Stripper {BoyxBoy}

12

During the walk home I'm preoccupied with thinking about Alex. The kiss has made me feel dirty, and I guiltily cling onto Ethan's hand as we walk back to his apartment.

There's something else bothering me. I work up the courage to say it as we approach Ethan's apartment.

Ethan smiles drunkenly as we enter his apartment, leaning down and kissing me. He lingers longer than usual.

"Wait-" I say.

"What is it?" He asks.

"I...want to move out."

There's a tense silence between us. The mood seems to have gone as he pushes me off him. He steps back, looking first hurt and then angry.

"Why?" He asks. "Aren't you happy here?"

"I am happy," I say fumbling for words, "I just want to go back to my apartment for a while. Just to...clear my head."

"This is about the phone, isn't it?," Ethan spits.

He's getting more and more angry. I swallow nervously.

"No," I say, "Not really. I just need some time to...figure things out."

"First you lie to me about Alex, then this."

Ethan steps towards me angrily and instinctively I flinch away.

"You're drunk. Let's talk about this tomorrow-"

"After all I've done for you," Ethan hisses, ignoring me.

He steps towards me and I back away, until my back is against the wall. He's breathing heavily and he raises his hand, and a slaps cracks across my cheek.

A sharp pain is spreading across my face, and I press my hand to my cheek. His eyes are wild with rage. I've never seen him like this before. He looks terrifying.

"I'm leaving," I say.

I try to push past him and hurry to the front door, but he grabs my arm but I pull it away.

"You'll come crying back here in the morning!" He yells after me as the door shuts with a bang behind me.

Once I'm outside, I realise how utterly screwed I am. I have no clean clothes, no phone, or the keys to my old apartment. The only thing I have is Ethan's key and my almost empty wallet.

I wander through the quiet streets, wondering what to do next. Soon, I'm in the rundown part of the city. Here, homeless people stare at me from doorways, looking me up and down.

"Got any change?" One of them yells after me but I ignore him.

Where can I go? Suddenly I have an idea.

I take a few turns and soon I'm standing outside the cafe where Ash works, the one Ethan took me to on our first date. I doubt he's there, but at least it's somewhere warm to sit for awhile.

I take a booth by the window, glancing outside at the dark street.

"Ky?" I look over and Ash is staring at me disbelievingly, a menu tucked under his arm.

"Hi," I say quietly.

"Why are you here? Where's Ethan?" He asks, slipping into the booth.

He leans across the table, and his eyes widen as he sees the red mark on my cheek.

"Did Ethan do that?" He asks and I nod.

"Ky," He eyes soften and he reaches over the table, squeezing my hand, "Hold on."