Chapter 6
Chapter 6
I finished my late–night snack with Hector at the convenience store.
We caught up on each other’s lives.
There was something about him-
It was as if being around him made me forget all
my worries.
The argument with Ruben felt like it had already faded away.
The only thing still stinging was the heat in my face.
“So, where are you staying tonight? A hotel?”
I scratched my head, unsure how to answer.
I used to swipe Ruben’s card for everything.
My phone balance had only a single digit left.
Just like he said, without him, I really couldn’t survive.
Hector noticed my discomfort:
“How about you come back to my place? My roommate bailed.”
I hesitated, mumbling,
“Isn’t that a bit… inappropriate?”
But deep down, I was secretly thrilled.
After some back–and–forth, I finally agreed.
“Wait here for a bit, I’ll grab something.”
“It’s snowing!”
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A Losing Game of Love
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Chapter 6
Hector seemed not to hear.
It was the first snowfall of the year in New York.
I secretly snapped a photo of us together.
I posted it on Instagram, visible only to Ruben.
Caption: “The first snow that didn’t go as planned, but we watched it together.”
As soon as I posted it, my phone rang–Ruben was calling.
I rejected his call and then hung up on him.
“Are you okay?” Hector asked, noticing.
I smiled faintly:
“I’m fine, just a telemarketer.”
When I ignored him, Ruben bombarded me with texts:
“Joanna, what’s going on?”
“Joanna, who are you with?”
“Who’s that guy?”
“I’m giving you five minutes. You better come back here!”
He sent more messages in a few minutes than he had in the past month.
I didn’t respond at all, just blocked him.
At Hector’s place,
He led me to his guest bedroom.
He started pulling things out of the bag he just bought.
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Chapter 6
I pushed his hand away, stopping him:
“No, no, no, this isn’t right.”
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
