The Loving Silence

Chapter 3

Living in a city meant they had all had their share of landlords, and a landlord like Rue was unheard of. There was even an ever-increasing list of people who wanted to move in once the vacant floors had been renovated, but Rick hadn't told Rue about that. He didn't want to overwhelm him.

The guys got out of the car and locked it. When they turned around and faced the building, they all froze. Well, all except Rick. He was merely enjoying their reactions. They didn't know what they expected to find, but the sight before them wasn't it. They couldn't believe they'd never seen this building before. It stood out like a tree in a construction site.

"You live... here?" Arlo asked, astounded.

"I do," Rue walked ahead, unaware of Arlo's blushing cheeks and the guys snickering behind him. He unlocked the front door and stepped inside. It was a large carved door, unlike most apartment buildings in the area that had glass doors with codes to open them. It was an entrance from another time as it was one of the few things left from the start of the 20th century. Each tenant had their own key to the front door. Not keycards or phone apps, but the same cast iron keys the first owner had made when he had the door put in.

There were cameras and a security system inside the building for Rue's and the other tenants' safety, but they didn't stand out, so he felt it was the better option. Rue didn't want to get rid of the traditional entrance. It made the home his, and it made him feel protected in a way.

"He's the landlord," Rick said a little smugly as he could see the awe on their faces. They were no longer snickering at Arlo's rosy cheeks.

Bo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rue nodded once. "I own it. It was heading for demolition, and I didn't want to see that happen. So Rick helped me buy it."

"You... how old are you?" Arlo asked.

"Older than you," Rue replied with a chuckle and continued to walk inside.

Rick stifled his laughter. He had always loved how Rue had flickers of confidence that came without any forewarning. It never stopped being amusing to him. He knew that underneath all the anxiety and insecurity, Rue had it in him to be the confident guy people thought him to be. Rick was convinced that was his true self, but the world had moulded him into something different.

The others followed him inside, but Arlo remained frozen, watching Rue walk up the stairs. He was gazing at the man and then the building and couldn't believe how everything he found out about Rue made him more amazing to him. But it also made the divide between the two greater. The floor was covered in square stone plates with different patterns on each one. Some were a little worse for wear, but they were still beautiful.

"Are you coming?" Rick called.

Arlo realised he hadn't been moving, and Bo stood at the entrance, holding the door open.

"Coming."

Inside, it was evident that the building hadn't been recently re-decorated. But the bones of the building were good. A few carved details in dark wood would look very beautiful after some polishing. The staircase was of a quality that none of the buildings in the area upheld. Everywhere you looked, you saw a result of true craftsmanship. Nothing mass manufactured or that had come in a box from China. They could all see why Rue would want to keep the place. The walls weren't white or beige, but some were patterned, and others were brown. A few had a jacquard-like pattern you couldn't see unless you looked at them from a certain angle. Halfway down, the walls were covered in carved wood. There were also paintings hanging in a few places. Due to working in the restaurant, seeing those paintings made it clear to all the boys to whom the building belonged. Though painting and sculpting are very different techniques, you can still see Rue's artistry in both.