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.”

be linked with you,

voice as warm and

the moment, you go

hung

had to check in

was staying in a no–frills residential area in the eastern part of Rivertown.

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

everyone and then headed

hadn’t gone far when I heard my uncle’s intermittent voice. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried

was this middle–aged woman with dyed yellow hair, red lips, and dressed to the nines in Chanel style, pointing fingers at

class? Are we hiring security guards or inviting

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

skin glistened 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

about embarrassing me, he hung his head low, looking like he was

asked the

chin up arrogantly, “And you are? Related to

a “thief” drew a small crowd.

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

pointed at me and said, “Denying it, huh? I had my cardboard boxes sitting right outside my

picture

the receiving end