In a Split Second || BOYxBOYxBOY ✔️

2

Ethan shoved the balcony door open, stepping back into the apartment with an uneasy feeling gnawing at him. The moment he walked inside, the noise hit him, a low hum of voices, laughter, and music. It was disorienting, like stepping into a place he wasn't supposed to be.

He paused in the doorway, his eyes scanning the living room. People were scattered everywhere, sitting on the couch, leaning against walls, some even sitting on the floor, bottles in hand. The air smelled like alcohol and cheap cologne, the scent of too many bodies crammed into one space.

Ethan's brow furrowed. Why the hell were there so many people in the apartment? This was a rare sight.

He didn't remember any of this. One moment, he'd been outside, alone, struggling with the shift, and the next... this. The crowd, the noise. It just didn't make much sense. The unfamiliar faces only added to the confusion. None of these people were his. Alex's, maybe, but not his.

He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm as he wove through the strangers. Every brush of someone's arm or shoulder made his skin crawl. He hated crowds, hated people he didn't know. They were unpredictable. Messy. So god damn annoying.

A guy bumped into him, laughing as he tried to balance the beer in his hand. Ethan shot him a sharp look, but the guy didn't seem to notice, too caught up in his conversation.

Ethan's mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Why didn't he remember anything? He'd come out before, mid-party or mid-conversation, but this, this felt like waking up in the middle of someone else's life.

It took time for things to catch up, to piece together what Alex had been doing before the shift. But this? This was chaos. It was too loud in here.

Ethan pushed his way toward the kitchen, away from the noise. He needed space, a moment to breathe, to figure out what was happening. He grabbed a glass of water and downed it in one, closing his eyes for a mere moment, breathing in deeply.

Ethan leaned against the counter, his fists clenched as he tried to steady his breathing. The kitchen was quieter than the rest of the apartment, but the dull thrum of voices and music still buzzed in the background, irritating his already frayed nerves.

The door then creaked open and a figure slipped into the room. Jess. She was one of Alex's housemates, though Ethan barely knew her. She gave him a quick once-over, her brow raising slightly as she grabbed a beer from the fridge. "You okay?"

Ethan didn't respond immediately, narrowing his eyes at her. Did she know? He hated when people asked that question, it was always loaded with concern, like they were expecting Alex. But Ethan wasn't Alex.

Jess cracked open the beer, leaning against the opposite counter. She took a slow sip, watching him, waiting for a reply.

"Where did all these people come from?" Ethan's voice was gruff, and even to his own ears, it sounded off. He didn't have Alex's easygoing tone, and it was clear Jess noticed the difference.

Jess shrugged, standing up a little straighter. "Uh, Sam wanted to have a few friends over. Guess it got a little out of hand," she said as she forcefully chuckled, grasping the back of her neck awkwardly.

"A little?" Ethan asked sharply.

She paused, her eyes narrowing a little as if she was trying to figure out what was going on with him. "Sorry."

Ethan tensed, the confusion twisting into something sharper. Annoyance. He stayed silent. Jess didn't press. She was used to Alex's quirks, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She wasn't stupid and she knew something was off, but Ethan wasn't about to explain it to her.