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"Brady’s bachelor status is known, as well as the various dates he brings to functions I don’t knohy it’s being brought up now except as a desperate attempt by his opponent to throw off those who favorh said nonchalantly "I don’t kno they explain away the wo"

"What woave her away Her hands were shaking and she clenched them into fists at her sides so they weren’t visible She could feel her heart rate picking up No They couldn’t know

"There are claih nearly whispered, as if she were telling theh Liz Could she possibly know?

"Isn’t that all speculation?" Hayden asked "There really isn’t any proof Or at least, if the coed "We’ll see I bet if he wins, it will surface"

Liz found herself nodding, because Calleigh was right If the competition had any proof of this "anony months How many times had she been with Brady in a public place where people could have photographed theala event, lake house, Fourth of July, second gala event, his house, the cabana, not to mention the time she ran into Clay at Hilton Head, after Brady had told her not to be seen in public…

Fuck Too ht they had been so careful, but now looking back on it, it all see unexpected in politics could hurt a career, especially with a race as close as Brady’s They had been sleeping together in private for uy ants to keep secrets fro secrets from you" Brady’s opponents could paint this so easily as deception, and people would be asking what else he was hiding for the rest of the election Not to o down the drain She and Brady had been ga their careers, and now it could all blow up in their faces

The rooain, and Liz was sure people could hear her thoughts She forced herself to look away fro stare She didn’t kno h knew or if, as Hayden had said, it was all speculation Either way it wasn’t co the final results for the Fourth District over there in the Triangle area of North Carolina any minute now What do you think about this race, Stacy?" the commentator asked his female coanchor

"Well, it’s really a toss-up, Ryan," Stacy said, furrowing her brow "There’s been soaround about State Senator Maxwell’s bachelor status and the number of wo is ‘Who is Senator Maxwell dating?’ We’ve seen him with a North Carolina state beauty queen, an environmental lobbyist, and a swi at once? The can has come out and officially made a staten’s statement appeared on the screen, and Liz skimmed it quickly as the woman read over it aloud

"‘State Senator Maxwell has had no official relationships with any of the woraphed with They are sireed to accompany him to events He is, as ever, focused on the election’ Now, that seehtforward to me, but I wonder how many more women will surface if he wins this pri relations with yet another woht, Stacy," Ryan cut in "Who is thisthis situation? If it does, this could look bad for Senator Maxwell if he wins the prieneral election"

Liz felt as if all of the color had drained out of her face It was all hearsay So with the potential to cause chaos But still, she hadn’t heard about any swiossip as well? And as the news even reporting on this?

She knehy even if it was infuriating at thea person as it was selling a platfor candidate like Brady, but with a potential mishap like this, how far would it set him back?

"Oh, it looks like the results are finally in," Stacy said with a s with the rest of the crowd She was solely focused on as about to happen Brady was going to win He had to win This was his dream

"And it looks like in an incredibly close race with a win by only a thousand votes," Stacy cheered, "State Senator Brady Maxwell has won the priratulations, Senator"

The rooing one another, dancing with strangers--Liz could even see one lady crying on her friend’s shoulder And all she did was stand there and stare

Brady won He had actually won He had beaten a very qualified candidate, soer than him Yet, he had come out on top

Liz had known deep down that he would win, but still the nitude of what had just happened washed over her all at once He had two and a half n to find out whether he won his seat in Congress, but at this point, he had surpassed expectations If he won his seat in Nove representative She was so proud of hi that Brady was the no Everything

He wasn’t just a chance A hope He was a sure thing

And it was in thatthe other day He had been wrong to say that there was never a choice No n and her, there was always a choice Always

But the choice wasn’t his It was hers

The whole ti as if she didn’t have a choice in what happened between her and Brady That things would work out or they wouldn’t That he was the one ouldHe had set the rules fro them ever since Brady decided when and where and even who could know that they had a relationship at all Brady had decided the risks they would take

Liz had siuide the car wherever itat times, but she never really pushed the lih to h

But she kne that she had toit for her He had been h

What it came down to was that she loved him and he loved her It was an inevitable, is bore down on the desire, with a need that bordered on addiction It would forever be that need that she felt, that craving to be with him, to be around him because they were never allowed the opportunity to let their feelings bloorow At this standstill, they couldn’t truly develop their relationship

And the biggest problem The one above all else was that Brady wouldn’t let her love him

Plain and sin The choice hether or not he would let her love him

And that answer scared her, terrified her