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, is an honor for

warm and comforting as the

you go on

quickly hung up.

had to check

residential area in the eastern part

fruit, his colleague told me my uncle had the morning shift and was already out patrolling the

handed out some snacks to everyone and then

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

yellow hair, red lips, and dressed

Are we

meek uncle was nervously clasping his hands, apologizing to the woman

dark skin glistened with sweat, and his eyes were

“Uncle!”

and a genuine smile briefly crossed his simple face before he

stutter

hung his head low, looking like

in front of him and asked the woman, “Ma’am,

arrogantly, “And you are? Related to this

him a “thief” drew

I glanced at

“Denying it, huh? I had my cardboard boxes sitting right outside my door, and he just takes. them without a word. Isn’t that stealing?”

got the picture right

a pushover his whole life, always on the receiving end of bullying; he’d