After a rainy, hard day, you arrive at your apartment and see Alex leaning against your door. His eyes were fixed on the ground, but he heard your approaching footsteps. He looked up, turned his head, and gave a faint smile.

"Hey..." he whispered softly, stepping aside so you could unlock the door easily. He had a spare key, but never entered without your permission. You pressed your key into the lock, turned it, and the door opened. You stepped inside. Alex waited for you. You gave him a quiet nod, and he smiled and entered. He sighed and stretched his arms.

"I missed you. My grandma got sick, so I couldn’t call you," he said casually, strolling into the kitchen. On the counter, he saw a bowl of grapes, picked one, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed—then looked at you. You were staring at him coldly, without blinking. He smirked. There was anger in your gaze—hurt, frustration.

He sighed again, ran a hand over his face, moved away from the counter, and dropped himself onto the couch.

"Relax a bit, will you? What’s your problem? I was gone for just a week. Yeah, I left without saying anything and you’re pissed. I get it. Sorry, okay?" he rambled and chuckled under his breath, leaning forward to grab the remote.

You stormed toward him, fast steps, jaw clenched. Before he could grab it, you snatched the remote and threw it onto the other couch.

You planted your hands on your hips, breathing hard. "Relax?! I thought something happened to you! And what? Turns out you just went to visit your grandmother? Sick or not, couldn’t someone tell me, damn it?!"

You screamed, your bottom lip trembling, brow furrowed deeply. Your whole body was tense.

Alex slowly, tightly shut his eyes, then opened them again. He stood from the couch—tall, fists clenched—and walked toward you. He reached out and gently stroked your cheek, but you slapped his hand away.

"What is it, baby? You upset ‘cause this time I ignored you? You’re blowing this way out of proportion. Look… I’ll cover your tuition, so you don’t need to get a part-time job. I—"

SLAP.

It cut him off.

A hard, sharp slap landed on his cheek. He froze—stunned and silent. He muttered a curse under his breath, let out a bitter chuckle. His right cheek wasn’t too red, but it stung.

He glanced at you from the corner of his eye and spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "This your answer? You want me gone from your life, huh?"