when we collide ✰ l.h.

Chapter 23

Luke and I got home around 7 at night from being out and about all day. I had then stayed up until midnight cramming in more study time. We both had finals tomorrow then our Christmas break followed right after and we were planning on leaving right after our classes ended. We both had yet to pack either, leave it to us to procrastinate on nearly everything.

I'd been asleep for maybe two hours, at least that's what it had felt like. But when I had woken up in the middle of the night, my phone beamed '4:00 AM'. I had woken up from a few loud noises from the floor above us and then their voices, loud voices might I add, were easily heard too.

A crash fully woke me up and I sat straight up in bed. The yelling from two people were muffled, but it was very obvious that they were fighting. Then it had come to my attention that it was Cianna fighting with a boy. I'd guessed it was Ellis, but I'd never actually been in a verbal fight with him.

Stomping and another crash had gotten me out of bed, making me worried if I should do something. I pulled a jacket over my head and left my room, smoothing it out once I turned on a light in the kitchen. I noticed it was one of Luke's and reminded myself to tell him again not to put his laundry with mine.

I shook my head as I walked to my front door, mumbling on about who knows. I turned on another light, one we had that brightened the space right outside our door. I tried to make as less possible noise as I could with the jiggling of the lock and soon enough I was able to slowly pull open my door.

The creak of mine was barely heard under the slamming of one above me. I flinched lightly, not expecting the loud bang. I took in a deep breath as I heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs and at this point I hadn't known who to expect, but they were definitely coming from Cianna's place.

They trudged down the stairs and soon Ellis' shaggy blonde hair was in my sight. I breathed back out and watched him make his way down the last steps. He must have noticed that my light was on and he looked straight towards my door then to me who was hiding behind it.

The first thing I noticed was the evident blood that was running down his face. There was a small stream dripping from his nose then down onto his lips which then made my eyes fall to his hand that had just wiped under his bottom lip.

I peered back up to his eyes, seeing a light ring of purple forming on top of his cheek. It had scared me to see him like this since I had no clue as to what had happened, but I was able to feel his own pain in my stomach.

I glanced down to the floor once I noticed he stopped walking and we had just been staring at each other for the past few seconds. I inhaled deeply, then stepped back, opening my door all the way as a gesture for him to come in. Even after what he had done, no one should be roaming the streets of Manhattan in December at 4am. Especially with a bloodied face that I wasn't too sure I wanted to know about.

I heard his shoes tap along the ground, coming closer with each second until he had stepped inside my house. I shut the door behind him and finally looked back up to him, seeing his injuries were a lot more unsettling this close up.

"I have a first aid kit in the kitchen." I quietly said, looking between him and the ground. He nodded once, trailing behind me as I led him to the kitchen. "Sit here." I muttered, pointing to one of the bar stools that had made him just my height.

I shuffled around under the counter searching for our first aid kit. After a bit of digging I pulled it out and slid it towards his direction and washed my hands just to be safe. I looked over my shoulder as I heard him fumbling with the plastic box.

"Hey, I'll do it." I said, breaking the silence between us. He stared at me as I dried off my hands and walked towards him, becoming rather curious as to what had happened that put him in this state.