Chapter 32
Cathy was sick again. And since Valeria had the most seniority, they’d called her to cover the shift. Valeria knew saying something would be stupid—Cathy got a lot of attention since she was doing chemo and everything—but she didn’t want to work this morning. She didn’t.
It was four a.m. Why was Julian at Hagan’s?
He had a huge house in town he was remodeling.
Valeria had asked him about the house renovations all the time.
She could just imagine how perfect it would be for them to live there in the center of town forever.
The old mayor would eventually croak. Someone would have to replace him, and Uncle Ted had always said he wouldn’t want it—he liked being the sheriff too much.
Julian was the obvious choice. She had a lot of plans for them. For their life together.
Why was he with Hagan?
She had understood, a little, why Harper had been with him that last night. Before she’d died. He was best friends with Harper’s fiancé or something. He wouldn’t have ever done anything with Harper. It would have hurt his best friend.
But Valeria wasn’t so sure Harper hadn’t wanted to do something with Julian, though.
Those two had always been laughing together.
Harper had been in the store that day, the day she’d died.
Valeria had heard her flirting with Julian.
Telling him how beautiful he was, and that if her boyfriend wasn’t careful, she’d throw him over for Julian.
Julian had just laughed.
But Valeria had known she’d meant it.
Julian was so much better than Harper’s stupid fiancé. Of course Harper had wanted him.
Now Hagan did. And Hagan was getting him. It was four a.m., and he was inside Hagan’s house. Probably screwing her or something. All the guys Valeria hung around with, her brother and his friends like Damien, they all talked about wanting to screw Hagan.
Julian was a guy. Hagan was a slut.
Just like Valeria’s own mother. Her mother was always screwing around with Ted. Everyone was always screwing around. And now…Hagan was taking Julian away from her too.
Valeria pulled off alongside the road and just cried. And cried.
She was still crying when Julian came out almost two hours later, Hagan hugging him right there on the front porch before he left.
How could he have done this to her?
Julian had ruined everything.
It was all Hagan’s fault.