Chapter 79

Marie replied, “Not yet. But seriously, Ms. Estrella’s business trip is stretching out longer than a Thanksgiving turkey’s legs. She said she’d be back in two or three days tops, and here we are at day five.”

Listening to Marie’s words, Jason fished his phone out of his pocket and headed upstairs. He went into the bedroom, and the call to Drew connected just in time. “Drew, can you look into what’s up with Estrella?” Jason instructed.

“Right away, Sir,” came Drew’s response on the other end.

With his order acknowledged, Jason ended the call and casually tossed his phone onto the nightstand.

He had indeed gone to Silverbrook to confront Estrella. Seeing Korey had soured his mood even further, but Estrella’s barbed words, devoid of explanation, had left him feeling even more out of sorts. So when Serene had called crying, he glanced at the bathroom, grabbed his car keys, and left without a second thought.

Jason was too used to Estrella’s sunny disposition to accept her indifference. Opening wardrobe to grab some clean clothes, he was frozen in place by the sight of Estrella’s colorful pajamas.

“Let’s have a kid, Jason!”

“Which do you prefer, this one or that one?”

“You like the black set? Your wish is my command.”

“If Korey comes back, why am I still wasting my time with you?”

the

“I’d rather marry anyone but you, Jason. Get this marriage over with and stop holding me back from happiness.”

Memories of Estrella’s kindness, her laughter, and her coldness swirled in Jason’s head, darkening his expression as he shut the wardrobe with a definitive click.

After he finished his shower, the bedroom was still empty, and he felt something was missing in his heart.

that only the sound

years

days and

this

were no photos of him, or of Estrella, and certainly no couple’s pictures. Nothing about the room screamed “married for two years.” Jason lit a cigarette by the floor-to-ceiling window.

11:37

always belonged

SanOasis.

sting jolted him back to reality. He stubbed it out and turned to collapse

passed by. The first one wasn’t

a time before “that incident,” back when they were both students. Estrella, ever the free spirit, would laugh and play, outrunning the boys and climbing trees

their fights, to the slap he had regretfully delivered, and Jason woke up with a start, gathering himself to return to the

and Bryce, crashing on the living room couch till dawn, with no dreams

stepped in, Drew was

got an update on Ms. Estrella. She returned last

he mentioned Estrella’s

back. However, Bryce went to see Ms. Estrella the night you returned to Ravenwood. Turns out she fell ill, and Bryce was the one who accompanied her to

it seems she didn’t mention her illness to him;

shifted through several shades as Drew reported but it was only when he heard that Estrella hadn’t

slightly.

before speaking, “Sir, there are a couple of things I’m

him to quickly add, “I think Ms. Estrella doesn’t have any feelings for Korey, and she’s been quite clear about her boundaries with him. Ms. Estrella

at Drew in silence. Drew, sensing the

2/3

11:32

years, Drew felt he had a clear view from the sidelines. It was hard to tell if Estrella truly liked Jason, but she was not the kind of person who would sneak around. She had been tolerant of

couldn’t fathom what Jason truly

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