Page 100 of Not the Plan

“I don’t need a man to—”

“Oh, I know. I’m fully aware you don’t. You don’tneedanyone to. That’s why I’m asking you to let me.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I feel guilty, Karim. It’s not fair.”

“I don’t want to make you feel guilty. I want to make you feel cared for.”

She looked out her window. Her sigh was heavy, and her hand darted to her cheek.

“Okay. Thank you, Karim,” she said, her voice soft. She reached for his hand.

“You’re welcome, beautiful.”

—

He’d left his phone on silent the entire weekend. The only people he’d wanted to speak to were Gabriel and Khalil, his support team. And he’d stolen a few moments to keep them in the loop. When he pulled his phone out to turn it off before takeoff, he had a new message.

Julian: Excellent work again, Karim. Getting Isadora to sign the amendment first was a stroke of genius. Don’t know how you did it, but I think it made the others follow suit. Everything is coming together. Great job.

What the hell is he talking about? Why would it be a stroke of genius? That’s twice in three days this amendment has come up. I was careful, but something is wrong.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Isadora

“I’m with Diane,” RJ said.

Isadora’s goals for the first day back had been to check on RJ and get a copy of the amendment to see for herself that Daniel’s presidency wasn’t in danger. But the second she’d seen him, RJ dragged her into her office and demanded all the details about her weekend, preferring to talk about his when they weren’t at work. She tried to temper her excitement out of respect for his loss, but she couldn’t avoid including a moment when her cousin Diane had pulled her aside to say that Karim was in love with her.

“It’s as plain as day every time he looks at you,” she’d said. Isadora had been stuck for a reply, much to Diane’s delight.

“But…RJ, how? He can’t be in love with me.”

“Why not? If some guy did all that stuff for me, I’d take it as a pretty big sign.”

She groaned, putting her head on her desk. “I don’t know how todo this,RJ. I don’t know how to…”

He sighed. “Believe someone cares about you? Loves you?”

A vacuum replaced her lungs. Grateful her forehead was still pressed against her desk, she fought the deep black. That cold, crippling emptiness she battled at the end of every contact with her mother, at the fuzzy memories of her father. If she gave into the sobs, the entire senate would hear her. She nodded.

“You know I love you, babe. And maybe this will help,” RJ said, sliding a large manila envelope onto the desk next to herhead. She curled her arms around herself and sat up, her vision blurry.

“What is it?”

RJ stood, opening the door to her office. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’m just the messenger.” He winked at her and left, closing the door behind him.

She picked up the blank envelope, sifting it back and forth. When she unsealed it, several handfuls of white rose petals tumbled onto her desk, into her lap, and onto the floor. She started crying and put her head on her desk again, the smell of roses filling the air.

She lifted her head, the wave of emotion having run its course.

Why are you crying? There’s no denying he makes you happy. He was beyond awesome.She went back over everything he’d said, defending her, boasting about her. She thought of his excitement at becoming her boyfriend—she pressed her hands into her cheeks at the idea. And there was something she hadn’t shared with RJ: The way Karim made love to her had changed. It felt different now. Closer, warmer, more emotional. She looked at the cascade of rose petals around her and picked up her phone.

Isadora:Thank you, baby.

She deleted it.Can’t call him “baby” for the first time by text.

Isadora:Thank you, Karim. So sweet!

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