Scandalous Secrets

by Synithia Williams

  Zoe jerked her eyes back to Elaina. Damn, her gaze did keep drifting to Byron and Yolanda. “They make a beautiful couple. They’re perfect for each other.”

  “Do you really think that?” Elaina asked as if Zoe said she believed elephants were great at basketball.

  “Yes. I’m happy for him. That he’s happy and he’s in love.”

  Elaina grunted and sipped her champagne. “He loves her about as much as Yolanda loves him.”

  Zoe glanced around. The rest of the family wasn’t at the table and there were no donors there to overhear. “What do you mean?”

  She knew she was gossiping. Gossiping wasn’t a good look, but she couldn’t help it. Her attraction for Byron wasn’t going away, and she was clinging to anything.

  “I mean they’re only doing this for the votes. Byron needed a wife. Yolanda fit the bill. Voila, the perfect political power couple.”

  She frowned and shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”

  “He would. Once you have your heart broken it’s hard to trust in love again.” Elaina frowned at her glass then downed half of her drink.

  What I felt for you wasn’t hero worship, a small bit of affection, or a little bit of attraction. Neither was the pain I felt when you walked away.

  She’d ask who broke his heart, but Zoe already knew the answer. She glanced back at Elaina, who continued to frown at the empty glass on the table. Her gaze indicating her thoughts were somewhere else.

  Zoe got the feeling Elaina wasn’t just talking about Byron. “Did you have yours broken?”

  Elaina blinked and focused on Zoe. “What? Of course not. I’m talking about Byron.”

  Zoe placed a hand on Elaina’s arm. “It’s okay if you ever want to talk to me. I know it may be hard to talk with your family, but if you need an ear, I’m happy to lend mine.”

  Zoe wasn’t sure if Elaina had any close friends. She doubted Elaina had anyone to talk to. India was kind of off-limits and Byron, while she loved him, was still her brother and had loyalties to the family.

  Elaina stiffened. Zoe waited for her to say she was being ridiculous or to shove her hand away. Instead, Elaina’s eyes shimmered. She looked away and reached for the water goblet on the table, causing Zoe’s hand to fall away. “I may take you up on that.”

  Before Zoe could respond, Elaina’s phone chimed. Zoe’s chimed a second afterward. Elaina picked up her phone and frowned. “Oh, crap.”

  “What?” Zoe asked.

  Elaina looked up from her phone at Zoe. “Get ready because tonight just got a lot more interesting.”

  She held her phone face out. The picture from last night with Zoe and Byron and the gas station attendant was on Elaina’s phone. Along with a headline that read: The fire is still hot between candidate Byron Robidoux and his old flame!

  Zoe snatched her phone off the table. Sure enough she’d gotten the same notification. She’d signed up for new alerts so she could be on top of the latest stories just like the rest of the family. Not only was it the one selfie with Gary, but also several other shots of her and Byron talking, laughing and touching hands in the store. She looked up at Elaina, who shook her head.

  “This is about to get messy,” Elaina said, sounding almost delighted.

  Zoe looked away from Elaina to the rest of the family. They were all checking their phones and glancing at Zoe then Byron and back. Zoe’s gaze jerked around the room. More people checked their phones. Her heart rate accelerated.

  Okay, this wasn’t that bad. They hadn’t done anything wrong. They’d just gone for a late-night run for snacks. Nothing nefarious about that. At least not on Byron’s part. She was the only one who’d realized she wanted more than their pretend relationship.

  A man Zoe recognized from Yolanda’s public relations team walked up to Yolanda and whispered something in her ear. Yolanda nodded and excused herself from the group. Byron nodded at the guy but didn’t look as Yolanda walked away with him.

  Zoe watched them as they walked toward the exit of the ballroom. The man held out his phone. Yolanda looked at the screen and frowned. Something cold snaked through Zoe’s midsection.

  Zoe stood abruptly. “I need to tell Byron.” Before Yolanda said something and made things worse.

  “Believe me, he’ll know soon enough.” Elaina stood. “I’m going to distract Daddy so he doesn’t go over there and try to lecture Byron on the importance of appearances. He’s good at that.” Elaina headed toward Grant.

  Zoe slipped through the crowd to Byron’s side. On the way she could hear the hushed wave of whispers and feel the intense scrutiny as people studied her. Every vibration and chime she heard of a cell phone made her stomach twist. Byron’s night was about to be ruined.

  She smiled at the group of donors he spoke with and tapped on his shoulder. “Byron, do you have a second?”

  When he looked at her the smile on his face froze. Concern filled his bright eyes. “Sure. Excuse me,” he said to the group and followed her. Once they were out of earshot he asked, “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded and grinned. “We’ve got a problem,” she said between clenched teeth.

  He chuckled. “Then why are you smiling and nodding?”

  “Because there’s something in the media and you need to know about it. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  His smile didn’t falter, but his eyes sharpened. He nodded toward the exit. “We have the room next door for the family.”

  “Let’s go there.”

  He didn’t argue and led her out of the ballroom. Once they were out of the room he frowned. “Okay, you’re worrying me.”

  “It’s about last night,” she said. “When we were at the gas station. The picture the attendant took was leaked to the media. They’re saying you were out with an old flame. I’m worried it’ll look bad.”

  Byron frowned for a second as if he couldn’t recall what picture then waved his hand. “Is that all? Don’t worry. It was nothing. Just us going out to grab some snacks. We can clear everything up.”

  His words knocked the air out of her like a shove to her chest. Had he really felt nothing?

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “We all got notifications. I’m worried some of the donors will see and worry.”

  “About what?” He walked toward the door of one of the rooms adjacent to the ballroom.

  “That there’s something between us.”

  Byron stopped at the door. He stood with his back to her for a few never-ending seconds before he looked at her over his shoulder. “There’s nothing there.”

  She’d seen it. The nervous nose twitch he did. Her heart rate sped up. He had felt something. Zoe moved until she stood right beside him. “Isn’t there?”

  His shoulders stiffened. He turned and faced her. His eyes filled with frustration. “I’m not in the mood for games, Zoe. I’ve been here before.”

  “I haven’t been here. Everything is new and I don’t know how to react,” she admitted.

  Before he could answer, the door to the room opened. Yolanda came out. She took one look at Zoe then Byron before stepping back in the room. “Come inside.”

  Zoe and Byron exchanged glances. He walked in first. Zoe pressed a hand to her stomach and followed. She couldn’t believe what she’d been about to do. Byron had a fiancée. He didn’t need her jumping in and making his life even more complicated.

  Once they were inside, Yolanda crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. She watched them with narrowed eyes.

  “Do you really expect me to believe you’re not sleeping with her?” She pointed at Zoe. “I’ve known this was coming from the first day I saw you two together.”

  Zoe took a step back. Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. “No, we aren’t sleeping together. It’s not like that.”

  Yolanda sniffed. “For now.”

/>   Byron ran a hand over his face. “Really, Yolanda, I thought we were past this.”

  Zoe’s eyes widened as she looked from Byron to Yolanda. “You’ve talked about this?” She’d suspected Yolanda noticed the way Zoe felt about Byron from the start, but not that she’d brought it up to Byron.

  “I thought you understood everything I told you,” Yolanda said. “We’d keep our affairs discreet.”

  Zoe couldn’t believe a word she was hearing. Elaina had warned her Byron and Yolanda weren’t as happy as they seemed. There was no way Yolanda could love Byron if she wanted him to keep his affairs discreet. Zoe wouldn’t stand for Byron having an affair if they were together.

  “I’m not having an affair,” Byron countered.

  “Yet, you’re spending every night she’s in town at your dad’s estate. You’re taking pictures with her late at night at gas stations. The report from the attendant says you two said you were together.” Yolanda spoke quickly, but her voice didn’t rise.

  “It was just a night out. It didn’t mean anything,” Byron said, but his voice wasn’t convincing. Not even to Zoe.

  “It means something,” Yolanda said calmly. She pulled the ring off her finger. “I’m making the choice easier for you.”

  Zoe shook her head. “Yolanda, wait. Don’t do this.”

  “I should have done this the moment you came back into his life.” She walked to Byron and put the ring in his hand. “This is better.”

  “No. I can’t have this. Not right now,” he said. “How do I explain this?”

  Yolanda lifted a shoulder. “You’re a smart guy. You’ll figure it out.” She nodded to a member of her team and pointed to the door.

  “Yolanda, don’t end things because of a picture.”

  Yolanda’s lips lifted and she placed her hand on the side of Byron’s face. “It’s not just the picture. I’m getting out before you realize what you really want.” She looked at Zoe. “Then have to deal with the consequences.” Her hand dropped and she squared her shoulders. “Besides, my leaving isn’t your problem. The real problem is figuring out how someone found out about your late-night trip, why they sought out the clerk and why they’re trying so hard to ruin your life.” Yolanda walked past Byron to the door. “I know how to recognize a sinking ship when I see one. I wanted to be tied to a winner. That’s not you. You can have Roy call me later to arrange our joint statement.” She motioned for her assistant to follow her out the door.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “HOW CAN we trust Byron Robidoux in the Senate? The man has more drama than a daytime soap opera. Secret babies are only part of his tumultuous personal life. His close relationship with this woman he claims he didn’t know had his child has now cost him his fiancée. I don’t care how much he denies it. Byron Robidoux is exactly what we knew he was. A rich playboy who decided to run for a higher office on a whim.”

  Byron picked up the remote and turned off the television. Silence filled his living room and he tossed the remote onto the couch. If only he could shut off the lies spewing from Nelson McLeod’s mouth. His opponent hadn’t wasted any time taking advantage of Byron’s broken engagement.

  Byron couldn’t blame him. His life was unfolding like a daytime drama. Yolanda hadn’t come out and said she and Byron broke up because of Zoe. Not after she’d put on such a great show of her and Zoe getting along. Instead, she offered just enough insinuations about making room for everyone to be happy and her wish for Byron to have all the best with his new life.

  He couldn’t even get mad. He’d chosen Yolanda because she was good at spin and strategy. How could he have expected her to do anything less?

  The doorbell rang. Byron groaned and ran his hand over his face. He was not in the mood for company. He’d debriefed with Roy. Listened to his dad tell him how to handle the bad publicity. Come up with a statement that convinced voters to trust him despite the activities in his personal life. He was spent, and no one should have a need for him at all tonight.

  He picked up his cell phone and pulled up the app connected to the camera at his door. He was prepared to tell whomever was on the other side to fuck off. Especially if it was a reporter who thought they’d snag the next scoop on him. The words were forming on his lips when the image of Travis on the other side of the door with a brown paper bag in his hand filled his screen.

  Sliding his phone into his back pocket, Byron strode to the front door. “Come on in.”

  Travis held up a six-pack. “I thought you could use a drink.” He crossed the threshold.

  Byron chuckled and rubbed his now-smooth chin. He’d finally shaved the beard. He needed all the help he could get with being a likable candidate, so he’d finally caved to the people who said he looked more professional without the beard. “I need something a lot stronger than beer.”

  Travis held up a brown paper bag in the other. “I’ve also got whiskey.”

  Byron took the bag from Travis and pulled the bottle of Johnnie Walker out of the bag. “See, that’s why I like you.”

  They went inside where Byron grabbed two glasses and put ice in a bucket. He and Travis settled at the high-top card table next to the built-in bar.

  “I didn’t expect you over,” Byron said as they sipped their drinks.

  “Because of the drama with the media, or because I eloped with India?”

  “Both,” Byron admitted. He and Travis hadn’t hung out since he and India eloped. Granted, Byron was out of town most of the time on the campaign trail, but where he’d once go to Travis’s place to hang out or ask his friend to meet him at a bar for drinks after a stressful day, he didn’t anymore. He went to the estate if Zoe was there. Yolanda was right about that.

  “Where do you want to start?” Travis asked.

  “There’s no need to rehash the thing with India. I said I was cool with you two and I mean it. Congratulations.”

  Byron held up his glass. Travis hesitated a second then clinked his glass with Byron’s. He meant what he said. He had more things to be worried about than Travis marrying the woman he loved. On the list of fucked-up things with his family, Travis and India’s genuine love for each other wasn’t one of them.

  “So Yolanda wasn’t as perfect as you thought,” Travis said. A hint of I-told-you-so in his voice Byron wished he could get angry about.

  Byron frowned and lightly hit his hand on the top of the table. “How did you see it? How did I miss it?”

  “I didn’t see this. I never thought you should marry her, but that wasn’t because I thought she’d leave you hanging like that.”

  “Yolanda is smart. All she ever wanted was to win. To have political influence without actually serving.”

  “Then why break up with you?”

  Byron lifted a shoulder and sipped his drink. “She said she was on board. In the end, she thought Zoe was a threat. She wanted to get out and control the optics of her moving on. We both know having Zoe back in my life made this road to the Senate harder.”

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Keep campaigning. Keep pushing uphill. I can’t afford to bow out of the race and let McLeod win. He’ll do everything he can to support pushing our state back three hundred years.”

  He had a challenge ahead of him. Good thing he wasn’t afraid of challenge. Giving up wasn’t an option.

  “I know you’re going to keep campaigning. I mean what are you going to do about Zoe?”

  “What are you talking about? Her number of campaign appearances might need to go down until this stuff with Yolanda dies down, but otherwise I don’t see anything changing.”

  He wasn’t going to hide her or take back the statement he’d released. There was still the matter of the emails to her, and Yolanda’s last words. Who was trying to make things harder for him and Zoe?

  Travis sighed and shook his head. “You’re not usually this slo
w. You wanted a wife to make you appear like a family man. Yolanda has left and created a mess when she did. You obviously still hold a torch for Zoe. Kill two birds with one stone.”

  “What? Nah.” Byron scoffed. “I’m not going to replace Yolanda with Zoe.”

  “Why not?”

  Why not? Two words that carried so much temptation. “Because, it wouldn’t be good optics. Despite what Yolanda said the public isn’t going to accept me getting a new fiancée right after we split.”

  “Yes, they will,” Travis said confidently. He leaned back and sipped his drink.

  “It’ll feed the rumors that something is going on between us.”

  “And? Look, I haven’t been around you two a lot, but I’ve been around enough to know you’re feeling her. What was between you hasn’t gone away. I say go for it. People love a second-chance romance.”

  The idea sent a ripple of anticipation through Byron. The same ripple he’d felt when he’d looked into Zoe’s eyes in his car the other night. He wasn’t naive enough to pretend as if he and Zoe weren’t attracted to each other, but he needed more than attraction. He’d be better off single than reinvesting his heart into the idea of a relationship with Zoe. The last thing he needed was another failed relationship during this campaign.

  “People love the idea of reunited lovers in books and movies. Not in real life.” Byron tapped his finger on the edge of his glass. The hum of energy sparked by Travis’s suggestion still buzzed in his system even as he tried to ignore it. “Plus, Zoe and I were never lovers in real life. She never chose me.”

  “So you’re not denying you still like her.”

  Liked her. Wanted her. Thought about her. Constantly. “She’s cool. I like her, but...”

  “But what?”

  After all these damn years she still had her hooks in him. He’d pulled her into his life when he didn’t need to. She never would have sought him out because he was running for Senate. She would have stayed out of his life and lived hers. Yet, he’d insisted on finding her. If he’d left well enough alone...