Toxic Lips [l.h]

t w e n t y o n e

I awake to a fierce pounding sound on the door. 

I groan and pull the pillow over my head. It's Saturday morning, for god's sake, who's at the door?

That's when I remember where I am.

I hear the door creak open.

"Can I help you?" Luke asks, his sleepy voice even hotter than I remembered it to be. 

"Yeah, have you seen Alaska anywhere? She hasn't been answering her phone, and she doesn't seem to be home."

I widen my eyes.

Tyler.

Oh, shit. 

"Uh..." Luke trails off. 

I peek over the top of the couch. Luke is leaing against the doorframe, scratching the back of his head nervously. If Tyler comes in here, he'll draw conclusions and think that Luke and I... Ugh. The mere thought of that makes me shudder. 

Lie, I mentally command to Luke. Lie to him. 

"She probably went out to get coffee," he says. "She usually gets it at work, but it's the weekend, so..." Luke trails off, and I hope to god that Tyler believed him.

"Oh, right."

I breathe out a sigh of relief. 

"What was that?" Tyler asks, and I freeze. He heard that?

"My...cat," Luke says. 

"I didn't know cats were allowed in the building?" 

"They're not, it's a secret. Shhh."

I cover my mouth to keep myself from laughing at Luke's pathetic excuse for a lie. 

"Can I see it?"

"No, it's one of those hairless ones. Really gross looking. And it has... rabies."

"Shouldn't you get that checked out then? Rabies is pretty serious."

"Look mate, I appreciate the concern but--"

Luke cuts himself off when the door swings open and Tyler walks in, his eyes immediately landing on me.  He widens his eyes, anger filling them quickly. 

"Alaska!?" He asks in disbelief.

I shoot up from the couch, "Tyler."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," I say, and I notice Luke eyeing me carefully from the doorway.

"I have time."

"Oh, really? Because you never seem to have time for anything else!" 

"Allie--"

"You were supposed to pick me up from work twice. Twice! And you blew me off for reasons that I still don't know!"

"So you think the solution is to sleep with your neighbour?"

My jaw drops. Luke is trying not to laugh and I shoot him a glare. 

"I didn't sleep with anyone!" I shout. 

"Then explain this!" Tyler shouts, gesturing between Luke and I.

I'm at loss for words. I can't tell Tyler about what happened when I was walking home. I know it's important to keep that a secret, for Luke's and my sake. 

"Luke gave me a ride home and I fell asleep in the car," I lie. Well, it is partially true.

Tyler looks at Luke for conformation, and he nods. 

"I can't believe you would accuse me of that," I say to Tyler. "Luke and I barely know each other." 

Luke's smile falls, and the expression on his face is unreadable. But he is certainly not happy. 

"Come on, Alaska. Let's go," Tyler says, reaching for my hand, but I snatch it away from him. 

"Go where!?" I shout. "Out to lunch so you can ditch me half way through!?"

"I can't help it if I'm on call," Tyler defends. 

"Oh, bullshit!" I shout. "You don't even have a real job! You're an intern!" 

I hate for the two of them to see me like this. Luke, especially. I know I'm only making his impression on me even worse. 

"Look, Alaska, I don't know what the hell is up with you but when you decide to act like less of a bitch, give me a call," Tyler snaps. He turns on his heel and stalks out of the apartment, glaring at Luke on the way out and slamming the door behind him.

"For the record, I think you had a few good shots in there," Luke says. 

"I think I'm going to go," I whisper, shaking my head. Luke watches me with hooded eyes. "Thanks for... everything." 

I don't even know what came over me. I walk back to my apartment, figuring out that I left it unlocked. I curse at myelf for not locking it last night, and walk inside. 

I take a shower and get changed. I'm still slightly on edge after what happened on my walk home last night, but maybe I'm just being paranoid. 

I feel horrible for Tyler, too. I'm upset and disappointed in myself for saying those things to him. I need to apologise for the way I acted. I was way out of line. 

Then my mind drifts to Luke. 

The way we laughed together last night was so... natural? Maybe we're in a different place to before... maybe we're friends?

Never in a million years did I ever think Luke and I would be friends. Maybe I should go back over there and apologise for leaving so quickly?

I walk out of my apartment and knock on his door. I wait for a few mi nutes, and my heart sinks when there is no answer. Maybe he isn't home?

A thought strikes me. Maybe he's doing laundry?

I quickly take the elevator to the ground floor and step out, making my way to the laundry room. Sure enough, Luke is there, dumping too much fabric softner into the machine.

"That's too much softner," I tell him as I walk up beside him. 

"I always use this much," he grumbles.

"Well, you shouldn't."

He shrugs, his expression unreadable. 

"I'm sorry for walking out like that," I say as he shuts the top of the washing machine. "I guess I was just a bit shocked about my fight with Tyler. And mad. At him, not you, by the way."

He shrugs again, "All right."

"So are we good?"

He scoffs, "Are we good," he mimics. 

"Yeah..." I say slowly. 

"That would imply that we're friends or something."

"I thought..."

"Thouht what? That we're friends?" He says, almost laughing at the thought. "Let me tell you something, Allie. We are the farthest thing from 'friends', two people could ever be."

I feel as though I've been slapped. "But, you let me stay over, and--"

"Alaska, I only let you sleep over because it was late and I was fucking half awake!" He snaps.

"You're an asshole."

"Tell me something I don't know," he retorts. 

My cheeks flame as I turn and storm out of the laundry room. How could he be so rude to me when only last night, we were laughing histerically over practically nothing?