Neo's arm was getting uncomfortable.

It was crushed under the weight of a woman's cheek. He yanked it out and her neck shifted to an uncanny angle. Then bending, he picked up his jeans from a pile they made the night before.

From his jeans, a folded piece of paper fell. He frowned as he unraveled it. What followed was a flash of archives.

***

16 Years Ago

Neo checked the time on his phone and smiled. There were a few more hours before his twentieth when he got a knock on his apartment door.

Teenage Neo instantly smiled.

He had invited his best mates for a countdown to midnight, and although he thought it a bit weird that they were way too early, he was happy nonetheless.

So happy that he didn't check the peephole, and so excited that he had to try three times to undo the lock, the confusion that hit him as soon as he opened the door made him stumble.

Puzzled, he lowered his gaze to an unmistakable stroller in which a child was sleeping.

Neo squinted against the darkness at the sound of a car accelerating off into the distance. He was sure he recognized it as his older brother's. His brows furrowed at a fleeting thought; Damien's wife recently had a child, but they also lived on the opposite coast.

Although he was dazed, he rolled the stroller inside. "You must be cold. Let's get you inside."

Once inside, he saw a folded piece of paper strapped to the baby's seatbelt. Neo chewed on his lip as he pulled it out, and again while reading the handwritten letter.

Hi Neo. It's Damien.

I know we haven't talked in so long. I haven't told you what happened since Bailey had our son, or even updated you about your nephew. I am sorry for that. Really.

I don't know how to begin, so I'll just start here: Bailey didn't survive the delivery. She suffered from an amniotic fluid embolism and lost her life.

For the last year and two months, I tried to ignore the fact that he resembles her so much or that I really don't know what I'm doing. It's hard without her. I can't find the strength to continue.

You're the only one he has left, Neo. By the time you finish reading this, I'll be with Bailey. So I'm asking you as my brother to please take care of him.

His name is Evaughn. Evaughn Ruhl, of course. He's adorable and well-behaved. I made him my beneficiary so please send him to the nicest school. Make sure he gets fed well. He really likes the number song. Maybe he'll like math?

Oh, and when the time is right, tell him I'm sorry I couldn't be the father he needed.

Neo didn't realize how much his hands shook. It was the sound of the baby's sudden cries that made him conscious.

"Hey, don't cry," he cooed while undoing the straps. "You probably want to get out of this seatbelt, huh? You've been in here for hours, I bet. Don't worry, I got you." He carefully picked him up by his underarms to cradle him. "I got you."

Evaughn gradually quieted. He stared intently at the mysterious man whose arms he was in.

Neo adjusted his nephew in one arm and bent to pick up a bottle of milk left in the seat. He wiggled the nipple into his mouth and sat down. For what felt like minutes, the two stared at each other.

"Evaughn, huh," he spoke softly. "Let's see... I think I'll call you Eve instead. That way our names can be the same length. Neo and Eve. It kind of matches."

His lips curved in satisfaction. Perhaps it was the quiet peacefulness, or the small human in his hands whose cheeks puffed up as he drank his milk. Whatever it was, Neo imagined that they'd grow up together as best friends.

He pictured himself teaching Eve how to use chopsticks like his mother would. He'd show him his favorite dish—sushi rolls—and once he learned to talk, they'd exchange stories and Neo would give him advice on life and girls and school and everything.

Taking the tiny hand in his finger, he thought carefully.

"Neo and Eve will Ruhl the world."

He laughed at his own pun, the sound of his laugh a rather pleasant one. It embodied that of sunny days and pregnant clouds. Young Neo's happiness even spread to his new friend, whose eyes smiled in return.

It was perfect.

Everything was perfect.

But oh how pitiful

That not a thing remained perfect.

***

Present

His nostrils flared.

Once outside the redhead's apartment, Neo ripped up the paper and threw it in a nearby bin. He spat at the ground, cursing himself for holding on to Damien's last note for so long.

He slammed the door of his car when he got in. How naive was he to ever believe that life with that kid would be anything but hell on earth?

He drove to his house ignoring speed limits and stop signs. At least three cars honked at his, and drivers went as far as lowering their windows to yell at his reckless driving.

He almost jammed his car into the garage door. In a fury, he stormed in and down a floor. As expected, Evaughn was asleep against a wall.

Neo stood over the very person responsible for ruining his life. The energy and time spent from taking care of him was insufferable. He'd lost his friends and youth because of him. There was no question; Neo hated him.

His upper lip pulled. He grabbed Evaughn's shirt and pulled him off the ground. The boy woke up abruptly, unaware of why he was suddenly staring into narrow eyes and a wrinkled nose.

You hate him, Neo. You hate him. I hate him. Hate him. I hate him. Hate him. I—

The universe took Evaughn's side; a ring of the doorbell forced Neo to unravel his fist.

"It's gotta be a cop. Brush yourself off." Neo's voice was grating. "Do anything stupid, and I'll make sure you don't see tomorrow."

Evaughn did as he was told, though the after effects of being strangled out of his sleep lingered noticeably.

The doorbell rang again. Neo spewed profanity as he held the knob, waiting for the boy to put on earphones, grab a Calculus worksheet and look busy at their dining table. Over the years, they perfected the act.

The door opened to a policeman. "Good morning, sir. I'm Officer Patton. I'm here to ask you some questions regarding a call we received yesterday. Do you mind if I come in?"

"Please do." Neo stepped aside to let the man in. "My name is Neo—."

"Neo Ruhl. I'm aware of who you are," he twisted his head to study the house. "This isn't the first time someone has reported you for abuse behavior towards your nephew. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the fourth. That's concerning."

Neo studied the officer, noted how young he was, and smirked.

"Perhaps I'm unlucky for meeting a lot of... emotionally unstable women. As men, we know how dramatic they can be. Seeing one thing and calling it another—it's in their blood. You probably know as well as I do." He nudged the policeman.

"Uh. I'm not sure why that has anything to do with this."

"Then I'll show you." Neo placed a hand on his back and navigated him to the dining room. Evaughn had his back to them. "There's the boy in question. My nephew, Eve. 17. Attends Richmond's School for Academic Excellence."

When he heard the name, the officer's eyebrows raised. "Best in the state."

Neo scoffed quietly. "He's listening to Bach," he whispered for added effect. "Helps with the Calculus."

The man in uniform was going to speak, but it quickly became evident that Neo had done this many times.

"Now, Officer, I don't know about you but I believe that intelligent kids like him deserve to learn. To use their knowledge for the better of our country, if you will."

"Sure. . ."

"And if you decide to escalate the report which obviously came from a woman's exaggeration, you'd be risking his education, wouldn't you? For starters, he'd lose a guardian."

"I guess so, but—."

"I'm glad to hear that." Neo draped his hand over his shoulder and began walking towards the door. "Not many have compassion these days. It's nice to meet people like you for a change. You know what, Patton? I would invite you for dinner if I didn't have a teenager to attend to."

By now, they were standing in the doorway, and there was not much the officer could do, especially not as Neo waved him off.

"It was nice speaking to you. Have a good day." He then shut the door. "Fuck!"

Neo knew he was losing his touch. He was becoming impatient, losing his cool way too early in his relationships. His recent girl only lasted three days while others stayed for months to years.

He turned towards the person seated at his dining table. Then came the ringing in his head. It happened often, sure, but these days the intervals were nearly overlapping.

Groaning, Neo backed into his door. He gritted his teeth. You hate him, Neo. You hate him. I hate him. Hate him. I hate him. Hate him.

"I hate him," he muttered through a grunt.

You hate him, Neo. So get rid of him—

Neo's breath caught.

That thought was new. Not once did he stop to think about how life would be if Evaughn weren't in the picture. He'd get rid of the officers and his exes.

Killing Eve?

The image made his headache go away. Neo's eyes ripped open. The boy in question was on his way to the basement.

He stared at Evaughn's back as it descended the stairs.

He looked at his palm, and wondered if they'd end. The voices, that was. After all, they controlled his every move.