking wanker," Alexander calls after him.

"Stop!" I say angrily, glaring in his direction. His eyes come to mine. I go to him, grabbing his arm. "Let's just go home," I say, already dragging him with me.

"You're actually mad?" he asks me on our way to nowhere because I don't know who'll be able to take us home. I just know it won't be Alex.

I just give him a look that says more than any words could. "Just go and find someone that'll take us home, please," I mutter. My body is vibrating with anger and confusion because what he did wasn't cool. It's actually embarrassing and I don't know how he could think otherwise.

Alexander, thankfully, asks one of his friends to take us home without any further protests. When we sit in the car, I sit in the far end, sulking and fuming. Alexander looks at me. "Seriously?" he asks.

I don't say anything in return. I hear him sigh and then he talks to his friend. I don't listen to their conversation, tuning them both out and just looking through the window. By the occasional laughter I hear from them, I realise Alexander is pretending nothing happened. I press my lips tighter together.

I know something's been happening with him lately and I think that now, after he fought with his mother, it made him snap and he's just dealing with the tension he doesn't know how to let out in any other way but this one. And that worries me. I hope he'll continue with the therapies, otherwise I don't see this working between us because I can't live like this.

But then again, I knew who he was when I met him and we started dating and it'd be unfair of me to expect him to change. He was like this before, but I put it aside because he wasn't like this towards me. But what if it happens? What if he acts like this towards me?

I sigh, resting my forehead against the window, closing my eyes. My thoughts are running hard and I'm so mad at him that I'm creating a villain out of him. He's not. Far from it, although he believes he is and he acts accordingly sometimes. "We'll be home in a few minutes. I know you're tired, but don't fall asleep."

I don't even realise Alexander is talking to me until I open my eyes and he's right there, looking at me. I just nod. A muscle in his jaw ticks and he looks away.

When we get to our building, Alexander and I both thank Xavier for driving us. "Sure, no problem. Take care, man. See you around."

Alexander salutes him with a grin, closing the door after he exits the car. I'm already walking ahead of him. "What the hell is your problem now?" he asks me, falling into step with me.