. “Are you nervous?” I asked, changing the subject.
Dad laughed. “Not nearly as much now that you’re here! You know you’ve always been my good luck charm!”
“Really? I was afraid that I’d lost my place with Ms. Penson here!”
“Oh, you hush up now,” Dad said, a slight blush coming to his face. It warmed my heart to see it though. Ms. Penson was the waitress from the restaurant we’d been at before the gunman ruined everything. I hadn’t been aware that she and my dad had stayed in contact afterwards, but I was certainly pleased to learn that they did. Things had been so stressful for him lately; he deserved someone to help him unwind every once in a while.
The backstage curtain cracked open, and a young woman poked her head through. “Speaker Finley, you’re on in two minutes.”
“All right,” he said. “Thank you.”
Not before long, we heard the polite applause from the crowd as the opening speaker finished delivering Dad’s introduction. “Are you staying back here?” he asked before preparing to take the stage.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m not up for being in the crowd today.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in a little bit then.”
“Break a leg,” I said as my father disappeared behind the curtain and out onto the stage. His presence was greeted with thunderous applause, which made it overly abundant all of a sudden how popular he had become over these past few months. We didn’t want to celebrate prematurely, but all signs were pointing to him being in the lead as the vice-presidential pick. His popularity would undoubtedly give a much-needed boost to the presidential ticket, he connected with voters in a way that most politicians never managed to achieve.
I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before we looked back to these days as the simpler times…
It was a bittersweet feeling indeed.
I retreated farther backstage, where various people from my father’s political team smiled and offered me warm greetings. I politely said hello back, and made my way to the television room, where I could watch the live broadcast of my father’s speech and see how he worked the crowd. I’d heard him practice this speech before, he had recited it in the car, so I would know when he was nearing the end of it. When he got toward the end, I would meet him out on the stage, and we would wave at the crowd and shake as many hands as possible before leaving.
Settling onto the couch before the television, I couldn’t help smiling as I watched my dad pace the stage, speaking to his riveted audience. He was a natural, and his charisma just leapt off the screen. I knew he had to look even more impressive to those actually out in the audience.
As I sat there watching my father’s speech though, I began to wish I had gone out to watch from the crowd when my mind began to wander in ways I didn’t want it to.
If I’d been out in the big crowd, it would have been easier to keep thoughts of Colt at bay…
But as usual, whenever I sat idly for too long, he popped into my mind, particularly the last time I had seen him.
Every night, I’d been tossing and turning, thinking about him and convinced that he hadn’t truly meant those hurtful words he’d said to me. But I didn’t want to be in denial; I refused to be one of those girls who couldn’t accept what was right in front of their faces.
Colt had openly resisted me that night. He hadn’t even wanted to be in my presence. And most of all, he hadn’t been able to say that he loved me back. After all we’d been through, he just didn’t feel the same.
In his words—it didn’t matter.
My heart broke a little more each time I thought about it, but I knew the only thing I could do was move on and wait until time mended my heart back together again.
I just wished it wouldn’t take so damned long.
“Natalie…”
I jumped at the sound of someone calling my name in a sing-song voice. Turning around to the sound of clicking high-heels, a smile spread across my face. “Eden!” I cried out.
She skipped toward me, her arms outstretched and ready for a hug that I gladly returned.
“Girl, it feels like it’s been forever!”
“I know!” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“My dad and I flew over in support of your dad, of course!”
“Well, I’m so glad you’re here. I haven’t seen you since Turkey!”
“Well, you’ve understandably been busy—future…what would you be called? Second-daughter?”