Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 38

I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“Sorry.” I said to Darren beside me, fiddling with a water bottle, mortified. “I’m usually not such a lightweight.”

Darren’s eyes crinkled with a smile, but there was a teasing lilt in his voice, “Maybe the driver drives in a terrible way.”

Great, now I felt even more embarrassed.

Back in the car, Darren pointed at the wristband in my hand and casually mentioned, “It’s dirty.” I retracted my left hand nervously, staying mum.

He was just giving me a heads–up, but what he didn’t know was the gnarly scar hidden beneath the wristband.

Dirty, he got that right.

I thought to myself, dejected, it’d been dirty for a long time.

Half an hour later, at my request, the sedan stopped at the entrance to my complex.

I thanked Darren and turned to leave when suddenly a jacket landed on my shoulders.

In an instant, the subtle scent of ambergris filled my nose, accompanied by Darren’s gentle voice in my ear, “It’s chilly with the night dew, take it slow.”

The booze had hit me and the breeze made me shiver, so I didn’t refuse the offer.

I staggered down to my building, and before I could step inside, I heard Cecilia’s sweet and sticky voice.

nervous today, didn’t do

of self–blame was

was quick to respond, “No rush, practice makes

raspy voice, with its honest inflection,

was Cecilia’s Hogan,

and headed to the staircase on the

heard Cecilia ask, “Aren’t you coming up,

half–lifted my eyelids, looking out at the

under such moonlight, it was perfect for lovebirds to whisper

Chacher 33

was to thank, because that night. I actually slept like a

much so that I didn’t notice Hogan’s

last night at ten, not

temples, out of politeness, I

Zade, what’s

reply instantly with [Wrong number.]

I knew it.

my fingers, then deleted the message and headed

later, the notification sound chimed again. Hogan had sent a dry line [Ms. March, you

quickly typed back, [Still got a ways to go compared to a time master

reply after that.

chat went dead.

ready for work, and as my eyes swept over the couch,‘t noticed Darren’s navy blue suit