What Declan doesn’t know is that there was also a concession speech. George wrote it himself and ran it past me. It was short, sweet, melancholy…and contained a public statement acknowledging Declan’s “love and support,” among other things.
It exists only as a draft in my private e-mail account, because I was going to send it to George’s personal cell if he lost so he could read it from there.
In fact, I go in and delete it right now, and then empty my trash folder.
Once his speech is over, I say my good-byes to everyone, leaving Declan and George for last.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” I can see George studying me.
“I’m tired, and you don’t need me now. I’m going home and going to bed. I’ll be over in the morning to start our grind again.” I have to be careful of what I say to him. There are microphones that can pick up even whispers.
So I hug him once more and kiss his cheek, where I breathe, “I love you,” in his ear.
“Love you, too.”
One of the EPU officers walks me out to my car, because it turns out there’s a celebratory crowd outside the hotel now, overflow who couldn’t fit inside.
I call Declan’s work phone, and he answers almost immediately.
“Yes, Ma’am?”
“Make sure George comes outside real quick to work the rope. You’re not going to believe this crowd out here. They helped elect him, too. It’ll make good PR.”
“Will do. Love you.”
I smile. “Love you, too. Text me when you get home.”
It’s…weird driving home after today’s chaos. It feels eerily quiet on the streets. Once I’m home I actually change into workout clothes and pound the elliptical for nearly forty-five minutes, before I run five miles on the treadmill.
I need the exhaustion, and I haven’t had time to work out in over a week.
I’m standing in my shower and trying to decompress when I’m startled by the sound of my bathroom door opening. I see two figures moving fast, and I barely have time to react when the shower curtain is pulled aside.
“Boo!” Declan says with a grin. He’s already naked and jumps in with me, George stepping in right behind him.
My heart’s trying to slow. “What are you doing here?”
“EPU’s waiting downstairs,” George says. “Told them to wait on us. Said I wanted to tell you good-night.”
He pulls me into his arms and kisses me. “Love you so fucking much.”
“Love you, too. Thank god you didn’t wake me out of a sound sleep. You might have ended up shot.”
He chuckles. “Do I look stupid? Declan snuck up and scoped it out. If you were asleep, he was going to call out and wake you up first.”
“Ah.”
I turn around and Declan kisses me next. “Love you.”
“How are you sneaking over to George’s tonight if you’re supposed to be living here? Your car’s over there.”
“I was going to leave him with you,” George says.
“Uh, no. You have a houseful of relatives who think you two are an item.”
“Oh,” they both say.
I roll my eyes. “You two really don’t think clearly sometimes, do you?”
