Page 37 (2/2)

"Nah, I think I’ to head home alone" She sure hoped he didn’t try to read more into that Chris was technically her date, and now it probably looked bad that she was leaving without hi to mull that over "Well, do you need a lift?"

"You would miss your own brother’s party?"

"Hey, it’s not like it’s my party," he said with that cute dimpled smile

"You really don’t support hi

"Why do you care if this guy wins an election?" Clay asked "Ianyway? In a few years, he’s not going to re him in the upper hundred thousands Unless you have a trust fund sooing to remember you either The et there"

"What? Did he step on your toes to get where he is now?" she demanded This was not a conversation she wanted to have with him after the one she’d had with Brady in the bathroom

Clay chuckled and shook his head "Just wait You’ll see The toes will be the least of everyone’s concerns You don’t know hi me all of this?" she huffed

"Because I want to take you home," he told her "Why don’t you lether hand up "Does this line actually work on wohed out loud "Actually, yes It does"

"Uh-huh…well, maybe you should try soe the fact that I want to take you ho I said about et it He didn’t get what Brady got about the world Clay had it written all over him how jaded he was From the way his hand rested in his pocket, the cockiness in his slint in his eyes She just wanted to…fix hi to have to pass And about your brother, ives a speech you should listen to what he says and how he says it You ht be surprised"

"I’ll do that…just for you," he said with a devious smirk that said he certainly wouldn’t

"Ms Carmichael?" a voice called behind her

Shit!

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face him

"Your car is on its way," the valet said

She hadn’t even gone up to ask the valet for the car Was this Brady’s doing?

"That’s ht"

"At least letto do with it? Don’t you go to Yale?" Liz asked

"So?" he said with a shrug before pushing his phone into her hands

Liz rolled her eyes "I only want to hear froe your mind about your brother," she told him She typed her number into his phone

He took the phone back and nodded "Sounds like a deal I think I’ll find so away

Liz blew out softly as he departed She knew that if she hadn’t done that then she never would have gotten aithout hi into Brady’s car

Da a fake number? Whatever It wasn’t as if she would ever respond to his , pulled up in front of the valet station a second later The valet opened the door for her and she slid into the backseat Greg stared back at her through the rearview mirror with a s rolled up slowly in front of a brick two-story house in the very back of a gated neighborhood in a Raleigh suburb It was dark outside, but the front porch light was on, allowing Liz a better view The house was traditional-looking, with bay s in the front and a large porch with a porch swing She knew that Brady had neighbors on either side of his house, but the generous portion of land, curve of the cul-de-sac, and abundance of tall pines obscured the view of any of the surrounding lots

Liz exited the car after Greg pulled into the driveway and opened the door for her She thanked hiot back into the car and drove away She couldn’t believe she was actually standing in front of Brady’s house She took a moment to relish that fact

As she walked across the sidewalk up to the front door, she took in the smell of freshly cut lawn and pine that perh off the road that she could hear crickets and cicadas chirping in the woods, and the stars were bright with life overhead The tehtfall, and a breeze blew in She had an overwhelht she had spent with Brady on the lake

Liz re, pushed it into the dead bolt, and unlocked the door She turned the handle and pushed inward The foyer was lit overhead, revealing a giant staircase leading to the second floor The entranceas all hardwood floors leading off in three different directions She closed the front door and took the opportunity to look around the house

She couldroo double doors that led into a library, with an oversize wooden desk taking up the majority of one wall The bay as actually a small nook, with a cushion over the seat and bookshelves underneath She stared all around at the books and wondered whether he had actually read all of them Where would he find the ti roos The living rooth of the house, save for the kitchen, which she could just iant area rug covered the center of the roo, and beyond that were trees as far as she could see in the darkness