Marcus stood in the hallway of Ryan's apartment building, his suitcase at his feet and a box of essentials balanced on his hip.
He checked the apartment number on his phone one more time. 3C. Two doors down from Ryan's 3A.
It had taken him exactly three days to find the vacancy and another two to move in. Five days since Ryan had driven away in that black sedan, leaving Marcus standing on the sidewalk with no real answers.
Five days of silence.
Marcus had kept his promise not to call or show up at Ryan's door, but that didn't mean he was giving up. If Ryan wouldn't talk to him, then Marcus would find another way to stay close, to understand what was happening.
Marcus unlocked his new apartment door and stepped inside, the space was smaller than his previous place, a one-bedroom with a compact living area and kitchen. The furniture was standard rental issue, generic and impersonal, but none of that mattered.
What mattered was that Ryan lived two doors away.
