It took twelve hours. Twelve hours of explaining the darker corners of my life to Sarki, details she never needed to know, things that went far beyond what was written in the Constitution.
I was falling deeper in love with her every day, and that made the secret even heavier. But the mission came first. If Kelsey’s name was linked to this, her career was over. And Megan? She’d be lucky to see a courtroom again, let alone the Supreme Court.
Once the Psico team arrived, the script was finalized with incisive clarity:
Peter left the gala in a drunken, jealous stupor after seeing Megan with Donald.
He dismissed his chauffeur in a fit of rage and drove himself toward his hotel.
Consumed by depression, he went out seeking a fix; he lost control in the storm and plunged into the lake.
With the lie polished to a high shine, I had to face Kelsey. She looked defeated, her hand anchored to Megan’s as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
"You know what I’m going to ask, Peanut," I said softly, rubbing her back as she stared at the shell of the woman she loved.
"I’ve never felt this way, Vanessa," Kelsey whispered, her voice breaking. "Is there any other way?"
"We wait. We see how the public reacts," I replied, my voice hardening. "But if the heat gets too close, you’ll have to step aside. You’ll have to let her go so she can have the seat she’s worked her whole life for. Are you capable of that?"
Kelsey looked at Megan, the bandages, the immobilized shoulder, the wires mapping out her survival.
"You know I am," she breathed.
#48
"Come, please, I'm calling and I scream for you. Hurry, I'm falling" Nickelback
The week passed in a blur, and Kelsey was a constant, haunting presence at my side. She was different, sterner, shadowed, spending hours at the desk across from my bed, her focus buried in work that seemed more like an escape than a duty.
The moment I was medically cleared, the air in the room shifted. Kelsey was dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, pacing the length of the suite. She wouldn't meet my gaze, her fingers constantly twisting through her hair as if trying to physically restrain her own anxiety.
"What’s going on? Can you just say it?" I asked, the silence becoming unbearable.
"Megan," she began, and hearing my full name, stripped of all endearments, hit me with the force of a second crash. "What youdid... it was reckless. I thought I’d lost you. I thought you were gone forever."
"I was trying to fix what I broke," I countered, fumbling with the pillows to find some semblance of comfort. She moved toward me instantly, adjusting them with practiced care, but she didn't linger. There was no kiss to my forehead, no lingering touch. The distance between us was growing, even as she stood inches away.
"I think... the way things are going, I’m a liability to you," she said, her voice trembling. "I could destroy your career, Meg. And God, I can’t live with that."
I sat up straight, my defensive walls snapping into place like a shield. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"That I can’t let you prioritize me over your dream of the Supreme Court. You almost threw everything away the second you stepped into that car."
I forced myself out of bed, ignoring the throb in my shoulder as I pulled her to face me. "Are you breaking up with me?" I demanded, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were hollow, rimmed with the exhaustion of someone who hadn't slept in days.
"Kitty..." She pulled me into her arms, her grip desperate. "Just until the confirmation. Just until you're elected. Please, try to understand. I won't be the reason that chair stays empty for you."
