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He stood in a rush, a well-practiced smile plastering his mouth. "Haley, it's so good to see you."
I did not return his sentiment as I ascended the stairs. "What are you doing here?"
He appeared a little miffed that I didn't seem equally excited to see him. "Well, I'm here for you, of course. I know things have been... messy for lack of a better word. But I thought it was time we sat down like adults and hashed this out."
I looked at him, confused. "I don't know what there is to hash out. We were going to get married. I saw you fucking your assistant. So I decided not to marry you and left... end of story. What else could we possibly discuss?"
I saw a flicker of irritation flash in Marcus's eyes and then saw him pull the move I’d witnessed so many times before when he was dealing with a difficult political foe. He’d take a moment, smooth his fingers over his tie while he took a deep breath and then rearranged his features to be more conciliatory and amiable. I was getting the full congressman treatment here, and I didn’t like it one bit.
"Haley, please, there's a lot of history between us. You make it sound simple. Like it's over, just like that, but... I still love you."
I laughed. "Marcus, I can honestly say I don't think you've ever loved me."
"Haley, don't be silly."
"No, Marcus, it's true. It’s not all your fault because I was never completely myself around you. To tell you the truth, I haven't been myself in a very long time. But I’ve spent the last few weeks working to change that, to feel more like myself again. To be someone I could be proud of."
His brow furrowed in confusion, and I could tell this was not what he had been expecting. "What are you talking about? Youare someone I could be proud of. You looked beautiful on my arm and you always presented yourself so graciously."
"I'm not talking about that. None of that matters to me. I'm talking about someone who I can be proud of," I insisted. "If the man I'm with can be proud of me and brag about me, then fine, but that doesn't amount to much if I can't look myself in the mirror and it’s been a long time since I've been able to do that. But not anymore. I'm liking what I see and she’s not the woman you knew."
He was silent for a long moment before he blew out of breath and said in a frustrated voice, "Well shit, Hales, where do I fit into all this?"
I straightened my stance and looked him in the eye when I said, "You don't, Marcus. It's over and I think it’s what’s best for both of us. Deep down, you know that."
His mask was slipping and I could see panic and irritation warring in his eyes before he bit out, "Well, what am I supposed to do now? I have all these people up my ass who want to know where the runaway bride is. How the hell am I'm going to fix this? You have no idea what kind of pickle you've put me in."
I rolled my eyes. "I have no doubt you'll be able to find a way out of it. Besides, did you honestly think I was blind to the interviews you’ve been giving, the ones that suggest I was unhinged and unstable? Surely that would be the only explanation for somebody running out on you..."
His face reddened. "So what? Now you're saying I wasn't good enough for you? How dare you?"
I had to bite back a laugh at his indignation. He definitely has that dramatic flair working for him. "What? Know what's best for me? Come on Marcus, you know we're not right for each other. When I walked in on you and Skylar, as much as it shocked and pissed me off, I thought to myself that she just makes more sense."
"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked.
"I mean, you and I were never a good match. I don't know why you decided I would be acceptable to you, but I've come to realize why I picked you, and I'm not proud of the reasons."
"So my manager was right? You were using me for influence and power?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, you know me well enough to know I don't have any patience for that nonsense. If I did, do you think I’d be hiding out somewhere that’s so hard to find me? If that were my goal, I’d be shouting off the rooftops."
His shoulder slumped, and I knew he couldn't disagree. "If I'm being honest, I think I was afraid to be alone. And I enjoyed your company. You can be quite charming when you want to be. But looking back, I wasn't in any position to jump into a relationship so soon after my parents died. I’m not proud of the way I ran out on our wedding... but then again, I didn't enjoy finding you with Skylar, so I guess we can call it even."
Marcus's expression softened briefly before it hardened again. "Well, it's not that simple, Haley. It’s an election year. This story hardly helps my poll numbers. You know as well as I do, married candidates fare better."
He was really showing his colors now. "I'm sure you'll find a way to spin it, Marcus."
He shook his head. "I was hoping I would not have to do this, Haley, but since you refuse to cooperate, I'm going to have to tell my PR people to unleash the full treatment."
Something about the last two words sounded ominous. "Full treatment? What does that mean?"
He sighed as if it pained him to say it, although we both knew better. "It means my credibility needs to be built back up and..."
"And that can't be done without tearing mine down, right?"
I shook my head in disbelief. "You know, we both made mistakes in this relationship and if you had an ounce ofmaturity, we could both just move on, but you have to fight dirty because of your bruised ego."
He let out a long-suffering sigh, looking at me condescendingly. "Really, Haley? You knew what you were getting into when you started dating me and you must have known that pulling that stunt on our wedding day would not go unpunished. While you believe you’ve been hiding away, all you've been doing is whetting the appetite of the ravenous media to put a noose around the neck of the newest congressman. You know better than to actually believe we can just—how did you put it? Move on? That's not how I roll."
