“Well, welcome to the team,” Liz said awkwardly, since she hadn’t been aware she would have her own team. “I have a schedule laid out for the semester. I’m working with a professor in the journalism department on a research project with other newspapers, and she is allowing me to publish in the school paper some of the work I’m doing with her.”

Liz went on to highlight what she had already been covering and what she wanted to continue to work on. She broke some of the research down for them and assigned them both tasks.

Tristan took feverish notes and Savannah just stood there and smiled, absorbing the conversation. As soon as she was finished, Tristan zipped off to begin his project, leaving her all alone with Savannah, who had barely said anything.

“Thank you for allowing me to work in campaigns,” Savannah said finally.

“We’re always very welcoming to students’ interests,” Liz replied plainly.

“I just hope that your feelings toward my brother don’t interfere in our work relationship.” Her voice was calm and controlled, but something about her tone spoke volumes. She was much too like her brothers.

Liz didn’t know how much Savannah knew, but whatever it was, was probably more than Liz would have liked.

“Personal feelings toward politicians have no place in journalism,” Liz heard herself responding dryly. “I’ve been learning that lesson all summer.”

It might not have been the smartest thing to say, considering all she had gone through with Brady this summer, but she didn’t know what else to say. If Savannah knew only about the articles, then the comment would work as well as if she knew about anything else.

“I agree. I’m sure I’ll be learning that lesson in the next several months,” Savannah said, a smile finally touching her features. “I just wanted to clear the air between us before we started working closely.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Liz said awkwardly, wanting to end this conversation. “We’ll keep personal matters out of it. You’re just Savannah and I’m just Liz.” She stuck her hand out and Savannah took it. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“So nice to meet you too. I’ll get started on my assignments right away,” Savannah said, withdrawing her hand. “See you tomorrow, Liz.”

And every day after that.

Liz grabbed her bag off of the ground and hurriedly exited the newspaper before Hayden could find her. She couldn’t deal right now. She was going to have to work with Savannah Maxwell all semester. An ever-present reminder of the secrets she had to hold.

She felt her phone vibrate as she passed through the doors to the Union and out into the oppressive August heat.

Private number.

Great. Of course, Brady would call now.

“Hey,” she answered with a sigh.

“Hey. I’ve been in meetings all morning that I couldn’t get out of,” Brady said.

It wasn’t an apology. Just a reason for not answering. Probably a good one, but she hardly had the energy for it.

“I just got out of a meeting too. In fact, your sister is now working for me.”

“What?” he asked sharply. She had clearly thrown him.

“Yep. She showed up at the newspaper meeting and said she wanted to work on campaigns. So, guess what? She now works for me.” Liz couldn’t keep the frustration and pent-up anger out of her voice.

“Fuck,” he growled low.

“Yeah! And imagine my surprise when she asks me not to let my feelings toward her brother cloud my opinion of her! Could you imagine if my feelings toward her brother could do that?”

“She said that?”

“Yes!” Liz snapped. “I don’t know how much she knows. She doesn’t give anything away, just like you!”

She hadn’t even meant to say that. Where was her anger coming from?

“Are you still at the paper?” Brady asked.

“I just left. I’m walking home.” She hated that he didn’t respond to her outburst. She just wanted to rile him up, make him get as emotional as he did that time he told Heather and Elliott he loved her, force him to do something about those feelings.

“I’m in Durham and have an hour.”

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if he had already decided that she was going to see him. Well, of course she was. It was always better to talk about this stuff in person. But she was almost irritated enough to call him out on it.

“Are you going to come get me?” she finally asked when he didn’t continue.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

The line went dead.

Liz ground her teeth and thought about chucking her phone into the side of the building. Goddamn man!

When Brady picked her up, she didn’t know where they were going. It had to be somewhere close and private, because he didn’t have much time to talk. She knew Victoria was supposed to be at the lab, but they couldn’t risk her coming home and finding a politician in her bedroom. That would mean a whole slew of new questions.

“Where are we going?” Liz muttered.

“I don’t know. I’m just going to drive.”

“Okay.” Liz shrugged and looked out the window.

“Do you know what I woke up to this morning?” Brady asked after a pause.

“An alarm clock?” Liz asked.

Brady’s eyes darted over to her side of the car, proclaiming rather loudly that her sarcasm wasn’t welcome.

“Fine. No.”

“I woke up this morning to Heather thanking me.”

“What?” Liz asked cautiously. “Why?”

“For you dating someone else.”

Liz swallowed hard, but kept her eyes locked on him even as he drove them aimlessly around Chapel Hill. “I’m not dating him, Brady,” she said finally.

“Yes, well, I assumed that,” he said sharply. “However, that doesn’t explain why your face is on the front cover of the paper with this person…another guy.”

“I visited him in D.C.,” she answered truthfully.

Brady breathed in slowly. It was clear that he was trying to control himself. “I thought you were visiting a friend in D.C.”

“Hayden is my friend.” She hadn’t meant for her voice to come like a whisper, but the coldness to his tone scared her.

“Hayden,” Brady repeated the name.

“He’s the, uh…editor of the paper.”

The silence was more painful than his anger. She wanted him to yell at her, scream, tell her how pissed he was, but he didn’t. He just sat there his hand lightly clenched on the steering wheel as he drove through town.

“And how do you feel about him?” Brady finally asked.

Ironic, coming from him. Liz clenched her fists at her sides and felt the heat rise in her face. Brady wouldn’t even tell her how he felt, and yet he demanded she tell him about Hayden.

“He’s not you.” She turned her head away from Brady. She had already told Brady she loved him. That had to be clear.

“He likes you,” Brady said simply.

“It doesn’t really matter! Didn’t you hear me? He’s not you. This isn’t a competition, Brady. There’s no room for jealousy. Look, I liked Hayden for a long time, and he kissed me in D.C., and I can’t even look at him right now. Why? Why can’t I look at someone who I liked for two years before I even met you?” she demanded, turning in her seat to face him once again. “Because the only thing I felt when he kissed me was that I was glad it was out in public. It wasn’t Hayden I wanted. It was you. And if it’s not you, then it doesn’t matter.”

“You think this is a competition? That I’m jealous? I made it very clear that I didn’t want anyone else near you,” Brady said, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

“It’s like you’re not even hearing me!” Liz cried. “I love you. I told you that I love you. Don’t you hear me? Don’t you understand what that means? Just tell me that you love me.”

“I don’t make promises I can’t keep. And I won’t hurt you with this one.”

Too late.

Liz recoiled as if he had slapped her across the face. His words hurt worse than she even thought they could. Her cheeks heated and her stomach twisted at his refusal…his rejection.