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.

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

along. “A bit, yeah.”

me out of the hall and towards the

lot.

ears. I stopped dead in my tracks and

low, sniffling, “I just don’t get it. Why’d you have to lie

pierced my ear and I

Cecilia was in on

not for her,” the guy sighed softly, his long fingers brushing her

11:02

Chapter 168

His reasons.

my

I nudged

“It’s chilly here. Let’s wait up front.”

me

hint of regret, “Sorry for

humiliation, I sheepishly said, “I should be the

adamant, a touch of urgency in his voice. “None of this. would’ve happened if not for

the image of that mechanical cufflink flashed in

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