Super Secret | Half Hero Book 2 [ON HOLD]

Chapter 14: You're Trending

I half expected Galen to burst in at any time and berate me for posting something to social media. Instead, the morning passed slowly without visitors or interruptions. 

The highlight of my afternoon was my mom calling to confirm that I would be coming over early for dinner and a movie. In fact, it wasn't until I'd pulled on my outfit for movie night that I got a knock at my lonely door.

"You decent?" Galen called through the frame.

"Almost never," I reminded him as he let himself in.

Galen shook his head with a silent chuckle. "I'm going to miss that sense of humor," he mused out loud.

I kept a careful eye on him as he strolled over to my kitchenette table to take a casual seat. He threw up his arms to cradle his head from behind and studied me with a poker face. 

Maybe my little stunt last night was the straw that broke the camel's back?

"They're letting me go, if you care," Galen volunteered.

He looked rested and chipper, probably excited to be free of this shit show.

"Oh, is that what you meant?" I deflected the remorse twisting my stomach.

Galen puffed his chest with a muted snort in reaction to my attitude. He leaned forward to cross his leg over his knee, flashing his red Spiderman socks. I'd never admit it out loud, but I was going to miss him too. For being a stuffed shirt, pencil pushing, a-hole agent, Galen was actually pretty cool.

"Yeah, I mean what I say, and I say what I mean," Galen replied, lifting his brow wearily. "Unlike some people."

"Do you now?" I scoffed, pleasantly amused. "Is that why you didn't tell me about our buddy mister brown suit?"

"Who?"

Indignant anger flared and I flounced down on my bedspread in frustration. "The man I saw during the attack! The non-hostage you didn't know about until I mentioned him?"

"I told you the truth," Galen didn't flinch. "I'm not at liberty to talk about an open investigation."

"They already fired you," I leveled my deadpan expression on his. "Why not tell me the truth just for shits and giggles? What's the worst they could do now?"

"A lot, Ella. They could do a lot," Galen looked slightly surprised. "They could revoke your travel privileges because they don't want information to go further than this building. You probably wouldn't be allowed out of their sight ever again. They could arrest you and question everyone you love on the grounds of national security, which would get your brother kicked out of school. And, for sure-"

"Sheesh, I meant what would they do to you?" I corrected to cut him off.

He didn't have any problems divulging the many ways the government could yank the rug out from under my family.

"Oh, now you suddenly care what happens to me?" Galen cackled while I remained silent. "That's right, you don't"

I'm not famous for my social tact or sympathy and I knew I was pushing his buttons.

"Well, to answer your question," Galen snapped. He stood up one brisk movement while adjusting his suit jacket. "I'd probably be arrested, and I'm never going to let that happen because I promised my dying mother that I wasn't going to be another black man in jail. You know I have a family of my own to think about, right? How am I any good to them behind bars? You might want to think about that yourself."

I balked at being forced to see things from his side.

"And I care what happens to you, believe it or not," he continued. "Take care, Ella. You're going to need it. Now, c'mon, I'm supposed to be getting you to movie night."

I followed him sullenly, angry at myself for getting him fired and resentful of Galen for making me feel so responsible. In spite of all the lies and cover-ups, I liked Galen as a person (most of the time.)

After a walk down the nondescript halls, we piled into a black car for our final ride together.

"Well would you look at that?" Galen remarked, studying his phone as we sped toward my mom's house. "You're trending on social media, I wonder why?"

I had the decency to cringe into the collar of my sweater, trying to avoid direct eye contact.

"Oh, and Jonathan Miller's going to take over for me until they assign my replacement," Galen said nonchalantly, still scrolling on his thin smart phone. "Lucky you."

I slumped down on the leather seats to sulk and watch the sunset over the cars clogging the highways. Jonathan Miller was the absolute worst-case scenario. His swaggering personality and masterful articulacy barely masked the political viper lurking beneath his colorful silk cravats.

"You going to check that social media thing?" I asked, resigned.

"Nope," Galen's pearly whites beamed in the glow of his phone's screen. "It's officially not my problem anymore."

Eventually we made it to the suburbs of my mom's hood, pulling up over an hour late because of the miserable traffic.

"This is it," Galen announced in a bright tone. "Hope I see you again one day, Ella, under better circumstances though."

"You know that whoever they get isn't going to be half as cool as you, right?" I asked, conceding what little of an apology I could for getting him canned.

"Oh, no doubt," Galen shook his head with a throaty laugh, leaning over my torso.

I closed my arms around him to say goodbye, inwardly glad that he was big enough to want to hug it out, but he stiffened. Galen pushed past me to squeeze open the door handle for me to get out. I pulled away when he started to quiver with laughter at my mistake and huffed out of the car.

"Enjoy the time off with your family," I muttered, shamefaced that I'd just showed emotion and tried to embrace someone. "I know I will."

"And keep asking smart questions, Ella!" he called as I turned to head up the walkway. "Your instincts are good."