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 honor

voice as warm and comforting as the

up at the moment, you

hung up.

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

no–frills residential area

staff dorm with some fruit, his colleague told me my uncle had the morning shift and

and then headed

intermittent voice. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried

and dressed to the nines in Chanel style,

its class? Are we hiring security guards or

the woman while stuttering. “I just thought n–nobody

with sweat, and his eyes

“Uncle!”

Jason turned at the sound of my voice, and a genuine smile briefly crossed his simple face

stutter his whole

hung his head low, looking like he was caught red–handed.

in front of him and asked the woman,

chin up arrogantly, “And you

“thief” drew a small crowd.

calling my uncle a thief. Got any proof?” I glanced at the cardboard boxes at her feet,

expect me to push back so hard. She pointed at me and said, “Denying it, huh? I had my cardboard

picture right

on the receiving end of