Brady stared out across the sea of people. The ballroom was full to the brim with his supporters chanting his name, cheering his victory, and waiting for him to give his acceptance speech. He had won the nomination to run for the House of Representatives in his party. He had won.
All of the time, energy, planning, strategizing…everything he had given up had been worth it. The people in his district had voted, and here he was preparing to step up to the podium to accept the nomination. It was surreal to finally have within arm’s reach what he had been working toward all this time.
Yates’s dropping out of the race had helped the situation. He had been a more formidable contender than Hardy, though still Brady had beaten him by only a thousand votes. He wished he knew how much of his success rested on the name his father had given him compared to the amount of effort he had put in himself.
In the end, it didn’t matter. He was still here, exactly where he wanted to be.
“Congratulations!” Heather cried, rushing toward him with a giant smile plastered on her face. It was the first real smile he had seen from her in a while. She had been even more stressed than he was these last couple weeks.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him into a hug, the way she used to when they had been running in smaller races. She didn’t even touch him anymore; she was too worried about appearances.
Brady patted her on the back and Heather released him, looking a bit flustered.
“I knew you could do it,” she said, straightening diplomatically. Even here, right after they had won their greatest feat to date, she still couldn’t be herself. Sometimes he missed the old Heather.
“Thanks,” Brady said, for once not knowing what else to say.
“How does it feel?” she asked. Her delight was written all over her body. Most other people might not have noticed, since she wasn’t skipping around the room and bouncing up and down, but Brady noticed the little things—like the way she gripped her hands together, the set of her shoulders, and her easy breaths. They had been in this business together too long already.
“It feels damn good.”
“Don’t go saying that to the press,” Heather said cheekily.
“Would I ever?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Heather leaned in closer and checked to make sure no one was listening. Everyone was milling around them, but they all seemed too engrossed in their own excitement to pay him too much attention. It was a bit ironic.
“Fuck, Brady. We actually did it. We beat the odds. We beat Yates and Hardy. Despite you messing around with that reporter, and the press having a field day, we still made it through. We can win.” Her voice was tight with emotion. “We can win.”
And there it was. It always came back to Liz. All of the dates that Heather had put on his arm had shown up in the news in a negative light, but it didn’t matter. Because to Heather, he had slipped up, he had fucked Liz, and he had carried on an illicit relationship behind Heather’s back. Even though he wasn’t dating someone else, or married, or had kids…it still always came back to that.
Brady wondered whether Heather even noticed how irritated that made him.
“Yes, I believe we can win,” he said curtly. “Excuse me, Heather, I need a minute alone before I go onstage.”
“Of course,” she said. “Congratulations again. Alex said for you to take two days off, and then we were going to sit down and plot strategy. I know that we already have the skeleton in place, but now that we have the nomination, he wants it all finalized.”
“Sounds perfect. Friday it is,” Brady said. Heather turned to leave, but Brady stopped her. “And hey, Heather…”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for all of your hard work.”
“Wouldn’t have done it for anyone else,” she said sincerely before departing.
Brady sighed and walked away from the crowd, hoping to find a moment of peace. He pulled out his phone, glad that he had a new number that wasn’t tapped…yet. He understood that people wanted to get dirt on him, but the never-ending cycle of new numbers was exhausting.
Not that he could ever let on that anything exhausted him. Some days everything did. He had followed in his father’s footsteps, and they were big shoes to fill. At least Brady believed that he could do it. He had been one of those kids who, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, had answered without pause, “The President of the United States.” That dream had never faded, and luck seemed to be on his side.
He was counting on that luck to get him through this election. He just hadn’t anticipated Liz. She was the one game piece that didn’t fall into place. Yet for some goddamn reason he couldn’t get her out of his head.
Brady entered the empty lounge and took a seat on a brown cushioned chair. He leaned forward with his arms resting on his legs. He had about fifteen minutes until he got up onstage before all of his supporters, staff, and press. He wanted those fifteen minutes to be peaceful, because he knew the rest of the night…the rest of the campaign would be without a moment of peace.
He typed in Liz’s number by heart; he’d had too many phone changes not to know it.
Hey, are you in the crowd?
Liz’s response was almost immediate. Yes, I’m here with my boss.
Brady frowned. Her boss. He was sure she didn’t mean the professor who had given her the research assistant position, which meant she was here…at his event…with that douche bag.
Brady clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, trying not to let his anger overpower him. He knew he wasn’t giving her what she wanted, but he couldn’t do anything about it right now.
And then the fact that she had run to someone else…just infuriated him. She said that it wasn’t like that, but still. Despite it all, he still wanted to be with her. He still really wanted to give her what she asked of him.
I have some time and wanted to see you.
Heather will flip her shit if she saw me. I don’t want to get you in any sort of trouble. This is a big day for you.
He wished he could tell her what he was really thinking—that he wished she were the woman he was walking out on that podium with, that he wanted her to stand by his side, that he loved her. But he couldn’t promise her things that he couldn’t give her. He couldn’t give her false hope for a life he couldn’t offer her right now. He was a man of the state, and he couldn’t just…fall in love. Not like this. Not on the campaign, when every little thing that came out could damage his career.
Relationships were about compromise, and he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t compromise his ideals, the campaign, or the country for anyone…not even Liz. Not even if he wanted to…
At least you’ll be out in the crowd. I’ll find you from the stage.
I think it’ll be really hard for you to find me. I’m with the press. You have your work cut out for you.
Airplanes, baby. I’ll find you.
Brady waited for her response, knowing that the time was ticking away faster than he would have liked. He was ready for his speech, ready to move forward. But sitting here chatting with Liz made him want time to stand still.
That was how he always felt with her. Time couldn’t move slowly enough. She was always just out of his grasp.
I have no doubts that you’ll find me. I’ll always be your airplane, but no hyperventilating onstage.
Always. Brady shook his head at that word. Always was a long time. He couldn’t give her always yet.
It’s going to be a busy campaign…
He didn’t even know why he had sent her that. Did he just want to instigate this conversation? He couldn’t help pressing her buttons and seeing how far he could push her. She always rebounded, but how long could he keep it up? She wasn’t completely elastic. There was some part of her that would crack and break if he pushed too hard.
So why was he even testing it? He needed her.
I know, Brady. I’m well aware.
You know this can’t be anything else right now. Just don’t forget, okay?
God! Why was he torturing her? How many times had he repeated that they couldn’t be together? He couldn’t seem to convince himself, so he felt the need to beat the words into her instead. Whatever he might want, he couldn’t have it until he saw the campaign through to the end.
Who are you trying to convince, Brady? You have a speech to give…I should probably let you go.
Brady felt as if she had just hung up on him, yet they weren’t even on the phone. He slid his phone back in his pocket and ground his teeth in frustration. That goddamn woman!
He wanted to make things right, but everything he did made it worse. Why had he fallen for her? Why couldn’t their relationship just have stayed exactly what it was when they started? Brady had met his match.
He would have to tell her. Tonight. He would tell her that he loved her, that he should have told her a long time ago, that once the campaign was over, he would give her what she wanted. He had been denying himself that long enough. He needed her to know. Once this was all said and done, he wanted to give her the world and more. He would set it right.
Yeah. It would have to be tonight after the primary. She would need to know. He would make her understand.
The door to the room creaked open and Elliott’s head appeared in the doorway. “Brady, it’s about that time.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you going to be able to recover?” Elliott asked him, moving into the room and shutting the door.
“Recover from what?” Brady asked, standing and straightening out his suit. He’d had someone pick him out a new one for the occasion, and after he had gotten it tailored, the thing fit perfectly. “I just won the primary.”
“As your lawyer, I should tell you that ditching your reporter would be in your best interest.” Brady narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I know she’s in the crowd. Yes, I know that you’ve still been seeing and talking to her.”
“What’s your point, Elliott?” he asked. His voice had a steely edge to it.
“As your friend, I’m sorry that you have such poor timing. I know you wouldn’t put your career at risk for just anyone,” Elliott said, walking over to Brady. They had known each other a very long time. “What is it about her?”
“I don’t want to have this conversation right now,” Brady said sternly. He couldn’t think about Liz after the abrupt end to their conversation. “I have a campaign to win.”
Brady brushed past Elliott and walked to the door.
“You really do love her, don’t you?” Elliott asked when Brady reached for the door handle.
“Frankly, it doesn’t matter at this point,” Brady said, before swinging the door open and exiting.
Brady walked back toward the stage, knowing his time was almost up. Campaign staffers and friends patted his shoulder and congratulated him as he walked by. He forced on what Liz called his campaign mask and accepted all of their praise with poise and charm.
His family was waiting for him at the stage. His father looked happy. Brady knew that his father had always wanted him to enter politics. Brady had practically been bred for it. He was achieving what his father had always hoped for his son.
His father’s arm was sitting loosely around his mother’s waist. She had short blond hair styled into a bob. She had frequently been compared to Jackie O for her style, beauty, and intelligence. She smiled warmly at her son, a proud gleam in her eye.
Clay and Savannah stood side by side wearing drastically different expressions. Clay, as usual, looked bored and as if he would prefer to be anywhere else. Brady didn’t even know why Clay even still showed up to events for him. The longer Clay was around Brady, the less pleasant he became. Savannah, however, was bursting with energy. He and Savannah had always gotten along better than he did with Clay. She was excited for him, and Brady could tell she wanted to crush him with hugs, but she was restraining herself.
That was all any of this was. It was one big game of restraint. No one could be too happy or too sad or too mad. Any of that could be caught on camera and look negative on the campaign. He would play the game and get what he wanted. He knew the costs.
“We’re so proud of you, honey,” Brady’s mother said, walking out of his father’s arms and moving forward to straighten his suit.
“Thanks, Mom,” he said, looking down at her petite form. She had on a navy-blue skirt suit with a white blouse underneath her blazer. She had on makeup ready enough for the camera crew and bright stage lights, but Brady knew that his mother was beautiful without any of it.
“Not to jinx you, but you’re going to win this race,” she said with a wink before stepping back.
“Are you ready, son?” Brady’s father asked.
“Yes, sir,” he responded immediately.
“Then I think it’s time.”
Brady nodded before turning around and walking to the entrance to the stage. He watched Heather walk up to the podium. She was a natural in front of an audience, and he knew that no matter where he went in his career she would follow him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for attending this party for State Senator Brady Maxwell III,” Heather began her speech.
The crowd boomed.
“He’s very pleased to be here with you all tonight. We’re all very happy to announce that Senator Maxwell has won your nomination to the House of Representatives and will be fighting for your vote at the general election in November.”
Brady smiled at her enthusiasm. She had this audience so easily. They were here for him. These were the people who believed in him. It was going to be a close race on Election Day, but the people surrounding him were going to help him get there.
“Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to the man who won your vote, State Senator Brady Maxwell.”
That was his cue.
Brady took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to do. He had made hundreds of speeches and he would do thousands more before he was done with his career. The stage was his battleground, and he was ready to fight to win this election.
He stepped out on the stage, into the blaring lights and flashing cameras. The crowd of supporters cheered, and he could hear his name rising from all sides.
Max-well. Max-well. Max-well.
The room was a collage of red, white, and blue. People were holding VOTE FOR MAXWELL signs and waving the signature Stars and Stripes. His logo was plastered everywhere on banners, balloons, T-shirts, and the projection screen on the wall.
Brady’s heart contracted as he realized that all of this was because people believed in his plans. He let himself feel that for a second before resuming his confident stride to the podium. He smiled at the crowd, knowing that hundreds of pictures were capturing his every move.
As he stood and waited for the crowd to quiet down, his eyes searched out Liz. He wanted to find her and somehow convey to her across this distance everything he was feeling. She read him so easily, but he wasn’t sure whether she would understand when he gave his next speech.
Brady searched through the reporters at the center of the room, and his smile widened when he found Liz. She looked gorgeous in a dark pantsuit and heels with her blond hair hanging long over her shoulders. His eyes shifted to the person next to her, and it took everything Brady had not glare. The guy, Hayden, was talking directly into Liz’s ear over the deafening noise while his hand rested on her arm. And Brady couldn’t. even. react.
Liz shifted marginally away from Hayden and smiled up at Brady. Her hands moved to a long necklace dangling down past her breasts. His locket.
What is she thinking? Brady wondered.
“Thank you. Thank you,” Brady said, raising his hands and attempting to quiet down the crowd. After another minute, the noise had died down enough for him to begin.
“Thank you all so much for coming out to my nomination party. Who would have guessed four years ago that I would be up for nomination for the House of Representatives? I’m humbled and honored that so many people believe in the vision I set forth when I started campaigning for office. It’s been a tough road already on the campaign trail, but I never once doubted that y’all would get me here.”
Brady focused in on Liz in the crowd. He couldn’t read her face from that distance. She was standing very still and seemed to be soaking in what he said.
“I’ve made sacrifices to get here, and I’m going to keep making them. Everything that I’ve done to get where I am was worth it to better represent the people of North Carolina.”
Liz bristled at those sentences just like he knew she probably would. She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. He knew he was hurting her.
“When I was growing up, I watched my father working for the people as a Congressman, and I always said that was what I wanted to do as well. I want to work for you. I’m listening to your concerns and taking those concerns with me to Congress.”
Brady paused to catch the effect his words had on the crowd. He could still feel Liz staring at him, but he had to scan the room. When he met her gaze once more, he felt his heart rate pick up. His hands were clammy, his cheeks heating, and he found it hard to swallow. He felt his focus shifting away from what he knew he needed to say, but she paralyzed him in that moment. He felt like he was hyperventilating all over again, like he was about to board an airplane. How did she have such power?
Brady swallowed back the panic threatening his body. It was like deep down he knew that by standing in this place, he was sacrificing more than he could ever admit. He wanted Liz to understand. He wanted her to see what she was capable of doing to him.
“I’ve met a few people on the road to this election who have shown me the example to follow. A man I met in Hillsborough, with more determination than anyone I’ve ever known, told me that he was going to organize a party with his friends to get the word out. An elderly woman I met while I was in Charlotte made phone calls in my district because she wanted to do her part to help in the process. A young woman I met in Raleigh on the Fourth of July taught me a vital lesson: People can surprise you. They can make you believe in them more than you ever thought they would believe in you. And that’s precisely what happened. I believe in you, all of you. I believe in the man talking to his friends to get the word out, the elderly woman helping out the best way she knows how, and the woman who made me understand that no matter what, I could do this.”
Liz brushed under her eyes and shook her head. Brady could tell she was torn and emotional from his speech. He was talking about her. Of course he was talking about her. Liz was the one to show him that he could make someone truly believe in what he wanted for the state and in turn, that forced him to believe in her…to fall for her.
“And it’s those three individuals, every single one of you here, and the rest of the state who make me proud to accept the nomination from the party to run for the House of Representatives in the Fourth District of North Carolina.”
The room exploded with excitement. Everyone was cheering and screaming all at once. A huge round of congratulations would follow and then he would go to the celebratory party thrown in his honor with all of his friends and family.
But in that moment, the only person he saw in the room was Liz Dougherty. They stared across the room at each other. He didn’t know what she was thinking or feeling. She looked like she was trying to wear her own campaign mask. Not let him in, not let him see what she was feeling.
Then all at once he saw something shift in her. Liz dropped her arms, shrugged like she couldn’t explain what she was feeling, then sighed heavily. She didn’t look sad or even mad at him…she looked resolute. Like she had been on the edge of a precipice deciding whether or not to jump and he had made up her mind.
Grasping the chain around her neck, the necklace he had gotten her, she dropped it down under her shirt and out of sight. She placed her hand over the spot where it was hidden away and gave him the faintest of smiles.
Liz broke his gaze and turned to face Hayden. They exchanged a few brief words, and then she turned and walked toward the double doors at the back of the ballroom. Brady watched her meander through the crowd still cheering his victory. When she made it to the doors, she glanced over her shoulder, met his gaze one last time, and then she was gone.