Toxic Lips [l.h]

t h i r t y s e v e n

I toss my things on the couch as I shut my apartment door behind me, letting out a sigh. Why was I such a bitch to Luke? He was just seeing if I was alright. I shou;dn't have been so rude.

Seconds after I pull my hair into a pony tail, there's a knock at my door.

I almost scream in annoyance and anger when I see Tyler at my doorstep. His hair is neatly styled and his eyes aren't bloodshot. Strange, for someone who was drunk four hours ago. 

"Hi Alaska. Did I leave my phone charger here?"

I have to refrain myself from slapping him. 

"A phone charger!? No proper greeting, no nothing. Just 'did I leave a phone charger?'" I ask in disbelief.

He looks at me confusedly. "Alaska, what--"

"Shut up for five seconds!" I shout at him, turning around and stalking into my apartment, him following closely behind me. 

"Do you remember when you called me today, Tyler?" I ask, slowly turning around to face him again.

"I didn't call you today, Alaska," he says, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Oh, but you did," I say. "When you were shit faced drunk, you did!"

Tyler's whole face pales, and I hear his breathing accelarate. 

"You're a lying son of a bitch," I say. "All those times when you said you were at work, and when you forgot me..." I say, struggling to find words through my anger. 

"Allie, let me--"

"Stop it, Tyler! Stop calling me that name!"

Tyler takes a step back, obviously shocked by my anger. 

"Has this been happening since we started dating?" I ask, afraid for the answer.

Tyler avoids my gaze. 

"That's what I thought," I say, disdainfully. I look at the floor, a stream of betrayed tears rolling down my cheeks.

Tyler seems frozen to the spot. 

"How? Honestly, how did you manage to clean up so fast" I ask him. "You don't even look like you've been drunk." I shake my head. "I'm such an idiot to think that a photographer would ever be that busy, let alone an intern photographer."

"Alaska--"

"Luke was right about you," I say. "I just stuck around with you because I'm afraid of being alone. You never treated me right, and I should have realised that before."

"Luke?" Tyler asks, eyes flashing with anger. "Luke said this to you?"

I pause, realising my mistake. "Tyler--"

Before I can register what's happening, Tyler has turned on his heel and paced out of my apartment and out into the hall, his fist pounding on Luke's door.

"Tyler, no!" I say, rushing out behind him. 

Luke opens the door, confusion written all over his face. 

"What the hell did you say to her!?" Tyler shouts, his face inches away from Luke's. 

Luke wipes a drop of Tyler's saliva from his face and I have to stifle a laugh. "Excuse me?" He asks calmly. 

"What the hell did you say to Alask?" Tyler bellows. 

"I've said alot of things to Alaska," Luke says, his tone even. Luke's gaze flashes toward me for a second before focusing back on my angry boyfriend.... ex-boyfriend. 

"Please don't do this," I say, tugging on Tyler's arm. I feel Luke's eyes on my as Tyler rips his arm from my grasp.

"You'd better stay away from her," Tyler growls. 

"And what if I don't? Alaska can make her own descisions, she isn't your property."

A blush rises to my cheeks at Luke's defensiveness of me. I turn back to Tyler, however, trying to pull him away from Luke. 

"Tyler stop it, you're being rediculous," I say, tugging on his arm again. He turns to face me, anger burning up in his eyes. 

"Enough, Alaska!"

The next sequence of events seems to happen in slow motion as Tyler extends his hand out, and slaps me right across the face.