Facade of Love

Chapter 343 The Crushed Confession

Maxwell shot her down with such brutal honesty. Zoe’s voice only grew more wobbly, “I can take care of my own stability and security. Who’s to say who is right for dating or marriage? Isn’t that something you figure out as you go along? You’re rejecting me without even giving it a thought. Is it because there’s someone else you like?”

Zoe’s voice was tentative, almost afraid of the answer.

The air hung heavy for a moment before Maxwell finally said, “No.”

It seemed Zoe picked up on Maxwell’s chill because her voice slowly evened out. “So, it’s just that you don’t like me, plain and simple?”

“That’s not it,” Maxwell’s voice was tinged with a hint of frustration, “You’re great, Zoe. That’s not what I am saying.”

The stairwell went silent for what felt like an eternity but was probably only half a minute. I could not make out the looks on their faces, and I sure did not know what was going down, but it was clear as day that Maxwell had just turned Zoe down. After a long pause, Zoe’s voice echoed, “Thanks for being honest with me. I get it now.”

been lifted off his shoulders. When I heard footsteps, I got all jittery, scared of getting

swear I was not trying to snoop. It had been a total fluke. If they caught me lurking, I would die of embarrassment. As the footsteps drifted away, I crept out from my hiding spot, breathing a sigh of relief. Close call.

heart attack. I turned around slowly to find Zoe with eyes all puffy and

to play it cool with a strained chuckle. “Uh, hey… what are you doing you here?” She was still a bundle of nerves, stepping closer. “You heard it all, didn’t you, Yvette? That was not cool.”

to apologize, “If I say it was an honest mistake, would you believe me?” She let out a weary sigh, brushing it off. “Forget it. Just

to reassure her, “No way, I wouldn’t do that. You’ve got guts,

very brave to me. She rested against the railing, gazing at the snowflakes dancing in the air, and muttered, “Guts? More like foolish,

whole comfort thing, especially when it came to love gone wrong. I gave it a shot anyway, though. “Hey, love doesn’t come with a rulebook. You liked him, so you told him. That’s totally cool. If he doesn’t feel the same, it’s his loss, seriously. You’re awesome—smart,

burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling up like little crescents.

sheepishly. Comforting really was not my strong suit.

The Crushed Confession

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