Imperfect Desires

92 Live Happily

'Why didn't he reply?' Darren thought about it all over again.

He remembered what happened... When she texted, 'What if I am?', he had placed his phone down without a reply but he picked it up again and typed, 'The idea doesn't sound as bad as I thought it would.' Reading his own reply, he wasn't sure anymore and backspaced everything.

He tried to type another reply, 'Am I supposed to be flattered?' But this time as well, he?hesitated before pressing the send button. While he was hesitating, Dylan had come up behind him and said, "I think both answers are good. Just hit the send button already."

Darren glared at him and backspaced again before locking the screen. "Why did you stop flirting? It was going so smoothly," had said Dylan.

Darren slapped his head and said, "I don't want to hit on her."

Dylan's brows quirked up in surprise as he questioned, "Why not? In the past five years, you dated girls to fill the void in your heart and life. Although it didn't work, still it's worth a shot. If you can't make it, just fake it."

Darren didn't refute his words but said, "She's not someone I want to fill my life's void with. She is a good friend."

"Why? What's so different about her?" asked Dylan seriously but also answered his own question, "Because she made you smile without even trying? Or because this neighbor managed to cross your walls of trust? What really is different about her?"

"She..." Darren didn't know how to say it. "She reminded me of Ah-Xiu at more than one point."

"Ah! So, she's my Goddess Xiu's replacement?" Dylan didn't say it like it was a question. His tone suggested it as a fact.

Darren glared at him and warned, "Didi, Sweets is not anyone's replacement. I don't even look at her like that."

Dylan shook his head at his friend and said, "Daz, if she's not a replacement, then are you willing to replace Chen Xiu in your heart with this neighbor of yours?"

Darren was dumbstruck at his question. He knew it was almost impossible to replace Chen Xiu in his heart or life but he never thought of using Bai Xiu as a replacement as well. Then what was going on? What answer was he supposed to give?

"I have to leave for Capital. Bye!" Darren had left their conversation at that. But this left Dylan in a complicated situation as well.

Now that Xiu had brought up the question again, he still had no reply. He made her sit on the bench outside the convenience store and went inside. When he came back, he had a sobering drink in his hand, he uncapped it and passed it to her saying, "Drink this and sober up. Then we'll talk about it."

Dangling her legs like a kid, she drank the whole bottle in one go. She scrunched up her nose adorably as she passed the empty bottle back to him. Sitting beside her, his eyes were trained on her face. "Gosh! You're making me curious. And I really don't want to be curious again."

"Huh?" Xiu blinked her eyes at him inquisitively but he shook his head.

"Come, I'll take you home now. Sleep early, so you can wake up early," he tugged at her arm but she refused to budge.

"Hajima!(Don't!) The breeze is so fresh and light. I want to stay here. Mornings are boring anyway. I hate mornings." She held the side of the bench and shrank to a side.

Darren sat beside her and placed his hand on her head in a gentle manner as he said, "Do you even realize how lucky you are to have a morning?" Xiu looked at him curiously as he went on, "Some people close the eyes at night and never even got a chance to open them again. And some get stuck with them in that night without closing their eyes."

His heart was torn as he talked about this. Chen Xiu closed her eyes in a night and he got stuck in that night with her.

Xiu held his arm with both of her hands and as he looked at her, she smiled, "Did someone close his eyes for good in your life?"

Darren shook his head saying, "No. I was just giving a general example."

Xiu leaned against his side and said, "You're holding your tears back and that person is resting in peace. Isn't that unfair? Happy endings are destined for fairytales. Reality doesn't have a happy ending. This time, I learned that to live happily is a lot more important than a happy ending."

"Sweets, where did you learn that from?" His views about her were ever so slightly changing. She was bold and yet shy in her own way. She was deep and yet pretended to be superficial. She was hurt and yet had a solid attitude to face this world. Wasn't she too young to learn this much?

Xiu looked into his eyes and replied, "It took me one death and two lives to get here."

"What?" was his shocked and confused reply.

Xiu laughed at his response and thought, 'Right. No matter how many times I tell the truth, no one will be crazy enough to believe that it really took me one death and two lives to get here.'

"Forget it," she waved off and stood up looking at the sky. "There are so many stars in the sky."

Darren also looked up but found not a single star because of the city lights that overshadowed the starlight. "There are no stars, Sweets."

"Isn't that my point? Even stars fall down, why can't we?" 'Even stars on this Earth fall as well. Just like Chen Xiu did.' She heaved a long sigh and said, "I want to be silly, crazy, weird, stupid and bold tonight." She looked at Darren and asked, "Will you help me?"

"How?"

Xiu stood before him and held both his shoulders saying, "Don't disappear like before. I won't remember this night anyway. So, don't play the ghost game with me again."

Darren reluctantly said, "Okay."

His reply had just left his mouth when Xiu tip-toed and pressed her lips against his making his eyes widen in surprise.Please go to