Chapter 3
Theodore, on the other hand, was way more eye-catching. He got that idol-level good looks, like he could debut as a pop star tomorrow.
The car pulled into the apartment garage, and for some reason, I just couldn't get the seatbelt buckle to release.
"Dummy," Theodore said.
He leaned over, one hand resting on the back of my seat, the other reaching for the buckle.
The garage was dim, so I couldn't really make out his expression.
I could pick up on the faint, woody scent of his coat.
Theodore said, "Margaret, next time you're in a situation like this, just send me a text."
His deep voice was practically whispered right by my ear, making my skin tingle.
The vibe between us suddenly felt strangely intimate.
When he saw I stayed quiet, his tone slipped back into that lazy drawl.
He said, "So you don't end up sick, and Elliott will be stuck at home with no one to help him with his homework. He'll be bugging me nonstop."
I just stared at him, lost for words.
*****
After my last company went under, Amy hooked me up with a new job.
Today was my first day.
As soon as I walked through the company doors, I heard a familiar laugh coming from down the hall.
Xavier was having a friendly chat with the boss in the office.
Turned out, he was the business partner Amy had mentioned—the one our company had been trying to win over for months.
"Margaret. Over here." Amy waved at me from her desk.
As soon as I sat down, she nudged me with her elbow, grinning with her eyes squinting in amusement.
"Xavier just came over to talk to me. Guess what he asked?" Amy said.
"He wanted to know if you have a boyfriend." Amy was practically bouncing with excitement. "Come on, do you think Xavier actually likes you?"
I shook my head.
"Come on, that's impossible," I said.
If he really cared about me, then why did I spend ten years right next to him and never get a single hint he felt the same?
"Then tell me, why is it that after the boss spent months trying to get Xavier to work with us, he finally agreed right after you joined?" Amy grilled me.
"Just a coincidence," I replied.
"Coincidence?" Amy took a deep breath, giving me a look like I was a block of wood. "The boss just invited Xavier to go to a hot spring. Guess what he said?"
"What did he say?" I asked.
"He said since it's such a nice benefit, the whole company should go—especially the newbies."
I lowered my eyes and gave a wry smile.
"He's just not used to being alone with people he doesn't really know," I said.
Xavier had always been like that.
He was slow to warm up to most people.
Back in the day, whenever there was a party or a trip, he'd always have Alfie gather a big crowd, just so he could sneak off and find a quiet corner for himself.
Alayna was the only exception.
She was the only one he made an exception for.
The next second, my phone screen lit up.
The boss wanted to see me in his office.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked.
The boss grinned and said, "Margaret, why don't you add Mr. Holland on WhatsApp? We're planning a company retreat to the hot springs, and I want you to take the lead on organizing it."
Xavier was sitting on the couch, shooting me a look, but I just pretended not to notice.
The summer we graduated high school, I deleted Xavier from my WhatsApp.
Now that the boss was asking me to add him back, I really couldn't say no.
"Sure," I replied.
Just as I finished adding him on WhatsApp, the boss's phone rang.
He glanced at his phone, his expression changed a bit, and he stepped out of the room.
It was just Xavier and me now.
He closed the door, standing a few steps away from me.
Amy told me you never mentioned a boyfriend," Xavier pointed out.
I kept quiet.
Xavier continued, "Actually, I've got a spare apartment.
"It's downtown, super close to your office. You don't have to pay rent. Just move in whenever you feel like—"
"No, thanks," I cut him off.
"Why?" Xavier pressed.
"I'm pretty comfortable where I am," I replied.
"With some random guy?" he shot back.
"He's not exactly a random guy," I said.
After a moment, he stepped closer.
"Margaret, you're really not the same as before," he said.
Yeah, I had changed a lot.
Back then, I was always tagging along behind him, like his little shadow.
Whenever he played basketball, I'd be there, handing him a bottle of water.
Whenever his stomach hurt, I always had meds ready for him.
For his birthday, I saved up my allowance for half a year just to buy him the headphones he kept eyeing.
I never would've turned him down like I just did.
But when it came to anything about me, he was always a beat too slow.
"You'd rather live with some random guy?" Xavier swallowed hard. "Margaret, do you hate me?"
"Hate? Not really. I'm just over it now," I said.
My words seemed to hit Xavier right where it hurt.
Xavier said, "Or are you still bothered by that old video? Alayna lost a game of truth or dare and suddenly kissed me.
"She grabbed my phone and posted it on Instagram without me knowing. I only found out after the fact."
Hearing that, I felt a sudden sting in my chest.
It was like taking a sip of yesterday's leftover coffee—bitter and cold.
Turned out, that kiss was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.
Xavier had nothing to do with posting the video.
But so what?