Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 168

Hogan was dead serious when he said it.

Right in the spotlight.

I

And that kinda threw me for a loop. All I could muster was a weak “uh–huh,” my face totally betraying me.

After all, this whole “work” thing was just smoke and mirrors.

But I was not ungrateful. I was crystal clear that without Hogan stepping up to bat for me in tonight’s farce, I’d have been left high and dry.

But why, though? Mr. Brainiac himself surely knew the can of worms he’d open by speaking up for me, yet he went ahead and did it, way out of left field.

“All this hustle’s killed my vibe.”

That crisp voice snapped me back to reality. Next thing I knew, Hogan and Cecilia had vanished into the crowd, gone with the wind.

The others, seeing Timothy all wiped out, tried to cheer him up. But the guy was dead set on teaving. Looping his arm over my shoulder, he was all, “Xaviera is beat. Gotta take her home, right, Xaviera?”

Timothy gave me those innocent puppy dog eyes as he dropped that last line, grinning from ear to ear.

was giving me the wink–wink, nudge–nudge.

played along. “A bit, yeah.”

was leading me out of the hall and towards the

lot.

far when sobs hit my ears. I stopped dead in my tracks and saw Hogan and

girl was a mess, head hanging low, sniffling, “I just don’t get it. Why’d you have to lie

pierced my ear and I

was in

sighed softly, his long fingers brushing her cheek, “I have my reasons.”

11:02

Chapter 168

His reasons.

my heart thumping

nudged

chilly here. Let’s wait up

later, Timothy dropped me off at the

head, he said with a hint of

I sheepishly said, “I should be

was adamant, a touch of urgency in his

image of that mechanical cufflink flashed in my mind, leaving me

and I mean if, Sean really was FreeMan, Timothy’s