Conroyâs face darkened as he approached her, frustration evident in his tone. âWhy did you bring him? How many times have I told you this wasnât okay?â
Addie dismissed him with a carefree wave. âMy boyfriend wanted to come along. What was I supposed to do?â
Conroyâs voice dropped lower, tinged with irritation. âThis is a class reunion. Is your boyfriend part of our class?â
Addie shrugged, unfazed. âJust ignore him.â
She swept past Conroy as though his words didnât matter, dragging her boyfriend along. Since he was here, Conroy couldnât simply drive him away.
Aurora sympathized with Conroy. She understood his frustration, but this was Addieâs nature. She always needed to steal the spotlight, regardless of the occasion.
A crowd quickly gathered around Addie, eager to hear about her enviable love life.
âI met him while traveling abroad,â she said with a self-satisfied smile. âIsnât he gorgeous? He flew all the way here just to see me. Can you believe that?â
Feigning modesty, she added, âOh, no, Iâm not that irresistible.â
As Addie basked in the attention, her gaze suddenly landed on Aurora. Her lips curved into a sly grin. âHey, Aurora, whereâs Rickey? Why are you all by yourself tonight?â
Aurora had already come to terms with the fact that Rickey was no longer part of her life.
But in this crowded space, surrounded by laughter and chatter, a sudden loneliness crept in.
Someone patted Addie on the shoulder. âRickeyâs gone abroad.â
âI see.â Addie simply nodded, lifting a glass of juice to her lips. She glanced at Aurora, a wicked smirk spreading across her face. âDonât be sad, Aurora. Even if Rickey dumped you, it doesnât mean youâre not good enough. There are plenty of other great guys out there.â
âDumped me?â Auroraâs voice was calm. âRickey and I are just friends.â
âOh, please.â Addie covered her mouth with a teasing laugh. âDoesnât everyone know you two were a couple? You mustâve been together for quite some time. Itâs a shame you broke up.â
gâ²ð ððνðð ð.kððº â ðð¬ð¬ð®ð¼ð¼ ð¶ð½ ð ð³ In that moment, no one came to Auroraâs defense.
Aurora suddenly realized that maybe Addie wasnât the only one who thought that way.
âIf you miss him so much, should I give him a call now so you can say hi?â
Addieâs smile faltered for a moment, before a thought crossed her mind. With the time difference between here and abroad, Rickey was likely still asleep.
She regained her composure, her tone dismissive. âWhy are you in such a rush? You didnât know Rickey was going abroad, did you? Now youâre angry at me because he dumped you?â
Conroy, who had been silent until now, couldnât hold back any longer. âAddie, can you just be quiet for a second?â
Addie paused, taking a sip of her drink, then shrugged with feigned innocence. âDid I say anything wrong?â
To others, this might have seemed like a trivial matter.
.
.
.
Message from Noah: Hope you liked the chapters dear readers! New novels releases in a few minutes. God loves you and Noah whishes you all the best. (ÉOâ¿=)É â¥
.