Being stood up made Elke realise two things.

One, maybe she needed to be single for a little while. Going on a date the day after breaking up with Roan was unlike her. Even though Elke had been unhappy in their relationship for some time, she was a firm believer of spending time with herself as her own person. A relationship combined two people and when you cared enough about someone, you took on their troubles and worried about their problems. She needed time to make sure that she had everything she wanted.

Maybe being stood up by Joost was a good thing, because the second thing Elke realised was how much she didn't think of him when she wasn't actively looking for him.

When she left for work in the mornings, Elke walked past where Joost's car would usually be. She stopped acknowledging the idea that he could have left for work early or was leaving later. The same went for when Elke got home.

If the Impreza was there, she didn't know it. She walked to the lift without turning her head and would be in her apartment without looking to Joost's green door.

She didn't hold it against him that he never came around to apologise or provide an explanation. Elke figured Joost was either embarrassed or was going through something of his own. Instead, Elke continued with her days; single and seemingly unbothered.

This went on for two weeks and Elke was feeling good. Work had slowed and her team was returning back to their efficient and friendly selves. She didn't have to worry about deadlines or new and complex hiccups. Elke could say that she came out of the busy time okay and was ready to lead her team to the next hurdle.

She decided that she was going to buy herself lunch one day. A small treat for someone who almost always brought meals from home. Elke walked from a cafe that was popular amongst her coworkers. Her office building was one of the many that joined the Amsterdam's skyline and she was just like all the other buisnessmen and women that took a walk on their lunch hour.

She didn't take notice of the car that pulled up beside her at first. It was just another loud engine, probably being driven by some tech CEO. But as it parked on the side of the road and footsteps hurried against the pavement, Elke's ears piqued and she turned around in curiosity.

'Roan?' she looked the man up and down as his pace slowed. 'What are you doing here?'

'I-I thought I would come and see if you wanted to get lunch. I can see that you already have something but maybe I could drive us somewhere?'

Roan looked awful. His t-shirt was creased and his hands circled each other restlessly. The tightness of his belt told Elke that he had lost weight in a short space of time. His eyes were wide and shifting as he talked. While his WRX sat on the side of street as immaculate as always, Roan looked like he hadn't slept in days.

'I'm okay, thank you,' Elke said, taking a step back with an arched brow. 'How did you know I'd be on my break?'

'Lucky guess!' Roan laughed almost hysterically for a short second. 'Did you want a ride home today? It's going to rain this evening.'

'No. I drove today.'

Something swirled in Elke's stomach when she saw Roan's jaw tighten. He looked angry and his circling hands paused in their fidgeting. In a uncharacteristic change, Roan was replaced with a stranger that Elke was uncomfortable to be around. He reminded her of when she would catch the bus and everyone would be avoiding the backseat. A homeless man or drug-addict woman would be causing a scene, creating a radius around them of those who feared to catch their eye.

With Roan so close and having already met his gaze, Elke felt trapped. So, she clenched her lunch and unconsciously took another step towards her office building.

'I ended things for a reason, Roan. I don't want to go to lunch or anywhere with you. We're done-'

'I left something at yours. Can I come get it after you finish today?'

Elke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. The sudden anger that he had was gone as was the overly friendliness. On the sidewalk, Roan's exterior was crumbling as Elke stood her ground. She wasn't going to let him ruin the promising week she had been having. He had done well to get a year out of her but it was Elke's turn to be a stick in the mud that was Roan's attitude.

'No. I have to get back to work now,' Elke turned away, her glare lingering over her shoulder.

'El, please! Let me just-'

'Go away, Roan!' she called without looking back. The sound of her platform boots against the pavement helped her concentrate. Elke was relieved that her footsteps were the only ones she heard. She turned the corner and headed into her building without being disturbed.

Left on his lonesome, Roan swallowed and his hands started to fidget again. He had wanted to reach out and yank Elke back when she tried to walk away from him. But he told himself that there were too many people on the streets and it would result in a confrontation.

He headed back into his car while muttering harsh curses. He threw himself behind the wheel and roared off down the street.

---

The neighbour that lived below Elke probably despised her. The only time she made any noise was at 7pm on weeknights, the time of the day that most people would be relaxing after work. But Elke had no choice; if she wanted to enjoy her weekends, she had to clean and maintain her apartment when the weekday was already over.

Hoovering the living space and kitchen were the hardest parts of the chore. She powered her limbs to crouch down and push the whirling machine underneath her two-seat dining set. She left her bedroom until last, it's small and easy layout acting as a reward for completing the chore.

While manoeuvring around her bed, Elke strained her motivation by lowering her hoover to go underneath the frame. It should have been a smooth movement as she was yet to use the space as extra storage. But unexpectedly, she felt a resistance as the machine attempted to reach underneath her headboard.

In confusion, Elke gave her neighbours a break and turned off the hoover. She got on her knees and looked under the bed, seeing the random paths that she had cleaned on the dust-ridden wood panels.

The culprit was her orange backpack. It sat horizontal and omnious as the only thing underneath the bedframe. Flattening her side against her pale pink rug, Elke reached for the top handle and pulled the bag into the light.

When had she put it under there? She didn't remember what she had packed in the orange bag during the moving process. It didn't even have any dust on it unlike the rest of the floor it had sat with.

Crossing her legs, Elke pulled at the zip. Her hoover sat forgotten next to her and rain had just started outside. The window that faced the street was soon being hounded, hinting what the night ahead would hold. But in Elke's bedroom, her sleep that was going to be soundless was interupted before it had even begun.

Money. Blue, green, yellow and a rosy violet were tied in stacks. The backpack that Elke once used for university and overnight trips to Belgium or Germany was filled with euros. They looked unused, like they had come straight out of a cash machine or handed over by a bank teller.

'I left something at yours. Can I come get it after you finish today?'

Roan's words echoed in Elke's empty head. The cash stared back at her with numbers for eyes. She couldn't bring herself to rummage through the bag to see if the stacks reached the bottom.

It frightened her. A backpack full of cash never meant anything good. The new age of technology made the sight even more unusual and stink of something sinister. No one carried cash nowadays, especially not hundreds or thousands of euros worth.

In a panicked rush, Elke zipped up the bag and shoved it back under her bed. She stayed seated for a moment, scared to acknowledge what she had just seen in her own backpack. Her ears rung with a high-pitch and her breathing increased to an uneven pattern.

When Elke got to her feet, she picked her hoover up off the floor. She walked it towards the cupboard in the hall and stored it away. The rain attempted to reach her ears but the ring stood guard, torturing her.

Elke lowered onto her sofa stifly. Any motivation to continue cleaning was gone and her dinner bloated her insides. Her TV played an episode of her favourite show but Elke couldn't make out any of the scenes. No matter how hard she tried to pull herself from her daze, she was drawn back in by the stench from her bedroom.

How was she going to sleep with that under her bed? When was Roan able to put all that money into her bag without her noticing? How long had it been there, festering, waiting for someone to come and retrieve it? Why did Roan have it?

Just like Elke thought, she couldn't sleep. It was like a red light beamed from underneath the mattress, lighting up her bedroom and piercing through her eyelids. She turned on her side, rolled onto the other before falling onto her back. It was agonising. She had work tomorrow and there she was, laying with her mind on the backpack several inches below her.

She couldn't stand it. In a moment, Elke was out of bed and turning on her lamp. A jumper and a pair of sweatpants replaced her old t-shirt and cotton shorts. Sneakers covered her feet and Elke dropped to her knees, reaching under the bed to see the centre of her anxiety.

It was still there, just where she had shoved it. The backpack was innocent and Elke grabbed it like it had wronged her. She left her bedroom and grabbed her keys on the way to the door.

The carpark echoed with the rainfall ouside. Elke was yet to enjoy the sound or smell of dampness on the street or in the soil. She carried the backpack in one hand and unlocked her Swift in preemptive optimism. The boot was empty besides a first-aid kit and umbrella that Elke kept there at all times.

The backpack fell on its side from Elke's harsh throw and the boot was closed with a slam. She let out a sigh, hoping it would clear the knot in her chest. Much to her dismay, it had only moved from her apartment to her car, stinking up her Swift instead of her bedroom.

She cursed Roan. She cursed the year she spent with him and the disrespect he showed her. Even after Elke grew the courage to stand up for herself, he left a bad taste in her mouth.

'Elke?'

She jumped around with wide eyes. Like she had been caught, Elke looked at the man she had forced to the back of her mind.

Joost stood three cars spaces down in a raincoat. The hood sat over his blonde hair and the tall collar was high enough to sit over his chin. His keys dangled from his hand, having just watched the girl pass as he got out of his Impreza. The shutting of his door combined with the slam of her boot masked Joost's presence for a moment longer. It wasn't until he saw Elke stare through her Swift's back windshield that he had to make himself known.

'Are you okay?' he asked, taking in her casual attire. Elke powered her voice to her throat and lowered her head into a nod.

'Yeah. I'm okay. I'm just... going for a drive.'

'Now?' Joost pulled his phone out to check the time and eyed Elke strangely. 'It's midnight.'

Elke didn't have the clarity to ask why Joost was only just coming home at the aforementioned time. She was too nervous, too preoccupied with the fear that he would somehow find out what was in her backpack.

'Can't sleep.'

It wasn't a lie. Joost was convinced but still found it strange. But who was he to question Elke further?

Instead, the restraint from the past weeks unwravelled at the first sight of his neighbour. Joost hadn't been able to catch her in the lift or out in the hallway. It took everything in him to not knock on her door with the champagne that was still in his fridge. He even considered buying some flowers, pairing them with an apologetic smile and a plea for a second chance. But every time Joost leaned out his window to see if Elke's window was open, he was pushed back by the closed curtains and silence from her apartment.

'I uh... I wanted to talk to you, actually. I wanted to apologise for blowing you off,' he started, moving up one car to talk closer. 'Something came up and I wasn't home in time to try and catch you. I'm sorry.'

'It's fine...' Elke said, absently. If it were any other situation, Elke would have more to say to Joost's apology.

'Can I make it up to you?' one car remained between them and Joost's eyes held a plea for her good nature. 'Can I take you out?'

'How about now?'

Joost blinked in surprise. Elke barely flinched at her own abruptness and subtly looked to her car. She covered it by looking back to Joost, unearthing some of her nerves under his stare. A sinister thought sprung to her mind; maybe I should hide money more often if it means I'll be this confident in front of handsome blondes.

'Now?' Joost had to reel himself from his surprise and remember who he was talking to. Elke was offering him another chance immediately, how could he pass it up? Even at the late hour, a date was a date and Joost could use some winding down from tonight's job before he went straight to bed.

'Sure. We can go now.'

'Can you drive?' Another surprise but Joost nodded without hesitation.