Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 20

Before I even finished talking. Cecilia across from me suddenly stood up, staring past me, and stuttered. “Hogan.”

Her eyes were getting even redder as she spoke.

Hogan quickly moved to Cecilia’s side in just a couple of strides, shielding her with his body. and demanded, “What the heck have you two said to her?”

He said “you two.”

That included me too.

When Hogan spoke, a vein on his forehead was throbbing.

He was clearly peeved.

For someone as usually cool as a cucumber like him, this was a rare loss of control, especially with Hilary standing right there.

In my memory, those two, mother and son, had never had a heated argument.

But now, for Cecilia’s sake, even his tone with Hilary had an edge to it.

Hilary seemed blindsided by how things had escalated, pointing at Hogan and saying, “I’m doing this for you, don’t you know that?”

After saying that, she stormed out with tears in her eyes.

Just as I was about to follow, I heard Hogan say, “In a rush to brown–nose?”

tracks,

got it all wrong,

gave me a

was my bad for getting my hands dirty in

a while, I said, “I’m heading back to the office.”

Hogan give you a lift.”

smile, “Nah, it’s out of his way.”

at the office, the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. After this afternoon’s drama, I figured my

had this nagging feeling that something bad was brewing.

Wallis

Chapter 20

snapped me out of my

lo and

digits, my lips

commend him for knowing the score?

caught my eye. [Tough

emotion

without a second thought, pondering whether I’d stumbled upon a new

all, Hogan was the finance whiz–kid with a Midas touch.

thought. I putled up my friends list and hit

at my phone balance, I felt a wave of relief.

sidled up to me and asked, “Xaviera, what time are you

clueless. “Heading out

Darren’s birthday bash,” Jack said, then realizing something was off, he added

was normal since we weren’t that close.