Year 28 - J.L. Mac Page 0,73

poor fuck on national television. Those I watch. News in general, hard pass.

“… In that sense Senator Sweeney has a definite edge. Being chairperson of the intelligence committee, participating in as much oversight as she has, and the key role she has played in significant legislation in the recent past make her the ideal person for her party to prop up in the next several months as presidential campaigns begin coalescing. By my estimation she would be a dark horse in the next presidential election should it come to that.”

“You make several good observations there, Bennett,” another over-rehearsed personality-voice begins. “But the thing that gives me pause is the rumor regarding Senator Sweeney’s tentative campaign team. As you know, it was leaked that she’s already putting together her A-team and Senator Cline’s Raegan Potter is on the short list according to my sources. This is a potential issue for Sweeney due to Miss Potter’s rumored affair with another campaign manager said to be on Kilpatrick’s short list for campaign manager. If I’m correct, this individual is married and if that’s the case, it’s reasonable for Senator Sweeney to call into question Miss Potter’s ethics. The relationship between the top two political strategists currently in politics—both of which are across the aisle, so to speak—is a conflict of interest at the very least.” My head snaps to Rae. She cusses under her breath and her lips do this twitching thing. She flicks her nails one past the other. It’s a habit of hers I recognize as being a good time to pick at her to find out what’s got her panties in a twist.

“Preston, I assume?” Mentally I begin working the puzzle out. He’s got to be why she doesn’t even entertain the idea of coming back home, back to me. Jealousy and anger bloom in my blood.

“He’s not married,” she says curtly, switching the radio off. “So don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m not looking at you any kind of way.”

“Mhmm,” she hums noncommittally, texting away on her phone.

“So you’re seeing him?” I hate the way the question feels in my mouth. I hate the surge of jealously coiling in my gut. I hate the thread of doubt in my mind that reminds me that adult Rae is a Rae I don’t exactly fully know and I am in no position to guarantee that she wouldn’t have an affair with a taken man or that she’d sleep with me while seeing someone else back home.

“Not exactly, no. As a rule I don’t date,” she explains coolly. Realization hits me and a sense of possessiveness over Rae has me clenching the steering wheel too hard, the leather creaks in my hands. “Oh. Got it. You aren’t dating but you have a friend with benefits,” I state, nodding my head.

“Are you exclusively with Preston or…?”

“I’m not discussing that,” she mutters with a scowl. “I don’t have a boyfriend and I don’t sleep around Sy,” she finally offers with a disgruntled huff.

“Good to know,” I deadpan.

“Come on, don’t ruin our time together by hating some guy that doesn’t hold a candle to you,” she flirts, batting her long lashes at me, her plump lips tipped up smiling. She’s beautiful and persuasive. It doesn’t surprise me at all that she is so successful. Raegan walks into a room and people sit up straighter. She’s the kind of woman men conquer for, women despise, and seemingly impossible tasks shudder at when she sets her sights on them. She’s as gorgeous as she is driven. While we wait at an intersection, I grab my phone and scroll through my playlist for the right song.

“Hey Jealousy” by The Gin Blossoms rings out from the speakers—I turn it up loud and roll my windows down, blasting the notes out into the Louisiana air. Rae snorts, then full on laughs, clutching her stomach, her eyes watering and just like that I’m grinning like a fool, wrapped around her finger and my inner conflict is forgotten as I watch my beautiful Snow laugh and dance in my shotgun seat with her hands above her head, hanging out the passenger window. She whoops loudly and wriggles her exquisite ass. I take a mental snapshot because in my experience, perfect moments with Rae are shooting stars. Rare, brilliant, fascinating, impossible to ignore, and always over way too damned quick for my liking.

Chapter 21

Raegan

Jealousy is one of my least favorite human traits and the pity of that is it is entirely unavoidable. Jealousy