Tyed

chapter thirty seven

The receptionist recognises Tyler this time and seems to stare for just a second too long at Tyler's neck, at the day collar. They let him go without a single question. Tyler doesn't know whether to be pissed or relieved. He has his backpack with him, and inside that backpack is something he honestly doesn't want to show Colby, because inside that box might be something that will break them apart.

As he's getting onto the elevator, his phone begins to ring, and he answers it without much thought. "Hello?"

"Hi, Tyler." Tyler's amazed by the strength of the voice he hears on the line. He expects it to be shaking a lot more, especially with the news. "H-how are you?"

Tyler smiles. "I'm good, Trey." Only partially a lie. Tyler's confidence is at a shaky, uncertain high. "Considering everything that's going on, I could definitely be a lot worse. How are you?"

"Not- not- not so good, no, no." There's the stutter. Still could've been a lot worse. "I- I am going to go see him."

Tyler's heart falls. "You are?" He had been hoping that if Trey hadn't gone he might've been a bit more justified in also refusing. If the formed a united front, it would be harder for their mum to push it. "Why?"

Tyler expects Trey to say something akin to what their mum said. He's my dad. I forgive him. He's old and harmless.

But instead, Trey says, in the most confident voice Tyler has ever heard him speak in, "be-because I want to see him die."

Tyler's eerily reminded of Nancy's voice, her thoughts. He chews his lip, tempted, and asks, "really? Can I ask why, Trey?"

"Is- is- is that- is that b-bad?" Trey stutters, and Tyler shakes his head furiously even though Trey can't see him.

"No," Tyler says quickly. "If you killed him yourself it would be bad." He holds back from saying what he really thinks, which is although I wouldn't fucking blame you. He doesn't say that only because he doesn't want Trey to be encouraged to kill him, because if he does he'll have to live with the guilt. Tyler would personally feel nothing about it. "Wanting to see him die only makes sense, Trey."

Trey sighs. It coincides almost perfectly with the elevator doors opening and Tyler stepping out onto the level of Colby's office, although he leans against the wall next to the elevator, not heading into the office until he finishes this phone call. The box in his bag jangles as he leans against it.

"I-I-I just-" Trey mutters, and Tyler gives him the time to form his sentence. "I. Want to, I want to know- know he can't, can't h-hurt us anymore."

"Yeah," Tyler mutters, sinking down the wall. His bag drags up behind him, an annoying reminder of what he's going in to do. "Me too."

"'Cause- sometimes people, people go permanently," Trey says. "And- and sometimes they, they don't. Like Kevin, right? Right?"

Tyler takes a shuddery breath. "Kevin is gone permanently."

"Oh." Trey waits for a long moment, so long Tyler thinks he isn't going to speak again. Then, "I thought- I thought he might- he might come back?"

"When he was gone the first time, he came back. That time he wasn't gone permanently. Now he is gone permanently."

"That's- that's whats going to happen with, with Dad," Trey says. "He is, he's coming back but then, then he's gone. And if I see- if I see him come back I'll kn-know when he's gone he's gone for good."

Tyler nods. "You know, Nancy told me something like that very recently. She told me I should see him, so I would realise properly that he had no power over me anymore. That's what she told me. It's funny you're saying the same thing."