Demons [Eddie Brock] Venom

18. Mistake

Rory revised her resumé and sent it to six different art galleries in the area. She even managed to dig up her portfolio from years ago, with a clear mention that she could send updated work as well. Her apartment was now filled with paintings, she needed them to go somewhere better, she was running out of space. As work wrapped up, Rory grabbed her jacket, scarf and toque and raced home.

Her commute was only twenty minutes, and would probably be double the travel time if she had her own car at these peak hours; a nine to five job was great except when everyone else was trying to get to their job or home at those same hours. So she sat on the public transit with one headphone in -only ever one- and lost herself in a short snippit of an audiobook until she arrived home.

She was selling with happiness; not much could put a damper on her mood as she was starting to take back the life she lost. With a bounce to her step, but her keys still in her hands in case she ran into Mike in the stairs, Rory made it to Eddie's apartment door without issue; she worried now that she had tried to get Mike evicted she would see more of him, but Eddie's last chat with him seemed to hammer home the point. But Rory always had to keep it in mind that there was a good chance he was waiting for the opportunity.

So, she knocked and quickly entered Eddie's apartment without waiting for him to answer. A shiver ran down her spine, but she felt it shy away when she was safe behind a locked door. There was music playing from the sound system, something heavy but not turned up loud. But no sign of Eddie. Rory listened, and she could hear the shower running; she had half a mind to hop in with him, but decided to get a start on something to eat. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news, the meeting with the lawyer, sending out her portfolio to different art galleries in the hopes she was going to get a position at one. Even if she ended up being just a secretary at one, it would be a foot in the door at least.

His laptop was wide open, a flip-notebook was there too. Rory wondered if he got a job and was working on some research. She thought the irony, although good irony, if they both found work where they were hoping for it. Her eyes caught a brief glimpse of the pad, where she saw her name "Aurora Kane" written down.

Her heart sunk and she flipped the laptop to face her. Old articles celebrating a huge painting sale to the Life Foundation were pulled up, and Rory stepped back from it.

Right as Eddie walked out of the bathroom with sweatpants and messy, wet hair.

Had Rory not stumbled upon this, she would have jumped him.

But now all she wanted was to be far away from him.

"What the hell is this?" Rory asked, gesturing with a shaking hand to the laptop.

"Rory... I can explain."

"Then explain."

Eddie took a step forward but Rory told him to stop, to not come any closer. She knew if he was close she would forgive him, she had to keep her distance to maintain her fury. And she wanted it, she wanted to hold onto that anger; even though Eddie never promised he would stop looking into her to figure out who her ex was, she really hoped he would.

"Rory, I gotta know," he started.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Eddie. I asked you not to do this."

"Look," he said, stepping forward and gesturing to Rory. "I have to protect the people I care about, don't I? I can't do that if I don't know who I'm protecting them from. I need to know if I have a chance at keeping the people I care about safe."

"You don't. Not if you go down this path, you don't."

"What kind of person would I be if I didn't?"

"A live one."

"Rory, you are overreacting. I know I should have stopped, but I want to protect you! Alright, I care about you and I don't want anything to-"

"Carlton Drake."

"What?"

"He is Carlton Drake. Do you understand now? Do you understand why I changed my name from Aurora to Rory? Because I didn't think he would look around for someone with a man's name, I changed my last name too. You know..." she paused for a moment. "I used to have hair down to my hips, I loved it. It was one of the things I loved most about myself, the day I left, I cut it all off. I would have cried, but I didn't have anything in me to feel anything for my hair, when I was running for my life. Do you know how long I cowered in fear in women's shelters? And now I'm finally moving on and you pull this shit. Eddie, if he finds me, do you realize what that means for me? After what you did to him, just interviewed him, said the wrong thing... Look what he did to you. Imagine what he would do to the woman who left him without a word, disappeared without a trace. People like him are sick, but they also run the world, so what chance does someone like me have?"

Eddie was rendered speechless.

"You know what, fine, do your research. Figure out everything you want, I'm going home." She grabbed her keys from the counter and walked to the door.

"Rory, please! Hey wait!"

But she was out the door and she slammed it behind her. By the time he made it to her apartment door and began banging on it, Ziggy cranked his tunes and faded him out. For once, Rory was glad for her loud neighbour, so she didn't have to hear her own thoughts. 

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Man I'm going to be late for my 6:15 AM kick boxing class but guys I wrote this for you at 5AM!

I have been so excited for this chapter.