several days went by,
and his presence still remained
absent.

i wondered about him and if he thought of me.

eventually, i got a knock on my door,
and i opened it to find him leaning over the doorframe.

his eyes were glossed and red
he had a several  cuts on his cheeks. his lips was a purplish-blue but he was there.

and that was enough.

He was here.

i help him in and he falls down on the couch.

he smiles at me.

"i don't know what happened..." he says, slurring.

"are you feeling pain?" i ask.

he laughs.

"i don't fucking know what i feel." he says.

i ignore his last sentence.

"do you want some tea?" i ask.

he looks at me with a hazed-expression.

"water." he states.

"you're drunk." i state.

he gives me a playful smirk.

"is that so?"

i smile warmly at him.

i look down at my bare legs.

i was wearing a tshirt that went to my mid-thigh.

i watch as his eyes slide down to my frame and his lips form into a smirk.

"you dress different." he states in the silent thick air.

i look up at his gaze.

"how?" i ask.

he licks his lips while lost in thought.

"you used to dress more innocent." he says, with an edge in his voice.

i knew that voice.

"my innocence was taken away from me a long time ago." i say, with a mischievous smile.

he looks at me with a 'caught off guard' type of look.

i could see his mouth forming words.

"i should help you clean those cuts." i tell him.

he relaxes his shoulders as i sit next to him on the couch.

i tilt his chin and begin wiping the dried blood with a damp rag.

i see him then wince at the pain.

"am i hurting you?" i ask.

"no, it just burns slightly." he says.

i let out a quiet laugh.

my eyes go to his bluish-purple lips.

without my knowledge, i realize i was tracing them with my index finger slowly.

"don't worry. it doesn't hurt." he says, noticing i stopped.

"who did this?" i ask, with a pained expression.

"someone.." he says, his body becomes stiff.

"can you tell me?" i ask, quietly.

my face was so close to him, i could feel his breath on my cheeks as he spoke.

"nobody important, okay?" he snaps.

i flinch as his voice hardens.

he notices this right away and grasps my hand gently.

"i'm sorry, i just dont...want to talk about it." he says, as his fingers rub the palm of my hand slowly.

"it's okay. if you don't want to tell me, thats fine." i say.

"good." he says, as his arms slide to my waist.

his face leans towards mine and our lips meet mine softly for a brief second.

i pull back slowly, to meet his confused eyes.

"i forgot to give you your water." i whisper.

he gently grabs my arm as i stand.

"i'll be back." i state, with a giggle.

his hands return to his lap.

"okay." he says quietly, with a smile.

my heart turns as i shakily make.my way to the sink.

but all i could think about was what happened to him? what caused those wounds?

and i was determined to find out.