After the long night in the motel with Todd, I woke up to the beautiful sight of him, breathing so gently, his sweet breath finding it's way through my nostrils. His gorgeous body was slipped underneath the blanket, my body entwined in his. My hand found it's way out of the labyrinth the blanket had made and rested itself across Todd's cheek. His eyelids slowly opened, a smile coming across his lips.

We lay there for ten minutes, quiet, speechless. Todd was my stronghold, my love, and my strength. He meant everything in the world to me. He kept my head above the water and the blade off of my wrist and he knew that. I've seen relationships where the man just wants sex because he is a big horn dog. Not in this relationship. Love floated briskly in the air, a feeling of palpability.

We both showered and got ready to check out of the hotel. I still wasn't sure where Todd was going to take me. I placed my stuff in his truck, hopping into it. He started the truck and let it warm up for a little while.

"So where are we going, Todd?"

It took him a moment to answer my question. "I stayed up most of the night thinking about it. I've thought long and hard. We are going to get an apartment."

"What? Where."

"In the subdivision on the other side of town. I'm sure they have open rooms," he replied.

"But how are we going to pay for this? I don't have any money to my name at all. Everything--" he cut me off.

"I've got a large supply of money in my bank account from work. I just have to ask my mom to take it out. That was suppose to be for college."

"No, Todd! I can't do this to you. I can't take away your future because of my damn alcoholic father."

"It's alright Brandon. Things will be alright."

For some reason, Todd kept saying that it would be fine. It didn't seem like it would be fine. I don't think I was even legal to run away from home. But I kept believing, as long as Todd said it, that everything would be alright.

We left the motel and began the 'long' journey to Todd's house. When we reached it, he parked the truck on the curve and got out. He walked inside of his house. Within five minutes the screaming began in the house. I was scared for Todd. He was probably getting so much shit from his mom right now.

I covered my ears and pushed my head between my knees to block out the noise, but I felt worthless, weak. I needed to go and help Todd.

The car door opened with ease and I rushed into the house, opening the door without any hesitation. No one was in the house, it seemed, but the screaming was there in the back of the house, where Todd's room was. I rushed to the back of the house and saw Todd's mom hollering at him, telling him, "You will have no future if you leave, if you go and live with that devil...!"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Todd's mom turned around to see me and hurried herself to her room. I ran to Todd and began to help him get his things together. While on our way out Todd's mom