Page 70 of Senator

I squared my shoulders and stared into the camera pointed in my direction. “Governor George was not the reason Kevin and I decided marriage wasn’t best for us. Our reasons for breaking up are private, and we remain the closest of friends.”

“What about the governor? What is the status of your relationship? The pictures posted a few weeks ago say you are more than friends.”

“Those were private moments leaked by people who are intimidated by a woman in power. I’m not ashamed to admit Veer George and I had an intimate relationship in the past. What better person to fall in love with than someone who is your best friend?”

“Does that mean you two are a couple?”

I shook my head, and I kept my face emotionless, holding in tears and the pain as I’d trained myself to do over the past few weeks. “We parted ways to pursue our different ambitions.”

Her eyes softened, telling me she saw past the polished image I displayed. This reporter was a barracuda who wasn’t easy on anyone. I guessed she felt sorry for me.

“Some would say you have the same ones—after all, he is the vice-presidential candidate.”

“I won’t deny that my goal is to one day hold the highest office in the country, but it’s not my time. I’m a junior senator who is barely thirty-two. In a few more years, I’ll be ready.”

“Thank you, Senator Camden. Please come back again.”

Once we were given the signal that we were off air, I stood, letting the production assistant take off my microphone, and then I moved toward Trisha, who waited for me off set.

“Senator Camden.”

I turned.

“Can I ask you one last question, off the record?”

I nodded and braced myself for whatever Candice was about to ask. Anything off the record would mean it was something personal. At this point, I was too raw to hide anything.

Candice remained quiet for a second and then asked, “You are poised to be the frontrunner for your party in four years, no matter who wins this year’s election. Would you give it up if he asked you to?”

We both knew the “he” she referred to was Veer.

“Yes,” I answered, not thinking twice that nosy media personnel surrounded me. It wasn’t as if it would make a difference. Then I added, “But he would never ask me to do that. He’s too good of a man to make me pick him over my dreams.”

Veer and I were over. I’d accepted the fact my ambition had ruined what we had. I knew it was time to move on.

She responded with another question, but I’d started walking.

“Let’s meet tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted and want a night alone,” I said to Trisha as I approached her.

With a nod and a weary smile, she gave me my handbag. She’d watched the interview and understood the hole I’d created. No doubt party leaders were going to ream me as soon as they heard what I’d said. I’d all but endorsed Ashur’s ticket.

At this point, I couldn’t give a damn what anyone thought. Ashur and Veer were men of integrity who’d done more for our country as children of immigrants than those whose families had lived in the US for generations.

I took the elevator down and stepped out the doors before they could completely open. The cool breeze mixed with the light fall heat and clung to my sensitive skin, giving slight ease to the turmoil churning inside my being. However, with each step I took toward my car, the weight of my loss weighed down on my shoulders. By the time I entered the limousine, I was on the verge of sobbing.

I waited for the car to move before I let go of my emotions. First, a whimper escaped, then a loud sob.

I covered my face with my hands and cried as I hadn’t cried before. Even after my attack, I hadn’t felt this much pain.

Everything I ever wanted was within grasp, and the one thing I needed was completely out of reach.

What kind of idiot was I to let the love of my life go because of our party lines? If only I’d compromised some, there may have been a chance for us. Now if Ashur won, Veer and I would be separated by a huge political wall. He’d marry someone else, have children with someone else, live a life with someone else.

I covered my empty womb with my hand and cried even harder. I couldn’t imagine having a baby with anyone but Veer.

I rocked back and forth, lost in my grief and sorrow. Fifteen minutes later, when my car pulled through the gates of my estate, I had myself under some semblance of control.

Hiccupping, I stepped out of the car, and in a numb haze, I entered my big, empty house. I scanned the single place setting on the island designed to serve a large family and winced.

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