He's Got His Own Man Now.

Ronnie handed me another red plastic cup. I took a big gulp of whatever was in it, the liquid burning my throat on its way down. Ronnie was talking about something, causing my group of friends to laugh. I laughed as well, but I wasn’t really into it. I brushed the hair from my face, taking a look around the flooded room. People were grinding against each other, a few kids sticking to the walls. I looked toward the kitchen, then the hall. There was still no sight of him. I fished out my phone and pulled up my Facebook app, scrolling down past all the statuses until I got to his; A picture of Asher’s smiling face, and beneath his full name was this, Going to a party tonight with Lucas! I can’t wait!, and he ended it with his infamous hearts. Naturally, I wish that status was about me, I wish that I was tagged, and naturally, I wasn’t. I put my phone back in my pocket, looking up at my friends again. They were all talking amongst themselves, except for Christian who was looking at me.

I knew Christian since elementary, and we just kind of hung out one day after school when my Mom forgot she had a son. Christian’s mom still works at the elementary, and Christian and I don’t hang out like we used to, but he’s easily my best friend. He’s seen my through some pretty bad stuff, including the recent break up between Asher and I.

Christian gave me a knowing look, a look that said, “I know who you’re looking for,” and I’ll be damned if he didn’t. I just lowered my head a bit, taking another drink. I saw Charlie grab Chelsea to go and dance, and I was glad they didn’t drag me. The girls left to the dance floor, leaving Ronnie, Christian and I alone. We’re not really close to Ronnie, but after a while he gave Christian his cup to hold and went to the washroom.

“I know you didn’t come to this party to have fun tonight,” he started, Christian’s low voice barely made it over the music. “Or for the chicks, the booze…” he dragged on. And don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but I wouldn’t mind punching him right now for being a smart ass know-it-all. He laughed. “What’re going to do when you see him? He’s with his man tonight.”

“I know that.” I told him, a bit annoyed. I looked back toward the kitchen. People walked out with beer. “And I have no idea.” Just as I said that, he walked out of the kitchen area, taking a seat in a chair that was empty. His black hair was in its natural state, the ends curling in just a bit. He was wearing a grey and blue striped v-neck, black skinnies that hugged him in all the right places. His murky green eyes were looking to someone, his smile growing wider with the approach of someone that was almost as tall as me. The guy pulled him out of his seat. Asher's new boyfriend wore black from head to toe, looking like a some Punk kid form the chains coming off his pants.

“That’s Lucas.” Christian shouted, snapping my attention back to him. I looked over, and the bastard was nonchalantly drinking the rest of his drink. I guess Ronnie left cause his cup was no longer with Christian.

“When did Ronnie leave?” I asked.

“Don’t change the subject.” Christian hollered over the music. “Let’s talk outside, yeah?” Christian brushed past me, heading for the back door. Asher and Lucas were no longer there, and I felt a bit of relief. When we went to the backyard, garden lights illuminated the grass, a few party-goers scattered across the yard, mainly couples. Christian walked up to the fence and I followed.

“What were you saying?”

Christian crushed the plastic cup and dropped it beside him. “About Lucas? Well, not only is he a bad boy, Asher’s type, but according to his relationship history, he destroys whoever he’s with emotionally, and probably mentally.” At felt my body tense at that. Just the thought of my Asher going through that… “And it gets better. Lucas only looks for a casual fuck. So once he’s had enough or gets what he wants, he dumps the person. He’s like a bad rock star. The only good in him shows when he’s around helpless animals, which is really cliché.” He finished. I sighed, looking up at the sky.

“I shouldn’t be worried about this, right?” Christian made a humming noise. “Asher’s just an ex, and only you and a few others even knew we were together.” He didn’t say anything, he just let me continue. “Who cares if he dates a total douche like Lucas? It’s his fault for going after bad guys. I mean, he was cheated on in the past by others, including me, and now he’s with someone that’ll be way worse for him. I honestly thought he was smarter than that. What a dumbass.” My words weren’t my own, and they came out harsher than I meant them to. My eyes flickered to Christian, a sad look on his face as he looked at me. “What?” I asked. He looked away from me, when I sent him a glare. Shrugging, he faced forward again.

“Then I guess you wouldn’t care about the domestic violence happening 30 feet from here.”

My heart skipped a few beats. I scanned the yard, overlooking couples that were making out until I saw Asher leaning against the fence so much, it caved were his back was. Lucas was in front of him, holding his wrist.

Looking closer, Lucas wasn’t just holding Asher's wrist, he was squeezing the shit out of it.