HOT BLOODED | Soldier Boy

2. DELEGATE

"Here, five hundred, plus what was missing from last month" I grin while handing Monty, my landlord, the wad of cash stacked up in a crumpled envelope. 

He grunted in acknowledgment as he took the envelope from me, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You been working overtime...?" he sneered with his thick new yorker accent. I smirked at his question, knowing full well that he knew the real reason for my sudden increase in income. "You could say that," I replied cryptically, enjoying the look of annoyance on his face.

Monty grumbled under his breath as he counted the money, his fingers moving quickly. "This'll cover it, at least for now," he said, stuffing the envelope into his pocket.

"By the way, my cable's still not working, ever since the TNT Twins decided to fucking blow up that guy on the roof of the building" I scoff bitterly at the thought. Not only the apartment wasn't exactly comparable to a Plaza Hotel suite, or any regular functioning apartment at that, but the supes decided they had to annihilate and exterminate the bad guys right in the middle of crowds and in front of the public eye, always causing major maintenance issues, not that they gave a shit, it was us who had to deal with the consequences anyway.

Monty huffed irritably, rolling his eyes at my mention of the TNT Twins. "What do you expect me to do about it?" he barked. "It's your fault for living in a supe hotspot." 

"Oh, it's my fault now?" I retorted, my annoyance bubbling to the surface. "Not the super-powered lunatics who turn my home into a warzone every other day?". 

Monty shrugged, unperturbed by my frustration. "Don't like it? Move somewhere else, doll," he responded, his tone nonchalant. 

I roll my eyes, letting out a tired sigh, "Whatever, just send someone to fix it, please". Monty grunted in response, seemingly satisfied with my defeated tone. "Yeah, yeah, I'll send someone over soon," he said, waving me off. "Now get outta here."

I turn on my heels and walk out of his studio on the ground floor, catching the elevator by a mere second. As I step in, I'm met with the last person I want to see right now.

He stands by the wall, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. When he sees me, his expression changes into one of feigned surprise. 

"What, you're not gonna say anything?" Trevor asks, his tone light but his eyes holding a hint of malice. I roll my eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. "I don't have anything to say to you," I mutter, looking everywhere but at him as the elevator ascends.

He chuckles, the sound grating on my nerves. "Still playing the ice queen, huh?" he remarks, leaning against the wall. "I'm just not interested in entertaining your bullshit," I retort, my annoyance growing by the second.

Trevor grins, clearly enjoying my agitation. "You used to love entertaining me," he says, his voice low and suggestive. I scoff, my irritation flaring at his comment. "Yeah, I used to be stupid back then too," I mutter, my voice laced with bitterness.

I stand there in the elevator, stuck with Trevor and his grating presence. As the elevator ascends, the memories of our relationship flood my mind. I remember how he was obsessed with me, and how he tried to control every aspect of my life. I remember how I foolishly thought that his possessiveness was a sign of his love and devotion. I remember how I felt smothered and suffocated in his presence, how I finally decided that I needed to get out of that toxic and unhealthy relationship.

I discreetly glance at him, noticing how unabashedly he's staring at me, with his stupid smirk plastered on his face. "Are you just gonna glare at me the whole ride up?" Trevor speaks up, his voice laced with sardonic amusement.