As Oscar watched Jaime leave the room, he remembered the last time that they had parted. He literally had needed to pull her out of his arms before he rushed out of the carriage house with Max by his side.
Oscar sped the car down the road as fast as he could without attracting attention. Moments later, he turned down a side road and pulled the car over. He needed a time to regain his composure. Telling Jaime to leave was probably the hardest thing that he had ever had to do.
Never, until now, had Oscar understood the phrase 'tearing out your heart'. Yet that described his feelings exactly. It taken every fiber of his being to send her away, but he knew that she didn't deserve the way that the government wanted to treat her. She deserved to be free.
Oscar had fought the urge to stay and make sure that she got away safely. He knew if he were spotted, the NSB would know that he encouraged Jaime to flee. It wasn't that he cared about himself or his career – he knew that he could help her best by being in Washington and staying on top of things. The last thing they both needed was for him to be replaced by an NSB puppet.
A tear slid down his face. Unashamed, he wiped it off. More fell, fast and furious, but he didn't care.
I'm sorry, babe, he kept silently repeating over and over. I'm so sorry. He was so concerned that Jaime would hear even his softest plea and ruin her efforts to get away Trying to keep back the sobs, he bit his lip so hard that he broke the skin. Still he didn't care.
This time would be different, Oscar vowed. He confronted Renshaw the moment the senator entered the room. " We have some unfinished business," he informed the senator.