Off the Record (Record #1)(122)

Brady swallowed back the panic threatening his body. It was like deep down he knew that by standing in this place, he was sacrificing more than he could ever admit. He wanted Liz to understand. He wanted her to see what she was capable of doing to him.

“I’ve met a few people on the road to this election who have shown me the example to follow. A man I met in Hillsborough, with more determination than anyone I’ve ever known, told me that he was going to organize a party with his friends to get the word out. An elderly woman I met while I was in Charlotte made phone calls in my district because she wanted to do her part to help in the process. A young woman I met in Raleigh on the Fourth of July taught me a vital lesson: People can surprise you. They can make you believe in them more than you ever thought they would believe in you. And that’s precisely what happened. I believe in you, all of you. I believe in the man talking to his friends to get the word out, the elderly woman helping out the best way she knows how, and the woman who made me understand that no matter what, I could do this.”

Liz brushed under her eyes and shook her head. Brady could tell she was torn and emotional from his speech. He was talking about her. Of course he was talking about her. Liz was the one to show him that he could make someone truly believe in what he wanted for the state and in turn, that forced him to believe in her…to fall for her.

“And it’s those three individuals, every single one of you here, and the rest of the state who make me proud to accept the nomination from the party to run for the House of Representatives in the Fourth District of North Carolina.”

The room exploded with excitement. Everyone was cheering and screaming all at once. A huge round of congratulations would follow and then he would go to the celebratory party thrown in his honor with all of his friends and family.

But in that moment, the only person he saw in the room was Liz Dougherty. They stared across the room at each other. He didn’t know what she was thinking or feeling. She looked like she was trying to wear her own campaign mask. Not let him in, not let him see what she was feeling.

Then all at once he saw something shift in her. Liz dropped her arms, shrugged like she couldn’t explain what she was feeling, then sighed heavily. She didn’t look sad or even mad at him…she looked resolute. Like she had been on the edge of a precipice deciding whether or not to jump and he had made up her mind.

Grasping the chain around her neck, the necklace he had gotten her, she dropped it down under her shirt and out of sight. She placed her hand over the spot where it was hidden away and gave him the faintest of smiles.

Liz broke his gaze and turned to face Hayden. They exchanged a few brief words, and then she turned and walked toward the double doors at the back of the ballroom. Brady watched her meander through the crowd still cheering his victory. When she made it to the doors, she glanced over her shoulder, met his gaze one last time, and then she was gone.