Page 86 of Commander

Chapter Twenty-One

I tooka deep breath as I made my way to Ashur’s office. I knew what I was about to do was right for all of us. I needed to leave town and take the spotlight off Ashur and his administration.

At first the news outlets believed the pictures were a hoax, then some began to question the various incidents I’d been involved in over the years. All the attention had also brought an uproar of anger and finger-pointing from Ashur’s critics about what he knew regarding my past international work. There were threats of a federal inquiry.

Ashur hadn’t said much about the accusation, except to release a statement questioning the validity of the pictures since I was pregnant and hadn’t left the White House for weeks due to morning sickness. What surprised me most was the fact that the majority of Americans were more focused on a White House baby than the fact I may have been involved in an illegal international operation.

I knew I wasn’t in the clear, but at least the heat on me wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It was more the cold between Ashur and me that I couldn’t live with any longer.

My dream of having a relationship with Ashur like the one my parents shared was long gone. The only hope I could have was one where we could peacefully tolerate each other.

I turned the corner and stopped in front of Leara’s desk. “Is he in?”

“Go right in, Mrs. Kumar.”

The guards opened the door before I approached and closed them once I passed over the threshold to the Oval Office.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Ashur said as he set his pen down and pushed back from his desk.

“I know I’m the last person on this earth you want to see, but I had to give you this.”

I set the revised contract on Ashur’s desk with shaky hands.

He watched me with his penetrating gaze. “What it this?”

“It’s something I should have done long ago.” I stepped away from his desk.

He picked up the envelope and pulled out the papers. After scanning them, he looked up. “What does this mean?”

“It means you’re free.” I bit my lip, swallowed, and squared my shoulders. “I’ll leave for Seattle tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I can’t live the way we’ve been living any longer and I know how you feel so I’m not sure what else is left to say.”

“What about the baby?”

I covered my stomach. “I’d never keep you away from our children.”

“The contract says two children.” His words were cool but I felt the storm inside him.

I inhaled deeply, trying to hold in the tears burning the backs of my eyes. “I’m carrying twins, so I’ve met the requirements you stipulated.”

“When did you find out?”

“During my appointment, the day after you learned my secrets.” I closed my eyes for a second, trying to keep my emotions from overwhelming me.

“That was a week ago.”

“I wasn’t hiding the information from you. I wasn’t sure how to bring it up when we haven’t spent a single moment alone in the last seven days. And there is the fact you couldn’t even look at me without anger.”

“Tara.”

“Don’t, Ashur. I have to figure out my life. I promise I’ll come back. No one will suspect what is going on between us. I’ll be the dutiful first lady, but outside of that we’ll continue to live separate lives as we’ve done for the last month.”

“Are you going to stay with Solon?”

“Yes, but not in the same capacity as I did for the past ten years. I won’t ever intentionally put my babies’ lives in danger.”

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