Page 60 of Powerless

“That’s a good thing.” Kathryn cheekily smiles. “Are you going to tell me what you want me to have?”

Fuck.

This is it. This is where she’ll either walk out of my life forever, or be in it until the day we take our last breaths. I move to one knee, then reach into the picnic basket and produce a black velvet box. “I want you forever. I want to grow old with you. Let’s spend the rest of our lives loving and fighting and just being.” I hold my breath and watch as my girl’s eyes become glassy with tears. “From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my happily ever after. Kathryn, will you marry me?” I offer Kathryn the ring I’ve been saving for since the day I first saw her.

Kathryn covers her mouth with her hands, and her eyes are now filled with tears. She nods her head and whispers, “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

I slide the ring on her finger, then pull her into my body. In this moment, my life is complete. There’s nothing Kathryn and I can’t accomplish, together.

“Forever,” I say.

“Forever,” she whispers before I claim her mouth with a deep and passionate kiss.

PART II

WE HELD THE WORLD IN OUR HANDS…

UNTIL IT ALL CAME CRASHING DOWN.

1

KATHRYN

Bennett is pacing back and forth while watching between the TVs set up at headquarters. I look around the room at the flurry of people. “Liam,” I call.

He walks over and sits beside me. “What can I do for you?” He cracks open a soda and takes a long drink.

“How are the polls looking?” I ask in a small voice, so Bennett doesn’t hear.

“It’ll come down to Florida, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. But we know they can swing either way.” He lifts his shoulders.

“If we lose Florida though...” my voice trails.

“It’s all over.”

“Hurry the fuck up!” Bennett screams at the TVs.

Liam and I both turn to face Bennett who’s a complete mess as he paces, staring at the country broken into red, blue, and unassigned colors. “I’m taking him out of this,” I say to Liam.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

I stand from where Liam and I are sitting beside one another and walk over to Bennett. His suit jacket is off, and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. His hair is disheveled and his eyes are wild and hyper-focused on the screens. “Bennett,” I say as I approach him like I would a wounded animal. I reach out and place my hand on his tense forearm.

Bennett startles when he feels my touch. He turns to me and stares. “What is it?”

“We’re leaving.”

“What?” Bennett runs his hands through his hair and grumbles with dissatisfaction. “I’m not leaving. They might call this—”

“Stop.” I push my way into his personal space and wrap my arms around his middle. “You’re driving yourself crazy.”

“This is my life, Kathryn,” he spits with contempt. I look to Liam and slowly gesture for him to vacate the room. Liam stands and walks out, leaving Bennett alone with me. I unwind my arms from him, pick up the remotes, and turn all the TVs off. “What are you doing?” He reaches for the remotes, but I hold them behind my back.

“You’re being a jackass, Bennett Adams. And I’ve had it up to here with you being a snappy asshat.” Bennett shuts his mouth and lifts his brows with surprise. “We’re leaving.”

“I’m sorry, Kathryn, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. But no. We’re not going anywhere.”

“So help me God, if you don’t leave with me right now, you’ll be announcing your divorce at inauguration.” He opens his mouth to argue but I silence him with a hard look. “Unroll your sleeves, put your jacket on, and fix your God damned hair.”

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