11. Chapter Eleven #2
"No, I'm taking my own observations and the experiences of people who work here every day." I meet her gaze head-on this time, not backing down an inch. "People who have been loyal to this company long before you decided it was yours to play with."
I let that land, knowing it's a low blow but also knowing it's true.
Cynthia has always seen herself as the real power behind Locke of my life.
Sorry, that sounds...what I mean to say is, I couldn't do any of it without you.
" He hesitates, then adds, "And yeah, Margaux and I have history, but that's all it is: history.
It doesn't mean anything compared to what we have. "
I glance at him, searching his face for any sign of doubt. But all I see is sincerity and maybe even desperation. He wants me to believe him.
"And she calls you Hal," I say.
He blinks, caught off guard. "What?"
"At the Belford meeting. The first one she sat in on.
She called you Hal, and you didn't even flinch.
" I keep my voice steady, though the memory still burns.
"That's her name for you. From before me.
From whatever life you two had together.
And she used it like she'd been using it yesterday, like she still had the right to it. And you just sat there."