You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 905

He never wanted his daughter to be locked away in a life that revolved around nothing but family. He didn’t want her to lose herself, sacrificing everything until there was nothing left. But if she got mixed up with Hector, who knew how things would turn out.

Atticus picked up a pack of cigarettes from the desk and offered it to Hector. “Want one?” He sounded casual, like they were just two men talking business, not two men with Chelsea hanging in the air between them.

“No, thank you.”

Atticus leaned back against his desk, steadying himself with one hand while holding his cigarette in the other. He narrowed his eyes at Hector. “I thought you smoked, Mr. McKee.”

“I do. Just… today isn’t the right time.”

That answer made Atticus chuckle, a low sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Even after decades in the military, even now when he was supposed to be the approachable mayor, there was still something hard and unyielding about him. No matter how much he smiled, you could still see the tough guy underneath.

“So, what makes today so different?”

“Nicotine wakes you up, but it’s easy to get hooked on the feeling.”

Atticus pressed, “So, is that a good thing or a bad thing, Mr. McKee?”

Hector shrugged. “Everything has two sides. Who can say for sure?”

Atticus nodded like he agreed. “Fair enough.”

The two of them danced around the topic for a moment, neither giving much away. Atticus lit another cigarette, then moved on.

Hector pressed his lips together, his expression starting to crack. “A relationship doesn’t begin or end with just one person deciding.”

“Of course the person who benefits wants to keep things going. You get to sleep with a beautiful young woman, you’ve made it clear you’re not interested in marriage, and you don’t have to take responsibility for anything. If I were you, I wouldn’t want it to end either. It’s not easy to find someone else who fits that role so perfectly.”

Atticus was blunt. There was nothing stiff or old-fashioned about the way he talked. If anything, he understood exactly how messy relationships could get.

“Mr. McKee, I’ve spent more than twenty years dealing with young people in the army. Relationships in that kind of closed environment are even more complicated than they are out here. I know exactly what goes through a man’s mind.”

Atticus reached for the crystal ashtray on his desk, tapping his cigarette. “Are you just messing around with my daughter? Do you really think I’m going to sit back and let you?”