Thanks again, Donna and Nancy, I can't thank you two enough for all your help! :)
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Stephanie Meyers.
Part 2
Bella
Looking down at his face, I can instantly tell that he is beating himself up internally for something that hasn't even happened.
"Hey, hey, Edward, baby. Look at me!" I cup his face in my hands, tears slowly rolling down my face at the thought of our love being the thing that ruins his career. "I love you. I will never stop loving you, okay. If you decide to publicly deny any relationship outside of your marriage, baby, I swear I will not quit you. I couldn't even if I tried."
"It's not that." He says, and I can tell that he is still warring with himself. "I-" he clears his throat and shifts on the bed. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know that it is what I want to do."
"Are you saying that you want to give up the presidency?" I'm astounded by the words he's saying. We talked about this being an eventuality, but the plan was never to give up all of his hard work. We planned to quit this thing between us because it's just not good for either of us, and not just because of our positions. There are so many other things that come into play, so many other things to worry about.
Edward doesn't reply to my question. He doesn't even blink.
Flashback
His eyes remain on me for a second too long, and when he realizes, his eyes cut to Charlie's. "There are things to be done Charles. Things that I think I am capable of doing. We have all sat down and discussed the packages, now it's time we move toward that common goal. You can't sit there and tell me that we are where we need to be."
"That is not exactly a fair question to pose. Every Presidential candidate thinks they would better suit the role as the leader of the free world." I toss my input and realize that Edward had not expected that I would speak. Woman are to be seen, not heard and all.
"I am not every Presidential candidate Miss Swan." The smile he gave me literally caused my ovaries to tingle with excitement.
I had to take a deep calming breath before speaking. "Indeed."
"The question is son-" The way Charlie spits out the word, he might as well have said 'boy.' He literally believes Edwards age is a deciding factor. To my dad Thirty-eight is too young to become President. My dad has been around longer, and has worked his ass off. Charlie believes real world experience is what makes a person, and to him Edward just has not lived long enough...experienced enough turmoil, nor seen it to have a real opinion about anything. "If you are having difficulty getting along with colleagues, nor effectively work with Congress, how do you suppose you will be able to accomplish anything as President?"
Edward looked away momentarily, and grins almost a cocky way of saying good one old man. I caught it, mom caught it, and you can be damn sure that Charlie caught it. Dad is seething beneath the surface but he's had years of practice keeping his cool.
"Charles, do not take my firmness in my beliefs as arrogance really and truly I am a nice guy."
"You also are attempting to cause division. That is not what a leader does."
"We can sit here all day pointing fingers, trying to point out my flaws, but it's to no avail. I am who I am. Congress will have to accept that when the time comes." Then he stands, and buttons his suit jacket. "Embrace it Charlie. If all if America can, you should as well."
And it's true. America loves his open honesty, and his willingness to point out the flaws in our system, and the corruptness of our government. He also does not shy away from controversy, nor does he particularly care if he is well liked. He does not wish to be an outsider, yet with his very mixed yet firm beliefs, he has become just that.
Bella
Frantically, I begin to pull away from him needing to grab a hold of the situation. "No, Edward! No! I won't let you do that." I push his arms away and stand, doing my signature thinking move by pacing the floor in front of him.
"Summer, stop pacing." He sighs, and runs his left hand across his face. I catch a flash of his wedding band and I hault my movements, standing still in front of him.
Edward reaches forward and grabs my hands. "You pace when you are upset." He pulls me forward. "When you're with me, I don't want you upset. I'm sorry for bringing this up."
"It's fine! We need to talk about this. We need a game plan. We need-"
"We need to tell the truth. We need to tell them how I am madly in love with the President's daughter, and I can no longer keep up this sham with my wife."
"We can't do that Edward! We can't do that and you know why."
His brows deeply furrow. "I have no idea why we can't do exactly that."
"Edward..." I take a deep calming breath, purging all the anxiety, and negative thoughts from my mind. It's now time for me to put aside my feelings, and put on my game face. "this is my job. You know that right? I do this for a living. Things like this I spin it in the favor of my client. Therefore if it comes out about us, my dad will expect me to crush you."
Flashback
Edward bows his head as he speaks. "It has been a lovely evening President Swan, Mrs. Swan." Apparently Edward is back to his formality, and I think my dad actually appreciates it. Dinner is over, and as far as my dad is concerned pleasantries, and pretend comradery is over.
Edward looks around at each of us, but no one speaks which is incredibly rude. My dad usually offers to walk his guests to the front door, but like I said, my dad has thrown all decency out the window.
"Mr. Cullen, I'll walk you to your car." I tell him, as I step in front of him, happy to step in.
Edward smiles down at me as if I were an Angel sent straight from heaven, or a prayer he'd prayed that was sent down with flesh and blood.
"Thank you." He says softly, and my smile brightens fractionally.
"It's been a pleasure." Edward begins. "Mrs. Swan." He leans forward and squeezes shoulder gently as he kisses her cheek. Then he turns to my dad, he smiles never once faltering. My dad's expression however...
I roll my eyes at his obvious disdain. "President Swan." They shake hands, eye contact locked firmly. It takes a shove from me to get either of them to back down.
"This way." I tell Edward, walking past my parents with my head in their direction. I narrow my eyes at them hoping they regret their behavior.
"I don't care Summer." He stands, and unbuttons his suit jacket, then he removes his jacket, and begins removing his cuff links as he moves over toward the dresser.
"I can't do that to you. Just like you can't hurt me, I can't hurt you. But understand this Edward. My dad will only hire someone who will ruin you and I can't sit back and watch that knowing that I could have prevented it if only we had kept quiet."
"There is no more keeping quiet!" He raises his voice, but then seemingly checks himself, calming down. Rosalie knows, and she told her father, and that is how James found out. They gave me a choice Summer. It's either you or the election, and baby I choose you."
I can't help the tears the freely flow from my eyes from hearing his words. I rush over to him, clutching him by his shirt, then I pull him to me and kiss him hard, part his lips with my tongue and taste his deeply, ravishing him passionately, thrusting all of my love into the kiss.
There were no words to speak after that moment. Our lips tongue and body did the talking for us there-after.
"So Miss Swan. I hear that you are damn good at your job."Edward begins, and his compliment rather as hearsay or not is a proud moment for me.
"I am. I love what I do."I shrug, but then shiver a bit when the night air touches my skin.
"Well those who love their job usually do it very well. So I believe all of the great things I hear."
I turn my head to look up at him just as he looks down at me. I'm happy to find that we have matching grins.
"As you should. But if you can believe it, my job has been a bit boring as of late."
Edward nods as if understanding such a dilemma. "Not many scandals to bust down with parents like that."
"I have other clients. I don't exactly have my own office or Associates like Olivia Pope, but I do quite well. I'm more on the level of Zoe Morgan." I tell him, and watch his brows furrow, but he doesn't open his mouth to voice his question. "I watch alot of TV in my off time."
At this he laughs, and shakes his head. He turns with his back to his car when we reach it. His driver is out of the car with his hand waiting at the back door ready to open it whenever Edward is ready.
"I can't remember the last time I watched television." He looks heavenward. "Five years ago maybe."
"Wow!" My eyes widen as I gape at him in surprise. "That long?"
"Maybe not." He laughs and I join in. When we quiet down neither of us say any words, but our eyes speak volumes. Sparks fly between us, and the air crackles around us, lighting a fire neither of us would ever be able to put out.
Bella
"We have got to stop doing this, Edward." As I speak he ignores me, raining kisses down my collarbone, smothering me in his loving embrace.
"Mmhmm..." He groans in a way that leads me to believe he is not paying me even the slightest bit of attention.
We left the hotel two weeks ago fully masked in our fake personas ready to face the world head on. We came to a decision before we left and neither of us agreed with the decision but it was the only option we had.
We had to stop seeing each other.
That way there would be nothing to report if anyone were to find out the truth. I am also afraid of backlash from Edward's campaign manager. For one thing, he loathes me and thinks that I am a brainwashing bitch. This is because Edward fully stood behind and supported a few of the policies that I mentioned in passing. Each decision was directly against what James-his campaign manager wanted for him.
I'm also afraid that Rosalie will open her mouth and out us just to be spiteful. She scared me out of my mind last week when she called a press conference. I was in New York at the time with no way to get to her. I'm not quite sure what I would have done if I could have gotten to her, but I know for sure I would have stopped her from doing any harm to Edward. I would do anything to protect Edward, even blackmail his wife.
It's my job to spin things about people, help people out of bad situations and turn their lives around by flipping their image. Whatever story she would have spit out to the media would have only hurt her because she had no clue who she was dealing with.
I watched her on television with nervous trepidation, biting my nails the entire hour long interview. In the last five minutes it was clear she was not outting Edward, but promoting him and doing a damn good job.
She played the happy wife deeply in love. She even blushed when asked if her husband wore boxers or briefs. I smiled when she said briefs, knowing that Edward hates those prefers boxers. Does she not know her husband at all, or is this all for the camera?
I wasn't so sure, but I had to admit that she was well trained for the role of First Lady. That thought alone ate away at my insides.
I remembered when Edward and I first began our affair, he was particularly angry at the fact that I had a hold on him. He'd said that I put a curse on him, bewitched him, charmed him...and he did not have the strength to let go.
In the same breath he'd told me that he would have to suffer because the fun was over. He got what he wanted and he couldn't kid himself into thinking that I was First Lady material.
In the beginning his words had shocked me. Then the hurt took a hold of my entire being. The pain seeping into my heart, and rooting itself there before spreading outward shattering my peaceful existence.
He hurt me. I gave him the power to hurt me. I never do that.
That's when I knew I was in too deep. That's when I knew I had fallen in love with a married man. A married man destined to be the United States President; and he didn't believe I was good enough.
His wife had been prepped for such a role from the impressionable age of five. She talks about it non- stop in every interview. It's how she both gets the sympathy vote as well as the level headed vote.
What sort of vote would I get? The 'able-to-talk-her-way-out-of-any-situation' vote? No one cares about my particular talents.
Yes I am the daughter of the current President, but that really means nothing as far as the world is concerned. Especially if I am seen as a home wrecking whore.
"Edward please stop." I push his shoulders, trying to free myself of his hold.
"You know I can't do that." He mumbles, his words ghosting across my skin delicately.
"This is the last time, okay. We said this would be the last time."
"We also said that two weeks ago." He kisses my shoulder, then my neck, my eyes closing on impact. "I can't get enough of you, Summer." He whispers in my ear causing me to shiver.
"You promised." I whisper just as low, and slowly open my eyes quickly meeting his very lazy gaze. He's aroused which is normally the case when we are together. However this is different. We are different. The dynamic between us has changed, and I am more afraid more than ever that we have reached the point of no return.
Thank you for reading. :)
