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"Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Jessie might ask me to be his VP."
Did I just hear that right? "As in...Vice President?"
A smile appeared on Lucas's face. "Of the United States. Yeah. And if that happens, they're going to do a deep dive into my past. The press will find out about you. And Claire. I wanted to give you the opportunity to get ahead of this before it happened."
Oh fuckity fuck. I sunk back into the seat, sweat popping up on my forehead. I clenched my eyes, trying to process what this meant.
"Hey," Lucas whispered, reaching out and touching my arm. "This is going to be okay."
How was this going to be okay? Quinn was potentially murdered by the people who want the videoIhacked, and now my daughter's father was going to run for the second highest point in America's political office.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So, what you want me to do is keep quiet and pretend like we're on friendly terms? Or do you want me to pretend you've been in our lives this whole time? Or do you want me to be your fake girlfriend and move in with you into the White House?"
"Well, technically, the VP has their own house."
My eyes slowly opened, and I shot him a glare, but the dumb smirk on his face made me smile.
His hand was still squeezing my wrist. "I want you to do whatever you're comfortable with. I'm not going to lie...my original reason for asking you to Jessie's party was because he made it clear that I needed a girlfriend to look more presidential. And honestly, they fucking loved you."
My cheeks flushed with warmth. "Oh my God. He thinks my name is Mallory." I playfully slapped his shoulder. "Jesus Christ, Lucas. If you had told me why you wanted me there, I wouldn't have gone off on that whole tirade of pretending to be someone different."
He threw up his hands. "In hindsight, I probably should have told you. However, I honestly didn't expect...well, I didn't expect us to sleep together for one. And, well..."
"You didn't expect to find out you had a daughter."
"Yeah," Lucas whispered. "That. So whatever you want to do and whatever you want to tell the press. It's your choice. But if you're comfortable with it, then I would like to get to know Claire." His hand slowly slid down from my wrist to the top of my palm. I turned to look at him as he squeezed my fingers. "And maybe we can get to know each other again too. I never wanted us to break up in college."
"I didn't want that either." I squeezed his hand back.
A smile curved across his cheeks. "Either way, I need you to know that you never have to worry about anything ever again. I can help you, even financially, Olive."
"I don't want your money, Lucas." Even though money was the one thing I needed right now. My boss had told me to take another week off work...and was still telling me I could pick up my check when I returned.
Still, ten years was a long time, and the person I thought Lucas was might not be who he had become. The idea of being indebted to him still terrified me.
"That's not what I mean," he whispered. "I want to offer you and Claire security. Safety. I mean, if I become the VP-elect, you and Claire will be two of the safest people on the planet.”
My heart skipped.
Quinn was missing, and it was only a matter of time until whoever took him figured out my connection. The closer I was to Lucas, the safer I—and Claire—would be.
"Hey, I have an idea," Lucas said. "Would you like to have lunch at my house?"
I blinked. "Yeah...I'd like that."
As it turned out, Lucas didn't live in a house. He lived in the Penthouse apartment of the nicest building in Boston.
"Are your eyes still closed?"
We'd taken his own private elevator up here, but then he'd told me to shut my eyes for a surprise.
I pressed my palms against my eyelids. "You better not end up being a serial killer or something."
He chuckled and touched my shoulders, easing me forward. "Okay, come here. Now open."
My hands dropped to my side, my eyes opened, and my jaw dropped. He'd led me to the bay floor-to-ceiling windows that bordered his massive living room. The view looked directly over the harbor, the sparkling water exquisite.
But as I glanced down at the boardwalk way down below, my heart thumped in my chest. One the edge of the boardwalk was a ferris wheel, which looked miniature from this height.
