Kev slips inside the room and closes the door. “Our limos will be ready in a few minutes. Secret Service wants to sweep and clear the area one more time before we leave for the airport. Elliot, they want you to hold back moving you and your staffers to your limo until they’ve cleared the four of us.”
“Wait,what?” I didn’t realize I’d spoken until it came out and they all look at me. I turn to Elliot. “You’re not returning to DC with us?”
Kev looks at me, looks at Elliot, then slowly holds his hands up in front of him and backs toward Shae and Chris. “Umm…maybe you two should go discuss this in there.” He points at the doorway leading to the en suite bathroom and dressing area.
Elliot’s face turns red and his gaze drops to the floor, but he turns and heads that way without me motioning.
I follow.
Looks like I’ll spend my whole life following him.
I close the door behind us and struggle to keep my voice down. “I thought you were coming back to DC with us?”
Specifically, I thought,finally, tonight we’d have a couple of hours of alone time so I could at the very least get a fucking hug and spend time holding him. The next several weeks, we’ll have little to no opportunity to spend time alone together. Shae and Elliot will have vastly different schedules as they try to cover the country and the flyover states to gain as many votes and turn as many undecideds to vote for Shae as possible. I think there’s maybe five events where they’ll appear together.
What I’m not prepared for is Elliot’s tears. “I’m sorry, Master,” he whispers. “Stella took over and planned a big surprise party in Omaha for tomorrow afternoon. I fly out in the morning, and then to Seattle for the first round of campaign stops.”
It’s the first I’m hearing about any of this. “It’s not a surprise if she tells you about it.” I hate that bitch with a passion. Especially since she treats me like nothing more than hired help. I mean, yeah, she thinks that’s all I am, but she’s dismissive to anyone who isn’t important, in her opinion. “When did this happen?”
“About fifteen minutes before we went out on stage.”
Fuck. She had that time alone with him back here. Not like I could put my foot down about it without acting like a douche, and I’d been distracted helping Kev.
Elliot keeps his eyes squeezed tightly shut. I’m torn between anger and anguish. “She put me on the phone with Mom and Dad. They asked me to be there.” His parents didn’t make the trip to Memphis, although Stella and some of her “friends” did.
I still can’t make myself go to him and hold him, comfort him.
Who’s going to comfortme?
“Why didn’t you tell me before now?”
“I haven’t been able to. We haven’t been alone.” His breath hitches. “And I knew I’d dothis.”
I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath, hold it, let it out again.
I’m about to speak when he does. “I’m sorry, Master. I wanted to spend tonight with you. Ineedyou.”
His tearful tone shreds my anger, which had started winning the war for my mood. When I open my eyes, I find he’s tightly wrapped his arms around himself and is staring at the floor.
Fuck.
“It’s okay, pet. I understand.” I cross the room to him and hold him. His arms slip around me, desperately, the way he frequently feels when he holds me. “I’m not upset. It’s all right.”
Tonight should be nothing but a celebration, and here he acts like a guy condemned to life in prison.
In a way, I suppose that’s exactly what it is, to him.
“I’m so sorry, Master.”
“Shh, pet.” I massage his head with one hand, the way I always do. “It’s all right.” No, it’s not, but I won’t hold it against him. “Please save me some time when you can, hmm?”
“I promise.” He presses his face into the crook of my neck and I feel his breath against my flesh. “I’m really sorry.”
I deepen the pressure I’m using to massage his scalp. “It’s all right, pet. Will you please make time to video chat with me every night?”
“I promise, Master.”
“My sweet, perfect boy.” I turn my face so I can kiss him. “I’m very proud of you, I love you, and I swear I’m here for you.”
