He grabs a cigarette and lights it at the next stoplight. We’re not far from his apartment. I still can’t seem to think of it as mine too. Probably because he won’t let me pay rent. Well, he takes the checks, but he never actually cashes them. I continue to write them, figuring if he needs the money he’ll eventually cash some of them.
The cab of the truck grows quiet—me lost in my thoughts and him … lost in his cigarette, I guess. Though he always gets this disgusted look on his face when he smokes, almost like he doesn’t truly like them.
He blows out a puff of smoke toward his open window.
When we arrive at the apartment he parks on the street behind my beat-up Toyota Corolla.
Neither of us moves immediately to get out of the car.
Darkness has descended completely upon the city, and the barest hint of moonlight peeks out between the buildings. Streetlights illuminate the cab of the truck, bathing Jace’s face in a white glow, making him looking almost ghostly.
He extinguishes his cigarette and tosses it out the open window before rolling it up.
I put my hand on the door handle and move to open the door, but he stops me.
“Wait,” he pleads, grabbing my arm. I glance back at him. “Sit here for a minute.”
I release the door and straighten in my seat.
He rubs his fingers over his lips, a telltale sign he’s thinking deeply. I notice he does it a lot when he’s writing songs and he ends up with smudges all over his face.
“Confession,” he starts, and I sit quietly waiting. “This is my favorite moment of the day. The time when the sun has completely descended and night takes reign. Night,” he muses, a slight smile tugging at his lips, “the dark and misunderstood beast. People are afraid of the dark, but not the light—but it’s the light they should fear. The light is where the real monsters are.”
He’s right. The real monsters are right in front of us, and we never even notice it. They slip by unnoticed, masquerading as normal people, but they can’t mask their true colors for long.
The evil always slips through in the end.
He taps his thumb against the steering wheel, staring down the street. It’s not late so several people are milling around and darting in and out of the stores and restaurants that line the street.
A few more minutes of quiet pass before he reaches for his door.
“I guess we better head in,” he says, somewhat reluctantly.
I nod and follow suit.
The apartment building is an old warehouse that some developer came in and renovated. So, it’s nice with a lot of old and quirky touches like exposed metal beams and concrete floors on the main level.
Jace’s apartment is on the fourth floor and the view is nice. It’s not the best, since it’s not a tall building, but it’s good enough. It overlooks the park on the block behind us.
We take the elevator in silence. It’s not late, but I think we’re both tired regardless.
Weddings are exhausting.
When the doors slide open, I follow him down the hall to the apartment door. He slips his key inside the knob and turns, swishing his arm in a flourish.
I laugh and head in first, flicking on the light.
His apartment walls are all white, except one that’s black because it’s actually chalkboard paint. That wall is currently covered in “graffiti” from our friends. I think Thea is the one who drew FUCK really big and then drew flowers in the bubble letters. The rest of the apartment is a mix of black, white, and gray. When I moved in, Jace told me I could add some things of my own as long as it wasn’t too girly, but I reminded him there’s nothing girly about me at all, and the way he had it suited me fine. I’m not fussy; I enjoy the minimalist look.
I drop my shoes on the floor and collapse on the couch face first.
“Wake me never.”
He chuckles, and I turn my head, watching him step onto the platform behind the couch where his mattress sits. There’s only one bedroom closed off from the rest of the apartment, which belonged to his roommate and has since become mine. It’s small, more like a closet, but it’s a room, and that’s all that matters to me.
He unbuttons his shirt
and drops it on the bed. I hastily look away.