Chapter 961: Chapter 961



“I didn’t expect you to still remember to call me. I thought you’d cut ties with me,” she teased.

Rickey’s response came with his usual casual tone. “I’m busy, unlike you. My dad hired five tutors for me. I’m in class all day, every day, with them.”

Aurora couldn’t help but scoff. “So busy you can’t even reply to my messages? Is that it? My uncle travels across three countries in a single day—without even time to use the bathroom—and still finds time to message my aunt and let her know he was safe. Are you telling me you’re busier than him?”

“That’s because they’re husband and wife,” Rickey shot back.

Aurora felt a sharp pang in her chest at his words.

“We’re not at that stage,” he added, as if explaining it all away.

If it had been before, Aurora might have hung up immediately. But now, she felt something in his voice—a hint of grievance or disappointment. Maybe it was because of her, maybe it was something else, but it made her pause.

“Is there something you want to say to me, Rickey?”

“I do. I assume you’ve received your acceptance letter from Dugruayae University. Congratulations! Our principal must be really proud of you, while Addie is fuming mad at home.”

The casualness in his tone somehow eased the awkward air between them. Aurora was relieved and bantered with him.

“I’m a smart-ass, remember?”

“Everyone has their moment of glory. Don’t get too cocky with yours.”

Aurora snorted. “Oh yeah? Well, at least I’ve had my moment of glory. What about you? You were always at the bottom of your class.”

Rickey’s exam scores were always near the bottom, across every subject. Oddly enough, he didn’t seem to care, while Aurora couldn’t help but worry about what it meant for his future.

But Rickey would just brush her concerns off and tell her not to worry because even his father didn’t care.

It was only now that Aurora realized she might have been too interfering. They were just friends, and friends shouldn’t get too tangled up in each other’s major life decisions.

Rickey’s choice to go abroad without telling her had really hurt. But she now understood this was the nature of their friendship—open, yet heading in different directions.

“Aurora,” Rickey called out, pulling her back to the present.

“Yeah?”

“Did you miss me?”

Aurora snapped out of her thoughts, every part of her suddenly alert.

“Of course.” She tried to sound casual. “Without you, I have no one to goof around with.”

“But are you happy even when I’m not around?”

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