Brandon, Faith, and Danielle exchanged worried glances.
Faith was about to curse again when Brandon grabbed her arm. "Enough, Faith. That guy might've just gotten out of prison! You never know what kind of people end up in there. Who knows what he did to get locked up?"
Faith hesitated, then reluctantly asked, "So... are we just gonna let this go?"
Brandon paused for a moment before replying, "Let's wait and see. If Deputy Director Hall really comes after us..."
---
"Thank you."
"Helping you is what I should do. No need to thank me," Jeffrey said, his eyes landing on her ankle. "Your ankle still hasn't healed. Let me put some more ointment on it."
He pulled out a bottle of ointment, applied some to her ankle, and gently massaged it in.
The room fell quiet. Rachel bit her lip slightly and asked, "Aren't you curious why those three people came looking for me?"
"If you don't wanna tell me, I won't ask," he said softly.
"Actually, there's not much to say. They're my father, stepmother, and half-sister," Rachel said. "But honestly, it doesn't matter to me anymore."
She paused for a second, then added, "Isn't there anything else you wanna ask?" She knew he must've heard her father yelling at her outside, calling her an ex-convict.
His lashes fluttered slightly before he lifted his eyes to look at her. "Rachel, what do you want me to ask?"
His dark eyes, under the dim light, held a strange calm.
At that moment, Rachel's messy emotions started to settle. She took a deep breath and said, "I was in prison for three years. I just got out not long ago. The charge was drunk driving causing death."
Most people would freak out if they heard something like that. After she got out, everyone who knew her past either avoided her or gave her weird looks.
But him... would he be the same? Right now, it honestly felt like she was back in court waiting for a verdict.
"Is that so?" he said calmly, still focused on her ankle.
She blinked, surprised. That was it? "You don't mind?"
"Why should I?" he asked back.
"Like you said, I call you Rachel. From now on, if you care about me, I'll care about you. That's all that matters."
Her heart, finally at peace, softened at his words. Rachel smiled, relieved. "Jeffrey, meeting you was really... amazing."
But in that moment, she didn't catch the flash in his eyes.
---
On Sunday, Josephine made a special trip to Rachel's rented apartment.
When she saw Jeffrey, she couldn't believe this was the same guy her friend had described as homeless.
Even though he wore a plain cotton shirt, cheap pants, and basic sneakers, stuff you'd find in a street market, he didn't look cheap at all.
His tall frame and sharp features made him stand out.
Even though his thick bangs almost covered his eyes, every glimpse of them left a lasting impression.
Josephine had never seen a guy with eyes like his, not even on celebrities.
His looks were so clean and polished, and the way he spoke the local language so fluently made him feel totally different from regular people.
No matter what she asked, he could answer like it was nothing.
"A homeless guy?" she thought, incredulous.
She pulled Rachel aside and whispered, "Are you sure he's really homeless? With his looks, he could easily be a star or a model."
"Not everyone with good looks is cut out to be a star or a model," Rachel replied.
Josephine had to admit Rachel had a point. The entertainment industry wasn't easy. "But don't you ever think about it, spending so much time with him?"
Rachel rolled her eyes.
Josephine used to worry Jeffrey might do something to her, but now it seemed like she was worried Rachel might do something to him.
"He's a few months younger than me. I see him as a little brother," Rachel said.
Josephine walked up to Jeffrey. "Let me make this clear. You can stay here, but you have to promise you won't cause any trouble or deceive Rachel. She hates being lied to. If you're a liar, I'll call the police on you!"
"Josephine, stop it. Jeffrey wouldn't lie to me," Rachel interjected.
"You've only known him for a short time. It's better to be clear from the start. Hey, Jeffrey, did you hear me?" Josephine called out to him.
He gave a slight smile and said, "Yes, I understand."
Even though he was smiling and didn't argue, Josephine felt a strange unease. It was as if his calm demeanor and the subtle aura he exuded made her feel like she was the one being warned.
Just a homeless guy, she thought. Maybe she was overthinking it. Josephine reminded herself. Still, as she left, she secretly told her friend to take care and call her if anything happened.
Once the room was empty except for the two of them, Rachel turned to Jeffrey. "Don't mind what Josephine said earlier. She's just worried about me."
"She's your friend, so whatever she says doesn't matter to me," Jeffrey replied, finding the warning almost laughable. "Are you and her very close?"
"Do you know what a lifeline is?" Rachel murmured, her voice soft. "It's like when you're drowning, and no matter how hard you try to grab onto something, there's nothing there. But then, you finally catch hold of a straw. Even if that straw can't pull you out, it gives you hope, so you don't completely give up." She sighed. "Josephine is that straw for me."