"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., I figured his sudden call must be about my broken engagement with Conrad. Despite Dustin's sporadic communication with his family, they kept each other informed about the critical events.,

"Dustin, how did you get my number?

" I'm straightforward by nature, preferring to ask rather than guess.,

"You borrowed money from me once to pay your phone bill.

" Dustin's memory impressed me. He remembered a number I gave him once, a decade ago., After my parents' accident, my 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 bill and memorized my number., I had forgotten to repay him for that bill, so when he called, I teased,

"Are you calling to collect a debt, Dustin?

",

"Yeah, that's right,

" he played along., I knew he was joking, but I followed his lead.

"Then I'll transfer it to you right now...

",

"Felicia,

" Dustin interrupted., I gripped my phone tighter but remained silent. After a pause, Dustin continued pleasantly,

"My parents are worried about you. They can't find you and are very anxious. Mom even fainted.

", My heart clenched. I knew Herschel and Jacqueline would be upset, but I hadn't anticipated how severe their reaction would be. Guilt and concern tightened my breath.

"Is she okay?

"

"She's okay, just dealing with some high blood pressure because of all the stress,

" Dustin paused before continuing,

"Felicia, did Rad do something wrong?

", There was no avoiding it. I had to face this question again. It seemed I would face this every time someone learned about us. Just thinking about it gave me a headache. I massaged my temples,

"Didn't you ask Conrad? Shouldn't you ask him first?

",

"I did. Rad claimed ignorance,

" Dustin's response almost made me laugh.,

"Did he also say I was being irrational and that I was the one causing trouble?

" I asked, half-joking., Dustin didn't answer directly but said,

"You were crazy about him, dying to get married. Did he do something to hurt you?

", His words stung, a sharp reminder of pain. Despite his years abroad, Dustin knew about my feelings for Conrad better than anyone., After all, we shared meals and lived under the same roof. Dustin had witnessed the small gestures of love I made for Conrad, like the saved sweets, the last piece of chicken, the hidden slices of watermelon, and those secretly penned diary entries., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.