In the odd hours of the night, Ty's apartment was eerily quiet. The lack of creaks of the floorboards against its inhabitants feet and groans of the water pipes left the air heavy and still.
Ty lays on his back on his hard mattress and clumpy duvet, staring up at the mouldy ceiling, illuminated by only the moonlight from the window beside him on the wall.
The abandoned parking lot out this window is quiet as well. It was as if everyone in the city was sleeping but he.
He stretches out his right hand, reaching towards the darkened yellow ceiling above. He stares at the back of his hand. It's as pale as the moon, though scarred, rough, cracked and dirty as usual. He wonders what his hands would look like if they were smooth.
'I'm going to be a good person for you, Eve. I promise. I'll be a good person for you.'
He clenches his hand above his head.
'I'll never be a murderer.'
The night slowly transitioned into day.
'I'll keep you alive, Eve. Even if it means... showing my face here at RiseX again.'
After the desk-breaking incident not only his boss Hartley, but Dominique and two other seniors also witnessed, he'd really rather never go back. But a paycheck is a paycheck, and he'll finish his final working week for it. For Eve.
'I'll work the rest of the week here for you, and I'll find a new job for you.'
As he begins pouring a cup of coffee in the staff room in an attempt to cure his deep eyebags, a tall man approaches and bends over towards him, suddenly awfully close.
Ty eyes the man and his dangerous expression as he speaks.
"I'm Renzo Keyes."
'I'll even bear through shitty situations like this for you, Eve.'
The man's eyes thin unkindly as a smirk spreads on his lips.
"I'm replacing you, Ty Walters."
All Ty wanted was to finish his week in peace.
'The heck? What's with the total lack of manners from this guy? Why does it feel like he's oozing with malice?'
The guy in question really is tall, with almost a whole head over Ty. He has dark wispy red hair, auburn eyes, and smooth pale skin. He was handsome, Ty had to admit, but looked much more like a fox-like creature from his mother's old folklore tales than a human.
The man wears a simple white dress shirt and black pants like Ty, and a similar employee badge around his neck.
Name: Renzo Keyes. Employee ID: 900172.
The fox man was still talking.
"I got the notice from Hartley this morning. Isn't that great? A promotion this early in my career. Really, I can't thank you enough."
He leans in even closer with a terrible smile, his voice dropping low.
"Breaking his table was really the cherry on top."
He leans back, beaming.
"I know a guy in vintage restoration and woodworking. Suddenly Hartley and I are best friends!"
Ty has no idea what to say.
'What a thing to say to someone. Where did common sense go? This is the kind of guy taking over my position?'
For a moment, he was worried about the future of RiseX.
'No, this company is none of my business anymore.'
Ty turns to finish pouring his coffee, his voice uninterested and flat.
"Glad to hear it."
Renzo leans in close again, tilting his whole body to study Ty.
"Hm? For someone who got so riled up at getting fired that he broke the boss' desk, you're awfully docile."
Ty forces a small smile through his teeth.
"I'm a gentle person."
"Yeah? How'd that desk break?"
Ty's eyes stay on his coffee as he brings the cup into his hands.
"That... was because of something unfair."
"Unfair?"
"Dominique... My supervisor… basically stole credit for all my clients this quarter. That's why Hartley saw me as dead weight and cut me loose."
Ty squeezes the hot cup in his hands.
"As the guy taking over my position, you should watch out for her."
"Dominique... Perez?"
Ty's eyes lift to the man, who has a dark smile back on his lips.
"Yeah."
Renzo leans back and crosses his arms with a big smile.
"Is that right? Anyways, you're better off. This is a real shitty company, and Hartley's a real shitty man."
Ty looks around to see if anyone else was in the staff room, but finds he's the only one here to hear that.
'Still, should he really be saying that so casually here? Why's he even saying that? He sure seems happy about his promotion.'
Ty eyes him skeptically.
"That 'real shitty man' is your new 'best friend', as you called him."
The man hums.
"That's true."
Ty shakes his head and takes a sip of his coffee. It's hot and bitter.
'I don't understand this guy.'
Renzo turns to look out the glass wall of the staff room, his voice bright and cheery.
"Oh look, there's Dominique now."
He waves at her as she glances through the glass while passing. She stops and waves back with a smile, and heads inside the staff room.
Ty freezes.
Her majestic curly brown hair flows as she glides across the room, straight for them.
Ty just stands frozen and watches as she lands beside Renzo, whose arm has curled around her back to have his hand rest on her hip.
Her brown eyes land on Ty, his body somehow becoming even more immobile. He can recall clear as day the way those eyes were sickeningly full of horror at the sight of him last night.
She gives her classic enchanting smile that used to make Ty flustered.
"Hi, Ty. I see you've met my boyfriend?"
He almost spits out his coffee.
'They're dating?! Oh, fuck. I talked shit about his girlfriend? And Dominique... had a boyfriend? No, no, no- what am I thinking? She literally kicked me out of RiseX. She's a real shitty woman. I couldn't care less. Renzo's real off too. Yeah, they're perfect for each other.'
Renzo's head turns to lean into Dominique's curly hair, visibly breathing in her vanilla scent.
"We were talking about the scene this guy made yesterday. Breaking Hartley's desk?"
He looks back to Ty.
"It scared my girlfriend a lot, you know."
Ty's hands clench tight at his sides.
'Fuck. So that's why this guy was acting so hostile...'
Nausea fills Ty's stomach, and suddenly that one sip of coffee feels like it's going to come back up.
Renzo turns back into Dominique while stroking her side as she's practically purring in his arm.
"I'm really glad Ty got fired, Domi. He's violent and a liar. He spreads a foul rumour about my girlfriend and he scares her along with our boss."
Ty's body is seized with anger.
'THIS SHITTY GUY! SHE REALLY DID DO THAT STUFF!'
The man's other hand reaches for Dominique's hair, letting a thick ringlet curl and slip across his palm.
"I'll buy you a necklace once I take his job. I'll suddenly have a lot of extra money to spend."
Ty's fists shake with hot white fury at his sides.
'I FUCKING NEEDED THAT MONEY! I-'
His vision turns red, then white. A goddess-like child in white sheets appears in his vision.
His body is yet again brought to a stand-still.
'Eve...'
His coffee cup is slammed back on the counter and Ty wordlessly leaves the staff room.
'For you, Eve, I'll be good.'
Back in the room, Dominique turns to Renzo in his arm.
"You didn't have to do that, Ren. You don't need to start a fight with him. I'd rather the whole thing just be dropped, and he's leaving for good on Friday anyways."
Renzo cups her face with a smile.
"I just wanted to... get him a little angry."
"Ren..."
He kisses her, and she melts into him.