Chapter 39 Echoes, edges and airports
Chapter 39: Echoes, Edges, and Airports
The mall smelled like coffee, new perfume, and too-loud music from a sneaker store, exactly the kind of chaos Golden didn’t mind walking into.
After everything that happened, replacing her phone felt like a small, symbolic restart.
Alex bounced beside her, trying to shake off the quiet heaviness of the morning.
“Okay, rule number one,” Alex announced. “You’re not allowed to buy any depressing phone cases. No black on black crime.”
Golden snorted. “I like black.”
“You are black,” Alex shot back. “Pick a color that doesn’t match your soul right now.”
Golden rolled her eyes, nudged her, and kept walking.
They entered the tech store… and instantly froze.
Allan.
Standing by the AirPods section with a guy they guessed attend their school because he was wearing an OCU Jacket.
Golden felt something in her chest shift, not painfully, just heavily, like a bruise being pressed.
Their eyes met. He blinked. And then, Allan did what Allan always did when backed into a corner by emotions. He shut down. He looked away. Turned to his friend. Acted like she wasn’t there.
Golden didn’t flinch outwardly, but Alex felt her stiffen beside her.
Alex’s jaw ticked. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” she muttered.
“Alex…” Golden murmured softly.
“What? I’m not allowed to commit light violence?” Alex hissed.
Golden forced a smile. “It’s fine. I was expecting this.”
But even she knew it still stung.
They picked out her phone quickly, the newest model with a soft lavender case Alex insisted on.
By the time they walked out of the store, Golden’s silence had settled into something Alex didn’t like.
They reached a bench near the food court.
“Sit,” Alex said gently.
Golden sat.
Alex joined her, pulling her knees up a little, facing her fully.
“Gigi,” Alex began carefully, “I need to say something. And I need you not to shut me out.”
Golden blinked, wary but listening.
“I’m scared,” Alex whispered. “Scared that one day all this hurt… all this stuff you’re carrying… you'll snap. And you'll do something stupid. Something you can’t undo.”
Golden’s eyes softened. “Alex…”
“No. Let me finish.” Alex’s voice trembled for the first time in years.
“You’re strong. But strong people break too. And you keep acting like you can outrun pain by pretending you’ve already healed from it.”
Golden swallowed hard.
Alex leaned closer, voice gentler now.
“I’m not telling you to get over Allan or to forget everything. I’m telling you… I’m here. I’ll hold you when it gets heavy. I’ll drag you out of your own head if I have to. But please, Gigi… don’t go through this pretending you’re fine.”
A tear escaped before Golden could stop it.
Alex wiped it away quickly. “Don’t cry. I’ll cry too. And then we’ll both look crazy and security will escort us out.”
Golden huffed a laugh, shaky but real.
She leaned into Alex, resting her forehead on her shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Always,” Alex murmured.
They stayed like that for a moment, two battle worn girls trying to be whole.
That night, in Golden’s room, Alex closed the door behind her.
“Gigi… we need to talk.”
Golden looked up, confused. She thought they had said everything at the mall.
Alex swallowed, her voice trembling slightly, something Golden never heard from her.
“I know we spoke at the mall already, but I need you to promise me something,” Alex whispered.
“Promise me you’ll never do anything crazy.”
Golden blinked.
“What? Alex…”
“I’ve been scared,” Alex confessed, voice breaking.
“Ever since the resort… I feel like you’re holding everything inside. Too much. Too quietly. And I’m scared Florida will make you snap.”
Golden froze.
Alex’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I lost a friend in Beijing… because she kept pretending she was okay. I’m not ready to lose another. I’m not ready to lose you.”
Golden felt the guilt hit her like a wave.
She’d been drowning so deeply in her own pain… she hadn’t realized Alex was drowning with her.
“I’m sorry,” Golden whispered, pulling Alex into a hug.
For the first time since they met…Alex cried.
And Golden held her, finally understanding she wasn’t the only one hurting.
Enroute to London...
Varney’s jet sliced through the clouds on its way to London.
The cabin was silent except for the low hum of engines and the soft clink of ice in his untouched glass.
Varney was supposed to be reviewing contracts. He wasn’t. His mind kept drifting.
First to Golden, her quiet strength, her fragile moments she tried to hide from him, the burden he wished she didn’t have to carry.
Then, unexpectedly…His thoughts shifted to Alex. He was taken back at the mere thought of her. Why did he suddenly think of her?
A slow smile creeped on his face as he tried to remember the very first day he met her.
He had just returned from a business trip when he overheard Florence on the phone with Golden saying she was coming home with a guest.
He initially wasn't going to have dinner with Golden because he had an important meeting, but he was interested in knowing who his sister was bringing home.
Then he saw her. He was instantly amused.
While Golden hugged him, he took his time to check her out.
She was 6ft tall with long black hair that stopped just at the center of her back.
She looked Chinese but not completely. There was something American about her.
When she said her mum was from Houston, he immediately connected the dot.
She managed to perfectly blend the Southern American charm with her Chinese heritage, making her a rare beauty.
She could easily make it in the modeling industry and wondered why she was choosing to become a doctor instead.
He immediately liked her for her sense of humor and understood why Golden was taken by her.
She was the perfect person to balance out Golden's reserved personality.
And slowly, he and Golden began relying on her, maybe a little too much...