No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 35



"Girl." The voice on the other end of the phone was thick, familiar, yet distant.

A familiar face flashed before my eyes, and I called out, "Dustin."

I had thought changing my number would keep the Wagner family at bay, but I never expected Conrad's brother Dustin to track me down. Even more surprising was his decision to reach out.

"Looks like you saved my number. Didn't forget about me," Dustin teased.

He was only a few years older than Conrad. Before he went abroad, he always looked out for me, fondly calling me "little girl."

I was at a loss for words, detecting a hint of complaint in his tone. We'd occasionally talk during the first two years after he left, asking about each other's lives. Gradually, those calls faded. Dustin was never one to initiate, maintaining sparse contact even with his family, let alone with me.

Dustin's

I'm straightforward by nature, preferring to

Dustin's memory impressed me. He remembered a number I gave him once, a

dad's phone became a keepsake. When it got disconnected, I decided to pay the bill. But I was short on cash and too embarrassed to ask his parents for money, so I turned to Dustin. Concerned I might spend the money elsewhere, he accompanied me to make the payment. He paid the

repay him for that bill, so when he called, I teased, "Are you

that's right,"

but I followed his lead. "Then I'll transfer

"Felicia," Dustin interrupted.

gripped my phone tighter

parents are worried about you. They can't find you and are

knew Herschel and Jacqueline would be upset, but I hadn't anticipated how severe their reaction would be. Guilt and

pressure because of all the stress," Dustin paused before continuing,

avoiding it. I had to face this question again. It seemed I would face this every time someone

me a headache. I massaged my temples,