I strain my eyes trying not to roll them. “Sorry, it’s been crazy here. I’m sure you saw the news—”
“I’m proud of you, Iz.” My dad grins. “You’re not hiding anymore.”
“Don’t sugarcoat, Dash. I’m worried. What if one ofthose peoplefollows you to Italy.” My mother rubs her temples with her fingertips. “You don’t have security like you did in Washington.”
“The threats stopped once I left office. I really don’t think anyone would do anything worse thanpointing and laughing.” A shiver runs down my spine. “Not that I wouldn’t find that devastating.”
“You know, CNN was speculating on why you chose this particular area of Italy, and they pointed to the conservation efforts in your area.” My dad takes out his phone and shows me his screen, but I can’t read it. “It’s not a bad idea to bulk up your experience in the international arena—”
My mother shakes her head. “Dash—”
“What? Just in case.”
“In case I want to run again? Yeah, no, not doing that.” I never did get around to drinking that glass of wine Benito poured for me, and now I wish I was mentally lubricated for this conversation.
“And we support you in that decision.” He looks to my mother. “We discussed it, and we do. But you should keep your options open. You’re so young. There’s so much time left.” He scratches his head. “Well, for you, maybe, not the planet or democracy or—”
“You did end up taking that self-defense class, right?” My mother’s lips stretch into a thin, worried line. “You know I don’t condone violence, but maybe you should keep a weapon on you. Not a gun, obviously. But a taser perhaps? Maybe even something medieval—”
My father leans back. “If you’re that worried, we can pay for security. I’ll call Richard and see if he knows anyone internationally.”
Richard was the head of my security team while I was in Congress. I sigh. “Please do not bother Richard.I’m sure he’s busy. I heard he works for Harry and Meghan now.”
My mom gasps. “Montecito is lovely. Good for Richard.”
“Also, I didn’t leak my location,” I say. My parents share a look. “I didn’t want anyone to know that I’m here, and I really hope this all blows over, because I do not want anyone to care about what I’m doing. I’d prefer to be out of the news with all my failure behind me forever.” They share another look. “What?”
“It’s just.” My mother leans in as if she’s about to drop a secret she doesn’t want the trees to hear. “We thought maybe you were getting bored, so you leaked your location to soft launch yourself back into the American political sphere.”
I stare at them blankly. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.” I hear a knock on my door and my heart skips a beat. “Look, Mom, Dad, I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Iz—” I hang up.
“Come in,” I say, sitting up straighter and running my fingers through the ends of my hair. The door opens and Benito’s on the other side. He looks behind him before he walks inside and shuts the door, like he’s making sure he’s not being followed. He gingerly walks over to me, stopping when he reaches the edge of my bed.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.”
He takes a deep breath and runs his hand through his hair; the veins and knuckles on the top of his handsprotrude and I’m suddenly lightheaded. “I’m sorry for everything that happened after—” He stops himself and gestures to the edge of the bed. “May I?” I nod and he sits so he’s barely perched on the corner across from me. “That’s not how I imagined things going. But for the record, I don’t regret anything.” He cocks his head at me, smiling. It seems like he’s testing the waters, but I’m in no mood.
I show him my phone, cued up to the latest headline about my new locale. His smile fades. “Is this—?”
“Everywhere,” I say. “So much for anonymity.”
Benito’s silent for a moment, staring at my phone and struggling to find his words. “I know this is not what you wanted,” he says. “But maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s a weight off your shoulders?”
My stomach twists. “No. It’s notgood,” I say. “Don’t you see? Someone is watching me. Someone is reporting my every move. Someone is waiting for me to fuck up again so they can tell the world.” I take my phone back and start pacing, my brain spinning with all the possible scenarios if someone had caught me and Benito kissing the other day. I’d be ridiculed again. Izzy Rhodes ran off to Italy to make out with her new flavor of the week the minute she was done with Congress. This is who she is. She’s the girl who puts love first. She’s the girl who’s willing to sacrifice everything else for a boy. “This,” I say, pointing between us, “cannot happen again.”
Benito’s eyes narrow. He shakes his head. “I was going to tell mymammaabout Sutton tonight. Itabsolutely can happen again.” He stands and meets me mid-pace, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. “This has to happen again.”
“What about your father?” I ask, dodging out of his grasp so my logical train of thought is no longer influenced by his touch. “You said you need Sutton to help in your war against him. What happens when he finds out you cheated on her?”
“I did not cheat on her.”
“In the narrative you’ve been spinning with your family, you technically did!” I shout. Benito’s eyes quickly move to the door and back and I lower my voice. “Oh god.” I put a palm to my forehead. “This is just what I need. Someone takes a photo of us, Sutton goes public, and now I’m a homewrecking whore.” My breathing quickens and I try to box breathe. It’s how I kept myself from having a panic attack every time an unreasonable colleague made my blood pressure go over the normal limit. In one, two, three, four. . . hold two, three, four. . . out two, three, four. . .
“Izzy.” Benito reaches for me, but I hold up my hands in protest.
