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.”

with you, Xaviera,

me off, his voice as warm and comforting as the autumn sun

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 in the eastern part

his colleague told me my

to everyone and then headed to the street corner to look for him.

gone far when I heard my uncle’s intermittent voice. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried over.

woman with dyed yellow hair, red lips, and dressed to the nines in Chanel style,

our neighborhood lose its class? Are we hiring security guards or inviting trouble?”

his hands, apologizing to the woman while stuttering. “I just

glistened with sweat, and his eyes

“Uncle!”

the sound of my voice, and a genuine smile briefly crossed his

a stutter

embarrassing me, he hung his head

stepped in front of him and asked the woman,

chin up arrogantly, “And you are? Related

calling him a “thief” drew a

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

I had my

the picture right away.

life, always on the receiving end