Page 39 of Senator

My gaze shifted to Trisha’s. She’d known about Veer and me from the time our affair started. Even if I’d thought to keep it from her, there was no hiding what I was doing. Trisha knew the ins and outs of my life better than I did.

“How would you know?”

“We assistants talk, and Abigail, Governor George’s, said he spends most of his free time holed up with Mr. Kumar or brooding while staring at a picture of you he keeps hidden in his office.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Would you mind giving me a few minutes alone? I need to get myself together.” As she turned toward the door, I added, “Also, will you tell Bridget to get the guest room ready? Mom and Dad will be staying with me for a few weeks until the end of renovations on their townhouse.”

Trisha nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

I picked up my phone from the side table and dialed Veer’s number.

“Senator Camden,” he said in his deep, raspy timber. “What can I do for you?”

“Vee…Governor George.” My voice cracked. “How are you?”

“Busy. Was there a reason you called?” he asked coolly.

“I wanted to say thank you for my gift.”

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Senator Camden.”

What was with the Senator Camden references? Even if we weren’t together, I’d thought we’d be friendly if not friends.

“Why are you being so formal?”

“Because it’s the way it has to be. Ashur filed today. You and I are no longer on the same side.”

His words were like a slap to my face. My body shook as I sat down on the sofa.

“Then why did you send me something that would rip me apart?”

“It wasn’t meant to be…”

I cut him off. “You knew I would remember. Damn you.” Tears streamed down my face. “I’d rather you not contact me at all.”

“Fuck. Jaci. Please don’t hang up,” I heard, just as I pushed the end button.

Dropping my phone on the couch, I folded my legs under me and sobbed, still clutching the key held tight in my palm.

This separation hurt more than I’d ever thought possible. I missed Veer so much. Why had I called him?

For the past weeks, I’d kept my mind off Veer by throwing myself into work and the plan with the first lady. It was only when I was alone or when I found something he’d left behind in a random spot, like his cufflinks in the townhouse, that the sadness would come back full force. Now I was left with collecting everything and putting it away so I wouldn’t have to see it again.

“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”

Stiffening, I glanced at my father, who stood in the doorway of the living room. He held a tuxedo jacket over one arm, and his tie was unknotted and lying on his shoulder. The worried expression on his face made me want to crawl onto his lap as I’d done when I was a little girl for comfort. Dad was a hardnosed politician, but with me, he was always my daddy, who would jump at the chance to slay my dragons.

I gave him a tight smile and then gazed down at the diamond pendant.

He came to sit next to me on the sofa. He took my hand in his and then the key from my palm. He turned it over and saw the inscription I’d missed earlier.

My heart forever.

Fresh tears surfaced, making me wipe at my cheeks.

“Jacinta, if you ever want to win the election in four years, if you ever want to have any hope of becoming president, you can’t go back with him.”

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