On the Record

The panel concluded and Liz numbly followed Massey out of the auditorium. She was hanging with a group of sorority girls Liz didn’t really fit in with, but the benefit of that was that she didn’t have to say anything. They carried on the conversation just fine without any input.

The lobby of the campus conference center was full of people milling around after that last panel. There were two more panels after it, but Liz had assumed they would be smaller. A lot of the students wouldn’t be attending them. Liz was only going because she had helped Dr. Mires put the entire thing on, so she didn’t think she would be able to sneak away.

Liz caught sight of a head of long dark hair and smiled. Sava

Liz waved to her as she walked over to where Sava

Sava

“You didn’t miss much. It was pretty boring,” she said softly.

“Oh, I figured. Brady said at lunch that it was going to be.”

Liz breathed in and out as slowly as possible. Of course Sava

“Well, he was right.” As always.

“Hey, I’m glad I ran into you. What are you doing for di

“Um . . . I don’t know. Why?”

“Want to come with me? I’ll pick you up and everything.”

“Are you asking me on a date, Sava

“Okay, it’s super secret. Like, don’t even tell Hayden about it. Just tell him you’re going out with me, but we’ll have a good time, okay?”

“I haven’t even agreed,” Liz said, her interest piqued.

“Oh, did you not? I didn’t notice. I’ll come get you around eight,” Sava

“All right,” Liz said with a shrug.

“Brady’s going to be out in a second. Want me to introduce you two?” she asked. “I know you guys met on campaign, but I’ll introduce you to the real Brady Maxwell. He’s actually not as stuck up as he looks.” Sava

“Oh, no, Sava

“Come on. It’s just my brother. He doesn’t bite.”

Liz disagreed. He most certainly did bite . . .

“Oh, there he is,” Sava

“Oh,” was all Liz managed to get out as she stared at Brady standing there talking to his father. She felt as if her legs were made of lead and she wasn’t sure how she was dragging them along.

“Brady!” Sava

His eyes snapped up to Sava

Sava

Brady swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I don’t think you did.” He seemed to have composed himself, but his eyes were still hard. She felt two feet tall in the shadow of that gaze. Then he stuck his hand out. “Brady Maxwell. I believe we met on campaign. Yes?”

“We did,” she whispered, nodding. She took his hand in hers. Sparks flew as if someone had struck a match between them. It jolted her, and she actually jumped a little on contact. He took in a deep, even breath and then quickly dropped her hand.

“How nice to meet you again,” he said, that campaign mask firmly in place. She wouldn’t be seeing her Brady the rest of the conversation. Not that anything about him was hers anymore. “How was the rest of the campaign?”

Liz felt the weight of that question to her very core. “Same old, same old. It took forever to get to November,” she all but whispered. “Congratulations on your victory.”

“Thank you. I had a great team behind me. They really believed in me and my vision,” he said, each word stabbing her like a knife wound.

“That’s very . . . fortunate,” she said, not knowing what else to say.

Sava

“Is that right?” Brady asked, his gaze shifting to Sava

“I know how you like to talk to your constituents,” Sava

Sava

They stood there together awkwardly. How many times had she envisioned what she would say when she finally saw him? How many times had she thought that she would beg his forgiveness, yell at him for never coming after her, throw herself at him? But none of those things happened. They just stared at each other.

Liz knew that she should say something. She even opened her mouth. But what could she say? They were so far removed from where they had been last August. She just wanted to apologize, to explain, but she couldn’t. Not here. Not like this.

“There you are,” Liz heard from behind her. Her stomach sank. Shit.

She broke Brady’s gaze and turned to see Hayden walking toward her. He was in a navy sport jacket and khakis with a striped shirt underneath. His hair was perfectly tousled and his hazel eyes were almost green as he smiled at her.

He walked right up to her and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn’t think she even responded.

“Hey, Lizzie,” he said when he pulled back.

Liz stepped away from him, feeling terrible at the realization that Brady was watching. Fuck.

“Um, hey,” she said awkwardly.

Hayden noticed who she was standing by and straightened up immediately. “Oh, you must be Brady Maxwell,” Hayden said, having the sense to look slightly embarrassed. Though she wondered if he had kissed her on purpose. No. This was Hayden. He didn’t have a bone in his body that wasn’t good and decent.

“That’s right,” Brady said.

Hayden thrust his hand out. “Hayden Lane. I’m the editor at the college newspaper.”

Brady took it, keeping his campaign mask firmly in place, but Liz could see the fire brimming in his eyes as he stared at Hayden. His gaze shifted to Liz and she could see precisely what he was thinking in that moment. You’re with this guy now?

Brady knew exactly who Hayden was. She had kissed Hayden in D.C. while she had been seeing Brady. Their picture had shown up in the newspaper when school started.

“Nice to meet you,” Brady responded. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to get to.”

And without another second’s pause, Brady turned and walked in the opposite direction. She was left alone with Hayden, but she might as well have been all by herself all over again . . . because her heart had been ripped out of her chest with Brady’s departure.