Imperfect Desires

After being hit by Xiu, Nora rubbed her head and said pitifully, "You should really tear off that mask of innocence now. There is nothing wrong with being a lady on the streets and a beast under the sheets."

Xiu's temper flared up as she repeatedly hit her best friend who was spouting nonsense at the first chance she got. Xiu noticed Darren's eyes following her brutal attacks on Nora who was shrieking like a victim. She clutched Nora's collar and practically dragged her best friend out of Darren's place while leaving only a few words behind, "Have a good day, baby! I'll see you later! Bye!"

Before he could reply, the door of his apartment was shut close leaving him only sighing on his own. He more or less knew what was going on between Nora and Xiu. But it wasn't his place to say anything. After all, his own best friend wasn't any better if not worse. However, he still felt like there was something different in the bond that Xiu and Nora shared.

Earlier when he found his phone, he had actually informed Nora first about Xiu before checking the messages from Ben. And while he was talking to Nora, she had said, "You didn't have to make a whole scene by openly confessing your love for my Xiu."

Darren knew she was referring to his interview as well. How was it possible that the interview would go unnoticed by Nora? "Is something wrong with claiming someone who is mine before the rest of the world?"

He heard Nora chuckling before she said, "I didn't know you're also territorial." Darren frowned while she continued, "Don't pretend like it was your own idea. I know my best friend better than you. She might have changed a lot but one thing about her is still the same, she never liked sharing her stuff. She is the kind of person who would find a way to announce to the world that something or someone belongs to her. I often tease her for being territorial like sharks. But I know deep inside she's just insecure. And you chose this way to get rid of her insecurities. I really want to applaud your shrewdness."

"Rather than shrewdness, I'd like to call it my love for her. I don't find anything wrong with letting her know that nobody can dare to separate me from her," had answered Darren.

Meanwhile, since Xiu was away from Darren's eyes, she shed all forms of cordiality and showered Nora with attacks. 

"This stupid mouth of yours! Can't you say something appropriate?" Xiu yelled at Nora as she finally stopped hitting her and Nora shrugged her shoulders in reply. 

"I was just merely stating a fact," replied Nora calmly while she ran her hands over her hair in an attempt to tame some untamed strands. "By the way, even if you won't enlighten me with your adventurous night, do you think I can't tell?" Xiu stared at her. "My dear Xiu'er, even your aggressive retaliation is enough to tell me what happened last night."

Xiu harrumphed at her as she said, "I'm not being aggressive, I just think that you shouldn't be teasing me about this and that too, right before my boyfriend!" Seeing the way, Nora was smiling with a hidden meaning, Xiu frowned, "Why are you smiling?"

"Oh, nothing much. It's just that I can literally feel that pride bursting out of you when you claim Darren to be your boyfriend. It seems so damn natural," Nora told her keen observation leaving Xiu with no retort. Even Xiu's heart she knew that she was proud. So what? Was it wrong to be proud of the person you love? She didn't think so!

Nora touched Xiu's head as she said, "But I can even tell that Darren feels even more proud to have you." She sighed looking at a distance with a hazy gaze, "No wonder my mom says that love is a two-way thing. Only one person can't love alone, otherwise, that person would also get tired." She smiled happily at Xiu, feeling genuinely happy for her. Why wouldn't she be happy? She had always wished to see Xiu happily in love with the love of her life. "Xiu, stop being reckless now. Because I can honestly tell you that your recklessness might do severe damage to your boyfriend."

Xiu's eyes widened as she looked straight at Nora's face, "What do you mean?"

"He didn't tell you," muttered Nora to herself before shaking her head. "Nothing. Forget it. If he doesn't want to tell, then we shouldn't discuss this."

Before she could turn around, Xiu held her arm and stopped her. "What do you want to say? What is it about Regan that I don't know?" Xiu was really curious now.

Nora pursed her lips and stared intently at Xiu's face before sighing out, "I don't know whether I should tell you this or not. But last night, Darren had almost turned the whole city upside down just because you weren't picking up his call and he didn't know how or where were you." Xiu was surprised to hear her words, "When he called me to ask about any clues, I can swear that I felt like he was scared. He was so worried and sounded breathless as if he had been running around a lot."

Xiu listened to her in a trance. Hearing Darren said that he was scared was different but when Nora said it, only then did she really realize how much of trouble did she cause last night. One could say that Nora was never a bright person when it came to feelings, that was the reason most of her relationships went downhill. She just didn't have that sharp sense to discern people's feelings. However, if a person like her could tell that Darren was worried, that means he was really worried about her.

 "Even when I told him that you can possibly be at the cemetery, he didn't hesitate to make a visit to the cemetery looking for you," told Nora without hiding anything from Xiu. 

Even though Nora really loved and cared about Xiu, even she could tell that Xiu had her own lacking when it came to relationships. And she knew it better because she had seen Xiu's awkward interactions with herself; whether it was when she met her for the first time or when Xiu lost her memory. Both times, she had to break that barrier around her to make her feel comfortable.

While Nora was talking, Xiu only caught one word that broke her trance and made her look at Nora with knitted brows, "Cemetery?"