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“Stop!” I say, putting up my hand. “You will get the shards in your feet. Do you have a broom?” I ask, and I see him look down, before looking at my feet, then flicking his gaze to my hands that are currently still underneath the cold rushing water from his tap.
“Did you burn your hand?” he asks, looking panicked.
“I’m fine. You need to go and get ready because you will be late,” I say firmly, pushing my emotions back down deep and pulling my shoulders back.
“Beth, I am not leaving you like this,” Harrison says as he looks around, assessing all the damage.
“Harrison. I’m fine. You need to go and get ready. I will clean this mess up and head home.” I just need him to go away, because otherwise, I won’t be able to hold these tears back for much longer.
“Beth, are you in pain? What’s wrong baby?” he asks like he can sense it is more than a broken cup.
“Harrison. You need to stick to your commitments. No distractions, remember?” I pull on Oscar’s terminology and see his lips thin in disagreement. He walks to a cupboard and grabs a broom, before quickly sweeping the broken shards into a small pile, removing them from around my feet.
He then walks toward me and pulls my hands from the water, inspecting every inch of them closely. My chest tightens, my emotions running rampant. He picks me up then, sitting me on the bench, and checks under my feet. My heart is heavy, equal parts about to burst at his affection for me, while about to break because I know his mother is right. He is going to be governor. I am a nobody.
“Your feet are okay, your hands are too. Are you okay, though?” he asks as his look of concern drills into me.
“I told you… I am clumsy,” I murmur with a shrug, because there is no way I am telling him about his mother’s visit.
“You are not clumsy, you are beautiful,” he states before pulling me from the bench and carrying me back to his bedroom. Helping me dress and calling Tom to take me home. All the while my insides turn, and it isn’t until I get home that I walk straight to my bathroom and vomit. The stress of this morning overtaking any sense of normalcy I have, knowing that I have fallen in love with the one man I could ruin.
28
HARRISON
BREAKING NEWS
We have one week to go until election night and the polls have a clear winner so far in Harrison Rothschild. Harrison and his team have been busy campaigning endlessly these past few weeks, securing the votes he needs, his popularity skyrocketing in the outer suburbs where he needed to make up the numbers.
However, Harrison cannot rest yet, as the final week of the campaign is traditionally the most fraught, with elections being won or lost this week as both parties kick up their campaigning, and those sleepless nights start to emerge.
More to come.
It has been a hectic time and the campaign trail has been brutal. I have meetings from sunup to sundown, and a few nights a week, I get to have Beth in my bed. I would prefer to have her every night and be the kind of couple that is out and about together either for dinner, having brunch, or just simply being. But we remain purely platonic in the eyes of the world outside. With the election approaching, everything is getting busier, my stress levels have increased, and more than anything, I wish we could be open about our relationship, but we can’t rock the boat. Not now.
I see Beth as an asset to me in every way. But Oscar is firm that any big news of which being in a relationship with Beth would constitute will affect the polls. I think it would be positive, but Oscar is not sure and doesn’t want to risk it. Beth remains quiet about it all.
In fact, she has been quieter than usual since the weekend she stayed during the storm, where she spilled the coffee in the kitchen. At first, I thought it was due to her opening up about the car accident and her mother. I know how history can creep up on a person and change their viewpoints on things. But as the weeks have gone on, even though we are still just as close, the light in her eyes has dimmed. I watch her like a hawk at work, ensuring she has everything she needs. Likewise, she does the same with me. The two of us doting on each other like we are scared the other will break.
I am beginning to think that the sneaking around is what is making her more reserved. I don’t like to keep her hidden, but we spoke about it early on. She knew the reasons for it and still supported me all the way. Now I am too scared to broach the subject with her, because a week out, if she wants to go public, then I have no idea what I will do. I don’t want to lose her or the election. So I have remained tight lipped, moving through the motions. This last week is going to be the hardest and the slowest week of my entire life.
My team and I now all sit in the conference room at the Baltimore Police Headquarters, meeting with the Chief of Police and his team. We are receiving a police briefing on the safety procedures that will be introduced on election night. The possibility of me becoming governor is real. It is a tight race, and it isn’t over by a long shot. But I have a chance, and a chance is all I need.
“So what we usually see and what we are expecting is an enhanced police presence across the city. There will need to be an increase to your security detail, both in the days prior to the election and after,” The Police Chief says, and this is all to be expected, so I am not worried.
“So, we will increase our personal security team, and there will be more police on the street?” Eddie asks, wanting the details.
“Yes. With large events like an election of this size, we do require additional resources, the safety of the public and all participants our primary concern. I would also advise if you have the means to increase your personal security of your family and close contacts as well.”
“Is there a security threat to us?” Beth asks, and I can hear the nervousness in her voice, and my eyes flick to her face, seeing concern in her eyes.
“I would hope not, but we need to be prepared.” The Police Chief does very little to give her any assurance. I watch her as she reaches for her glass of water, her hands shaking slightly. As if my body knows, I lean toward her a little, and as she tries to grab the glass, she misses it, swiping it to the side, pushing it along the desk, before it reaches the edge and starts to fall.
But my hand is there. My body moves on its own, and I catch the water before it falls, her gasp falling from her lips as all eyes look at me.
“You okay?” I ask her quietly, my question not necessarily about the glass, and she knows it. She gives me a small nod as I pass the glass to her, and I watch her take a slow, steady sip before placing it back on the table.
“So what numbers of security do you suggest?” Oscar talks specifics, getting everyone back on track as I continue to watch Beth. I know I shouldn’t, but I reach out under the table and grab her hand, giving it a squeeze in support. Her head whips around to me, and her eyes widen. It is the first time in a professional setting we have touched like this. She is shocked, yet I want more. I settle for rubbing my thumb across the top of her hand and watch her come to terms with the fact that I am here for her. Always.
