Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 41

Hogan and I finally parted ways on a sour note..

But this time around, I wasn’t freaking out.

Sure, Hogan was a tough cookie, but with Cecilia in the picture, he’d got his Achilles‘ heel

Had a dreamless night, and when I woke up, my phone was buzzing with a few unread

messages.

They were from Tina.

We hit it off at Darren’s birthday bash and added each other.

[Xaviera, are you and Darren actually an item now?]

She was fishing for some juicy gossip.

It seemed that she caught wind of that post too.

I had no choice but to run through the whole spiel I gave Cecilia yesterday, and ended it with [Do me a solid and clear the air with the rest of the gang, will ya?]

Tina was a peach, and she agreed right away.

But thinking about how all this might affect Darren, I was still feeling edgy, so I gave him a ring.

“This is why you’re blowing up my phone first thing in the morning?” Darren asked in his usual laid–back tone, sounding a bit miffed, “Xaviera, do you really think I’m that petty?”

“Darren.”

you, Xaviera, is an

me off, his voice as warm and comforting

up at the moment, you go on with your day.”

hung up.

to brush Darren off on purpose. I had to check in on my uncle today–it was his second day here in

staying in a no–frills residential area in the eastern

my uncle had the morning shift and was already

to everyone and then headed to the street corner to look

my uncle’s intermittent voice. My

red lips, and dressed to

neighborhood lose its class? Are we hiring security

meek uncle was nervously clasping his hands, apologizing to the woman while stuttering. “I just thought n–nobody wanted it, I–I’m

glistened with sweat, and

“Uncle!”

of my voice, and a genuine smile briefly crossed

a stutter his whole

his head low, looking like he was

stepped in front of him and asked the

arrogantly, “And you are? Related to this

“thief” drew

calling my uncle a thief. Got any proof?” I glanced at the

hard. She pointed at me and said, “Denying it, huh? I had my cardboard boxes sitting right outside my door, and he

got the picture right

on the receiving end of bullying; he’d never stoop to petty