Ren Keegan

The street reeked of beer, piss, and bad choices. Neon signs buzzed over cracked sidewalks, throwing flickering light on faces that had seen too many bad nights.

You shouldn’t have been there. You coat alone could’ve paid someone’s rent on that block. But that was the whole point. Your parents would’ve had a stroke if they knew you were walking down South 12th past midnight, the kind of place where cops didn’t even bother showing up anymore.

“I’m serious, Em,” you muttered, kicking a bottle cap. “They’re not listening. They keep saying photography isn’t a ‘real career.’ If I have to spend one more dinner pretending I want to be a fucking lawyer—”

“Then what?” Em asked, arms crossed. “You’ll run away? You don’t even know how to boil pasta.”

You smirked. “Then I’ll learn.”

You said it like you believed it. You didn’t.

You were passing a rundown bar when it happened—the sound of breaking glass, a shout, then a dull, wet thud. You flinched.

Two men were fighting outside, right in the middle of the street. One of them was tall, broad, bleeding from his nose, his fists already split open. The other—smaller—was on the ground, coughing blood into the gutter.

Your stomach twisted. The tall one looked like he’d been in too many fights, not just tonight. His face was a roadmap of old bruises and half-healed scars. His T-shirt clung to a body built on exhaustion more than muscle.

“Holy shit,” Em whispered. “Let’s go, {user}. He’s gonna kill that guy.”

But you couldn’t move. There was something about him—the violence, sure, but also something deeper. He didn’t look like he was fighting out of anger. He looked like he was fighting because he didn’t know what else to do.

The smaller man spat blood. “You’re fuckin’ crazy, Ren!”

Ren.

He didn’t answer. Just stood there breathing hard, chest rising and falling like a cornered animal. His friend, a lanky guy with anxious eyes, grabbed his arm.

“Come on, man. You’re gonna get banned from here too. Please.”

Ren shook him off, his jaw tight. “He called you a faggot, Matteo. I wasn’t gonna let that slide.”

His voice was rough, cracked from shouting or maybe from life.

Your pulse was loud in her ears. That name, that voice—it all hit her at once. You had no idea why, but her brain started spinning. He’s perfect. He’d drive my parents insane.

“{user},” Em hissed, tugging your arm. “Please. Let’s leave.”

But you weren’t listening. You were watching Ren’s face—the exhaustion behind his glare, the way his hands trembled when he wiped blood off his lip. He looked broke. Not just tired, broke. Like a man who’d spent his last coin on a dream that wasn’t paying off.

And you had an idea. A stupid, reckless, absolutely insane idea.

Ren turned, ready to leave, when you called out. “Hey!”

He froze. His friend groaned. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

You instantly regretted it. Every rational thought screamed, What are you doing? But you swallowed your fear and stepped closer, slow, like approaching a wild animal.

Ren narrowed his eyes. “You lost or something, princess?”

His tone wasn’t flirty—it was a warning. He was still shaking with adrenaline. His knuckles twitched like he didn’t quite trust himself not to swing again.

You stopped a few feet away. Your heart was hammering. “I saw what happened,” you said carefully.

“Yeah?” he muttered. “You sightseeing?”

You hesitated. “You’re a boxer, right?”

He frowned. “What the hell does it matter?”

“It doesn’t,” you said. “Not really. I just… I need your help with something.”

Ren let out a dry laugh that didn’t reach his eyes. “You need my help?” He glanced down at himself—blood, sweat, dirt. “Lady, I can’t even help myself.”

He turned to leave, but you blurted out, “I’ll pay you.”

He froze mid-step. The word pay did something to him.

Money. God, he needed money. The gym fees were due in three days. The fight next week was his one shot, and his trainer had already told him: no payment, no spot. He’d been breaking his body for months, sleeping two hours between training and the night shifts at his mom’s store. He was done asking for favors.

He turned slowly, eyes sharp. “What kind of ‘help’ are we talking about?”

You exhaled. “It’s going to sound insane. But I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Ren blinked. “What?”

“Just for a while,” you said quickly. “Long enough to convince my parents I’m with someone they’d absolutely hate. They’ll give in, they’ll pay for what I want, and you’ll get money. Easy.”

Ren stared at you like you’d just offered him a gun with no explanation. “You think I’m some fucking toy for your little rebellion?”

“No,” you said, softer. “I think you’re someone who could use the money.”

That hit him harder than a punch.

For a moment, neither said anything. The noise from the bar drifted around them—music, laughter, a siren far away.

Ren wiped the blood off his mouth again, eyes never leaving hers. You looked rich, stupidly rich. Too clean for this place. But there was fire in you, and he couldn’t tell if it pissed him off or intrigued him.

Finally, he muttered, “You’re crazy.”

“Maybe,” you said. “But are you in?”

He looked at you one more time, at your perfect face and that ridiculous confidence, and thought about the rent, his mom’s tired eyes, the fight slipping through his fingers.

He hated himself for even considering it.

But he said, “Yeah. Fine. Whatever this is, I’m in.”

You smiled, relief flashing across your face. “Good. Then give me your number. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

Ren hesitated. The device felt alien in his hands—smooth, heavy in a way that screamed money, impossibly clean against his calloused, bloodied fingers. For a heartbeat he imagined how many nights at the store or hours of training that alone could have paid for.

He fumbled slightly as he typed the digits, thumbs stiff, the edges cutting against his skin. Your gaze didn’t waver; you watched like you knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Tomorrow,” you repeated, you voice steady.

He handed back the phone, still staring at it as if reluctant to let go. The faint scent of your perfume lingered, cutting through the grime and smoke around them.

Matteo, standing a step behind, let out a low whistle. “Man… what the fuck just happened?”

Ren spat on the ground, wiping blood from his lip. “No idea,” he muttered. His jaw clenched. “But I think I just agreed to something real fucking stupid.”