A loud bang against my door causes me to shoot right into a sitting position, I look around and see Chinese takeout flooding the coffee table. I groan, a migraine digs its way into my head. I throw the cover from over my legs and slide of the couch, I wipe the drool that seems to have stained on my lips and walk towards the door.

Grabbing my phone that I left on the kitchen counter from last night, I check the time to see it is five in the morning. Who is knocking on my door so early in the morning? The birds aren't even tweeting!

I pull it open and look to see no one there, I look around the hallway...what-then I look down to see a box wrapped with Christmas wrapping. I hesitate on touching it but what harm could it do, I pick it up and it seems rather light. I close the door behind me and settle the box onto my kitchen counter as I rip the wrapping open.

Now a black box comes into view, I remove the lid and it was as if someone shot me right in the heart. I stumble on my feet and crash against the brand-new wine glasses, I prick my hands into the shards of glass and push myself away from the box.

I know I'm having a panic attack right now; I know I am...

Why-who-I could not even think straight.

Who? Who would have the time to do this? To put so much effort.

The box-inside the box was a deflated ball and two pig hands covered in blood, I sat in the corner of my room for two hours staring at the box on my kitchen counter.

My knees were against my chest, I hear my door creak open and my head snaps. I thought I closed it. Alexander comes into view, "I don't-"

He pauses halfway, staring at me then the glass shattered across the floor. He follows my gaze to the black box, and steps in uninvited to see it.

His black combat boots crush onto the glass into smithereens, and he looks inside.

Something shifts into his eyes as he looked inside, as if something flashed back into his mind.

He releases a sigh and looks back at me, "are you okay?" He asks, not a single ounce of emotions in his voice.

My gaze to the box is distracted by him, he crouches down in front of me and nudges my legs. I did it without thinking, I dove into his arms and wrapped mine around his waist.

He did not hug me back, but he did not move me.

"I'm scared." It was the drunkenness in me from last night but-sober thoughts.

I sob into his chest for a good fifteen minutes, and he did not move a muscle nor let me go. I thought he'd push me away and yell at me for even touching him, but he hasn't. Alexander smelt amazing, even closer he smelt like Oudh and cologne. And for some odd reason, it was relaxing, relaxing and needed.

He gently pulls my face away from his chest.

"Do you know who could have done this?" He finally speaks, I look up into his eyes and nod my head. "Who?" He questions, his tone dark just like the colour of his eyes right now.

"Leo...f-f-from my university...he-he's been-doing this since I moved here..." I stutter, his jaw tenses and his thumb wipes away my tears.

"What else?"

"My car window-and he chased me the time I bumped into you-"

He helps me up on my feet and takes my hands into his.

My hand looked so small in his.

The glass from the wine glasses were pierced into my skin, Alexander slowly takes it out and throws it onto the ground. Alexander stood tall compared to me, my head reached just below his chest. "Ow!" I gasp.

He walks me to the kitchen; I close my eyes as I pass the box. He opens my fridge and takes out the bottle of Vodka I was saving for my depressed mood. He flicks the lid open and pours it all over my hand, no warning, I yelped as it began to sting. He washes it with water and then grabs the first aid kit that was hung on the wall, he takes out the bandages and wraps it around my hand.

As if he's done this a million times before.

He wrapped it tight but not too tight where it would stop my blood circulation.

He never said a word when he finished up, he just walked away from me, grabbed the black box and slammed my apartment door behind him. I stood there, I stood there cemented to the ground. Unable to move, unable to breathe.

I decide to ignore this and have a shower instead.

Let me remove the hangover and freshen up a little.

However, as I was under the water of the shower...my fingers grazes my cheeks to where he touched me last night. Did-Does he actually care? I would not take it in his character to think so, the man is made of steel.

It's not like he would do anything about it.

I had no idea why I am feeling such anger deep within my veins, I held the box in one hand before making my way to the central park where Leo was smoking pot with his friends. Leo glances up and big smile spreads across his face, "well! If it isn't Alex, you here to smoke-"

When I placed the box in front of him, his eyes widened as he saw my fist. I slam my knuckles into his face, his friends backing away as I grab his shirt collar and throw him to the ground. I climb on top of him and slam my fist into him repeatedly. Something bad happened to me, something I've tried to keep hidden my entire life.

"What the fuck!" Leo shouts.

"What did i fucking tell you!" I growl, slamming my fist directly against his face. "I told you not to go fucking near her!" Blood stains the creases of my knuckles, and I finally get hold of myself before standing up.

"She fucking deserves it! She deserves worse!" He looks at his friends and nods for them to leave us alone, some friends they are. Not like they'd fucking touch me or anything. Leo sits up and wipes the blood pouring down his nose.

"Go near her again-touch her and I will fucking kill you." I warn him.

"Look at you gaining feelings for her, after everything her mother has done to you." He points at me, angrily.

"I don't like her." It's the truth, he chuckles.

"Yes, you do, look at you fighting on her behalf. Her knight in shining armour, are we?" He stands up, barely gaining balance. "Look at your hands Alexander, look at them. She did that! She did that to you! She got you beat the fuck up because of a fucking ball!" He spits out blood, wiping his face down. "I'm the stupid one for avenging my brother."

He settles back down onto the bench and stares at my fist.

"Touch or go near her and you're dead." He shakes his head, scoffing at me. "And this time I won't stop."

I walk away and tuck my hands into my pockets after throwing my hood over my head. "I see where we lay, I see our relationship now. Her over me, your own fucking brother! I see." I hear him muttering something else but pay no attention to him.

Fuck!

I push Olivia's bakery door open; she speaks out from over the till and her eyes widen. "Nova, go get me some flour from the back lovely."

My eyes link with a pair of brown ones, those brown eyes were as polished as amber in the first rays of dawn, reminding me of the tree that sat in my garden.

The colour never changes throughout the seasons.

Those eyes were the colour of every tree in the forest from dawn to dusk, enhanced by the golden light. She rose a brow and I could tell she noticed something as she closes her maths books; I look away as she walks into the kitchen pantry.

"What happened?" She grabs my face and pulls me close to her, she wipes of some of Leos blood then looks down at my tucked in hands. She snatches them out and gasps, I pull my hand away from her and tuck them back into my pockets.

"I need alcohol and ice."

"Alex-Alex what have you done?" She whispers, pushing me to the corner of the store.

"I dealt with a problem."